Buyer guide · Salon software in Kenya
Choosing salon and appointment software in Kenya.
A salon runs on a diary and on trust: who is booked with which stylist, what a returning client had last time, and how commission is worked out at month end. This guide covers what a Kenyan salon, barbershop or spa needs from appointment and checkout software, where M-Pesa and KRA eTIMS fit, and the questions to ask before you move your book onto a screen.
Who it fits
Who this is for, and who it is not.
Appointment software and a plain till answer different needs. Decide whether the diary is central to your day.
A good fit if
- You book clients by staff member and day, and want the diary to catch a double-booking for you.
- You pay commission and want it worked out at checkout instead of from memory.
- You sell packages or memberships that a client draws down over several visits.
- You keep client history, formulas and preferences and want them one click away at the chair.
Probably not if
- You take walk-ins only and never book ahead. A simple till may be enough.
- You need a resort system spanning rooms, restaurants and a full hotel. That is wider than salon software.
- You expect the diary to run only in a browser with no computer in the salon. Omnix is a Windows desktop product.
The working day
Walk the day before you buy.
Salon software should follow a client from booking to checkout. Walk a visit and check each step is on one record.
- Book
Fill the diary
Book by staff, day or week, with the diary checking the clash before it is saved.
- Serve
Check in the client
Open the client, see past visits, formulas and preferences, and start the service.
- Deduct
Use back-bar stock
Products used during a service deduct from stock, so the shelf figure stays honest.
- Reward
Redeem packages and memberships
A booked session draws down from a package or membership the client bought earlier.
- Checkout
Take payment and accrue commission
Complete the sale, take the payment method and accrue staff commission at the same time.
Local and connected
What runs on the device, what needs the line.
A busy diary cannot wait for the network. Know which parts are local and which reach Safaricom or KRA.
Works on the device
- Booking, rescheduling and checking the diary for clashes.
- Client history, formulas and preferences.
- Back-bar stock deduction and package redemption.
- Checkout and commission accrual.
Needs a connection
- An M-Pesa STK push at checkout.
- KRA eTIMS submission, retried when the connection returns.
Platform facts
The same platform facts, whatever you sell.
These hold for every Omnix product. The licence is a one-time purchase, and the optional update plan is a separate choice.
- Platform
- Windows desktop (Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit)
- Works offline
- Core sales, stock and records use the local database on the computer
- Install
- Protected download from the customer dashboard after purchase
- Activation
- Each device activates its own licence
- Licence
- KES 30,000 one-time, per device, perpetual
- Compliance updates
- Optional KES 12,000 per year, not required to keep the licence working
Before you switch
Questions about moving your data.
A salon carries a client book and open packages, not just a service list. Ask these before the switch.
- Which staff, services, prices and commission rates must be set up before the first booking?
- Do you have client history and outstanding packages or memberships to bring across?
- How will existing future bookings be entered so nothing is lost on the switch day?
- Who confirms back-bar opening stock and package balances before going live?
Questions for any vendor
Ask these before you commit.
Ask any salon vendor these before your diary and commissions depend on their software.
- Does the diary catch a double-booking before it is saved?
- Is commission worked out at checkout, per service or at a default rate?
- Can a client draw down a package or membership over several visits?
- Do products used in a service deduct from back-bar stock?
- Do the diary and checkout keep working when the internet drops?
Where Omnix fits
Omnix Salon & Spa
With the diary flow mapped, look at the product built for a Kenyan salon.
Omnix Salon keeps the diary, service checkout and stock in one place: appointments with clash checking, staff skills and commission, packages and memberships, client history and back-bar stock, on a Windows desktop that keeps booking offline. M-Pesa and KRA eTIMS run as connected steps.