Scheduling Wizard Blog

Today we celebrate 1,000,000 online appointments scheduled with TimeCenter scheduling software. Click on the image to see amazing appointment statistics in super-duper-big size.



Conclusion
65% of all appointments made online are made by women. This was concluded by analyzing 1.000.000 appointments made through TimeCenter online appointment scheduling. In particular, appointments with beauty salons and veterinarians are almost completely dominated by women.

Female business owners are more likely to schedule appointments online
Women entrepreneurs are more interested in online booking than men, since 67% of all businesses that schedule appointments online are run by women. These businesses often offer services aimed at women, such as nail extensions, hair extensions and hair removal. This in turn leads to more women than men booking online.

So what does men book?
Out of all naprapaths that offer online scheduling, half are men. Even in this case, there are more women who book - 6 out of 10 are women. Among massage therapists, it is a completely different representation of genders, only every fourth man is a massage therapist. Roughly the same as the average, 68% of massage therapy sessions are booked by women. Only 15% of hairdressers that accept online reservations are men, but as many as 76% of the customers are women.

At beauty salons, 9 of 10 appointments are made by a woman, and 4 out of 5 who bring the dog to the vet is a woman. An equal share can be found in a yoga class.

Where's the genders equal?
One category that is very gender neutral is sports, where the same amount of appointments are made by men and women. Examples include online booking for tennis, golf and personal trainers. The most masculine service by far is coaching for cycling and triathlon, that are booked to 79% of men.

"Regardless of gender, 100% of our users have realized how easy and convenient it is to accept appointments online. One million appointments is a very strong indication that online scheduling is the future and the number will continue to grow rapidly."


A huge thank you to all our customers for making this possible!
Thanks to amazing artist Gerardo Obieta, who made this beautiful infographic.

I know a lot of you guys drool by the mere thought of the MacBook Air. But yet you won't buy one, cause you firmly believe that any day now, Apple will launch the new smaller, slimmer, lighter MacBook Air, 2010 model with an 11.6-inch display.

Here's my ideas of what it will look like, compared to it's bigger brother, along with some tech specs and speculations. By the way, did you notice that the old 13.3-inch MacBook Air looks like a huge freaking monster compared to the new one!?

What exactly is attraction marketing and why is it so effective? Attraction marketing is the concept of successfully pre-selling a customer without pushing or convincing, by conveying a benefit or advantage of your product or service. When done correctly, your customers will already have developed a level of trust prior to receiving your product or service and will most likely purchase from you.

Show the benefits through your website
One of the easiest ways to apply attraction marketing is through your website. While most business owners host a website that is more like an online brochure than anything else, those that implement attracting marketing find themselves achieving a higher level of success in business. Take advantage of your online real estate by creating pages that explain the fundamentals of your product or service and the problems it can solve or remedy. Identify their frustrations and speak about your ability and success in being a valuable resource in your community.

Get your clients talking about you
Another great attraction marketing tool is to utilize social proof. Social proof is great because it allows the potential customer to see firsthand the comments and ideas that others have about your business. Social proof is usually conveyed through testimonials or comments on your blog or website. It's one thing to speak highly of your own product or service, but it's an entirely different and extremely powerful marketing tool when others are speaking highly of you. Make sure you are utilizing this form of marketing whenever you can.
 
Become a leader by offering solutions
Thinking like a leader and behaving like one is another aspect of attraction marketing. Presenting yourself as a leader or expert allows you the opportunity to attract a higher level of business. Make sure that you are always approaching your marketing from a point of offering a beneficial outcome or a unique problem to solve. Leaders have all the solutions and answers! Psychologically we are attracted to leaders and will naturally gravitate towards such a person. Take advantage of your expertise in your field and show leadership.

Attraction marketing works like magic by magnetically pulling potential customers towards you and your business. When you start thinking and focusing on your target customer and what it is they truly need, you will begin to see a huge shift in your business. If you aren't yet marketing your business from an attraction perspective, you are leaving thousands of potential dollars on the table. Take the extra time to make sure you are marketing to your potential audience with grace, dignity and from a level of leadership. Make sure you express your abilities effectively and you will no doubt be successful!

About the author:
For more marketing tips from Ann Ross, visit Massage Marketing Mentor.

Everybody wants to look like a million bucks. Well now you can and it's free. At least if you are a small business owner and want put some enticing freshness in your logo.

I have found a great website which let's you design your logo in just minutes. It's free to design and download your logo, but a donation is greatly appreciated by the genius creators of this gizmo.

So I let my imagination fly, and this is the my new amazing business logo.

I am using the symbol that is in Health + nutrition > Contemporary category and the Frutiger font. I have to say that it looks pretty awesome to me, keeping in mind I only spent 5 minutes designing it.

Go ahead, make my day (and your logo)
Now it's your turn to amaze me with your brand new logo. So make your way to LogoSnap.com and feel your inspiration flow!

When starting your business, one of the most important aspects is the ability to brand yourself effectively. When done correctly, branding separates you from the competition in a way that will undoubtedly launch you towards success. Each and every successful business has efficiently conveyed their unique trademark or brand to their customer base, thus attracting customers on a consistent and regular basis. And while many people may think of a symbol or logo when they hear the term "branding", it is in fact so much more than that.

Branding is truly a feeling and an experience conveyed through your marketing materials, websites, communication and services you provide to your customers. Create and cultivate an effective branding strategy early on to successfully attract your ideal customer. Here are 5 simple steps I recommend you exercise to get started in branding yourself.

1. Have a Unique Vision or Mission
This is the most important aspect in branding. Each business must stand for something in order to remain unique in the marketplace. The biggest threat in business is no doubt competition. But if you brand yourself correctly, with a true vision that shows you offer your services in a unique special way, you will naturally attract customers. Think about your vision, or ways that you and your services are unique to your customer and build on that. Do you specialize in something special? Do you offer your services in a unique approach? We all have something unique to offer in business. Convey this effectively and it will pay off.

2. Your Image
Image is very important as it shows a certain level of professionalism in conveying your vision. Creating a bold and visually appealing logo is an important part of your image. Make sure you place your logo on all of your marketing materials including your business cards, brochures, website etc. The interior decorating of your place of business is extremely important in communicating your brand as well. The way you dress and the cleanliness of your office is one of the most important decisions you will make. Customers will feel a sense of confidence towards you when you dress professionally, decorate professionally and provide a pristine, clean office environment.

3. Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Another very important factor in branding your business, a USP conveys a direct statement about your business to the marketplace. You want your USP to make a specific claim such as "buy our service and get this benefit". You also want to make sure that your USP is unique and has not been used within your marketplace before. Also, make sure your offer is so strong that it has the ability to pull people towards you. A great example of a well know USP is "You get fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less -- or it's free." Domino's Pizza.

4. Consistency
Being consistent in business is one of the main reasons a customer will continue seeing you. Not being consistent truly can break your business. Customers come to expect certain things from you when doing business and you must deliver each and every time. Make sure everything you do flows in a consistent manner. From your marketing pieces, your phone etiquette, the service you provide and the way you treat each customer, every single moment your customer interacts with you needs to always be reliable and consistent. The moment you start letting this slide, your customer will notice. Make sure your business always runs consistently and delivers the finest experience.

5. Define Your Target Market
This is one of the key factors in branding. Without customers you don't have a business. Figure out your target market by looking at what unique qualities you bring to the table and what unique problems you are able to solve. Your target market or ideal customer is one who needs you for an issue or problem they are having. Because you are uniquely qualified to solve people's problems and/or eliminate pain in their life, target those people specifically. For instance, suppose you are a massage therapist that specializes in pain management. Targeting a pregnant woman with low back pain through your marketing efforts will attract those specific clients to you like a magnet. Target marketing is extremely important in attracting your ideal client and developing your brand.

Your brand lives in the minds and hearts of each of your customers. It is the sum of each aspect of your business carefully packaged and delivered. Effectively branding yourself will take you to great places in business. Do not overlook this important factor in building your business. Taking the time to cultivate this will surely launch your business to great heights!

About the author
Ann Ross is a successful massage therapy business owner in Seattle, WA. In addition to her massage practice, she is a marketing and business building coach for massage therapists. Her website http://www.MassageMarketingMentor.com is a valuable resource for self employed massage therapists.