Getting a high-quality website & online shop for your Salon need not be expensive especially when the Irish Government will pick up 50% of the cost via the Trading Online Voucher.
How long will your Local Enterprise Office continue to pay half the costs for your new website or online shop? There can only be a few reasons why you have not yet applied for this incredible opportunity:-
If you are the latter then stop reading, otherwise, you really have to take the steps to secure the investment the Government is prepared to put into YOUR business.
Simply put, the government wants to encourage small businesses (less than 10 employees with a turnover of less than €2m) to develop their business online and promote some export trade. With this objective, they are prepared to pay 50% of the investment needed, to a maximum of €2500, for you to develop or enhance a website, online shop, Salon booking system, mobile app and more. For more information on what you can spend your voucher money on, take a look at our blog Game-Changing options Your Salon Can buy using money from the Online Trading grant
For full details on the voucher scheme go to
https://www.localenterprise.ie/Discover-Business-Supports/Trading-Online-Voucher-Scheme/
Few would disagree that a high-quality website to promote your brand and business and enable your clients to book treatments or shop for products online is absolutely essential for a credible salon today and an investment you can’t afford to not make if you want to be taken seriously. Take a look at this article by Stephanie Michell where she explains that an online shop can increase turnover by 30% (or €40k for the average small salon) or read our e-book where we detail how you can save up to 70% of your time using a good booking system, that’s the equivalent to 1 additional pair of hands for a Salon employing 5 people. To apply for the Online Trading Voucher you need to attend a 2-hour information webinar and complete your application. Time commitment of less than a day, a pretty reasonable time investment to get up to €2500 back from the local authority and gain these types of benefits.
Your initial application doesn’t have to be the end game. Firstly it can be the start of your online strategy which you can build upon. Secondly, you can continue with this strategy with a second grant, for another €2,500, if and when finances allow. For example, you could start with a website with a specialist provider in the beauty industry who can provide a website and online shop for as little as €1,300 (you pay €650 with a grant). You can save cost and a lot of your time because they will have the images and skincare product descriptions ready to go and will also have the knowledge on treatments and how to present them, BUT an independent web designer will require you to provide these and in addition will require a great deal of hand-holding throughout the entire process, which will cost you time, effort and money. In addition, if you are not familiar with how websites work, it is easy to make mistakes that could be avoided b using an agency that specializes in websites for beauty businesses. They will know what you need and will know how to provide it more quickly and with less risk.
In summary - the benefits are huge and the investment in time and money is minimal - So why haven't you applied yet?
Download our e-book "Free money - A Salons Guide to the Trading Online Voucher scheme"
Salon Solutions has helped many Salons through this process and has gained valuable insights on how to be successful with the minimum effort. Download our comprehensive guide and find out:-
