10 questions with Yazmin Elson, co-founder of one of East London's most relaxing beauty studios

Based in Dalston, Still London is one of the best places in East London to relax, whether you're getting a manicure, doing a sauna session, or having a massage. We caught up with co-founder Yazmin Elson to learn more about Still London, and find out how she uses Fresha to manage the salon's busy schedule.  

What was the biggest challenge you faced when you first opened Still London?

The most challenging part was the marketing side of it. We opened the doors and we didn’t have any clients. So we went out leafleting, talking to locals in the area and just trying to build up a client base from scratch.

Now, I'm so proud of Still. What makes me proud is when I'm standing here and it's fully booked. We have people on the waiting list, and everyone I look at is enjoying their time at Still. And to have people choose to spend their time here on a Saturday afternoon or choose to spend the weekend here, that's what makes me proud. 

How did you come up with the name?

We came up with the name Still London because we wanted to create a space that that people could come and just be still. Just to take an hour off their day or that week just to come and feel a sense of calm, as well as having a very natural treatment along with it.

How we want people to enter the salon is instantly to feel calm, but also, more importantly, appreciated and not to feel that its just in and out. We want everyone to feel that they've had the most personal, relaxing experience.

What's your most popular service?

We offer manicures, pedicures, and we've recently opened our treatment space, which includes an infrared sauna. We have massages and facials and also reiki treatments downstairs. Our most popular service is gel manicures. We've had the nail studio space open a lot longer than our treatment space, however facials and massages are really starting to take off now.

What's your favourite part about being a small business owner?   

Definitely being able to work closely with the team. They are the most important thing to the salon, and I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for them. So for me, having the relationships I have with them is so important and that's what means the most to me.

We currently have 17 employees in our space here in Dalston, which includes the nail studio upstairs. And we've recently opened our treatment space downstairs. We keep the team connected with our business goals by having regular meetings and also keeping them up to date with any new business ideas, new products, and new treatments coming out.

How did you first hear about Fresha?

We first heard about Fresha when we were looking online and looking at the different partners to work with. And Fresha seemed to be the best company out there. 

What we really loved about Fresha was how easy it is to use. Also, I like the fact that if we ever need help with anything, we can simply just call up our our rep, and they are on the end of the phone within five minutes. That's really, really helpful for us.

And how do you think Fresha helps you grow your business?

Fresha helped us grow the business with the amazing marketing tools they have. We can send blast emails. We can also send text messages to clients, and that really helps with any offers we have on and any new treatments. And it just keeps everyone up to date with what we have going on in the salon.

We have over 7,000 people on our database, and to keep in touch with people would have been very difficult if it wasn't for Fresha.

How has Fresha helped streamline your day to day?

Fresha has helped me streamline the running of the salon because it's so easy to use. You can see everyone's diary on one screen, and it's very easy to manage the time and all of the team's diaries at once.

How has Fresha helped you in a difficult situation?

We had a lot of clients that wouldn't show up to their appointments and obviously we would lose money. So we asked Fresha, what's the best solution? And they advised us to put in deposits which has helped massively.

We also use the reporting feature to understand our client retention and to keep an eye on our appointments. What days are busier, what time of the month is busiest, so then we can arrange the schedule around those times.

What makes Fresha great partner?

Fresha is a great partner because of how easy it is to use. I also think it's really great to have someone on hand to just pick up the phone and speak to whenever I need a question answered or if I need help with anything. 

I would recommend Fresha to anyone in the beauty industry and I would let them know how helpful the team is, and just how efficient the whole system is to use.

Where do you see Still London in five years?

I see Still London in five years opening new locations and expanding our product range.