Business Growth
❓ Question
Can Timely send automated reminder texts to clients?
Vincent Foster
🏪 VIP Seller
🥇 Gold Seller
Lash Artist · Nottingham · 2mo ago
Been using Phorest for about 6 months now and I'm starting to wonder if I'm getting my money's worth. I'm a solo PMU studio owner with about 40 regular clients. The price keeps going up and I feel like I'm only using about 30% of the features. Has anyone downgraded or switched to something cheaper? What did you end up going with?
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My clients were pretty resistant at first — a few of them are older and not very tech-savvy. What helped was walking them through the booking link in person the first time. Once they'd done it once they were completely fine. Now I get booking confirmations at 11pm from people I would have thought would never manage it.
#1
I was asking myself this a year ago. Best decision I ever made was just picking one and starting. Treatwell has a free plan that's genuinely functional. Start there, learn the system, then upgrade when you actually need the paid features. Don't let the choice paralysis stop you from just getting on with it.
#2
Honestly? Just go with Setmore. I know there are loads of options but for a solo brow studio in the UK it covers everything you actually need — online booking, SMS reminders, deposits, basic reporting. Don't overthink it. Half the features on the premium plans you'll never use.
#3
I was asking myself this a year ago. Best decision I ever made was just picking one and starting. Square Appointments has a free plan that's genuinely functional. Start there, learn the system, then upgrade when you actually need the paid features. Don't let the choice paralysis stop you from just getting on with it.
#4
For deposits specifically, Trafft is really smooth. The client gets a card payment screen as part of the booking flow — it doesn't feel like a separate step or like you're being suspicious of them. I take £20 on everything and no one has complained since I set it up properly.
#5
I've been using BookPin for 6 months and honestly I'd recommend it for a small hair salon. The setup took me about half a day but once it's done it just runs. Clients get automatic reminders, you can take deposits, and the calendar view is really clear. Give the free trial a go — you'll know within a week if it works for you.
#6
I was asking myself this a year ago. Best decision I ever made was just picking one and starting. Setmore has a free plan that's genuinely functional. Start there, learn the system, then upgrade when you actually need the paid features. Don't let the choice paralysis stop you from just getting on with it.
#7
For multi-staff SimplyBook.me is excellent. Each person has their own colour-coded calendar, you can set individual hours and services, and clients book with a specific person or with 'any available' if you prefer. I've got three staff on it and it's really simple to manage from the dashboard.
#8