Makastam for nail and lash studios
Nail and lash studios live on repeat visits: infills for extensions, a fresh set of gel or BIAB, a lash infill every few weeks. Most new clients find you on Instagram, and many techs work on their own or rent a desk or chair in someone else's salon. Makastam suits these small, busy businesses: bookings, client follow-up and the money side, all run from your phone.
Clients find you on Instagram and book through a link
For nails and lashes your shop window is usually Instagram. Someone sees a post, sends a DM and asks "when are you free?". Keeping up with those messages while you are halfway through a full set is hard. Put your studio's online booking link in your Instagram bio and the client picks the treatment and a free time themselves, while you carry on working.
Free slots come from your working hours, days off and existing appointments. You choose how many days ahead people can book and how much notice they need to give, so nobody books you for twenty minutes from now while your hands are busy. You can also add a short announcement to your booking page, for example asking first-time clients to send some information before their appointment.
For clients who use Telegram, you can also share the studio's Telegram booking link and QR code. They book inside Telegram, see their upcoming appointments and cancel there if they cannot come. Anything they write to the bot lands in the Inbox on your panel, where you can reply or turn the conversation into an appointment.
Not missing the infill window
In this line of work clients are usually lost quietly: when the infill is due they go somewhere else and you never notice. The client profile records the last visit and how often they have been in. Write down the nail shape, length, colour or lash curl and thickness you used as a note, and the next appointment gets the same result.
Makastam does not book the next appointment by itself. We recommend it as a studio habit instead: when the treatment is done, suggest the next infill straight away and put it in the diary together. As the date gets close, the reminder goes out automatically.
Clients who have not been in for the number of days you choose can receive a "We miss you" message. For treatments with a short cycle it makes sense to keep that number low. These messages and birthday greetings only go to clients who gave marketing consent.
Reminders mean fewer empty slots
In a one-person studio a missed appointment takes that hour's income with it. A confirmation goes out when the booking is made, and a reminder follows the number of hours beforehand that you choose, free of charge over Telegram. Automatic messages over WhatsApp are coming soon. Details are on the Telegram reminders page.
Working solo or renting a chair
Many nail and lash techs look after their own clients and rent a chair or desk in a salon. From the salon owner's side, that tech's takings belong to them and the salon keeps track of the rent. In Makastam chair rent is its own pay model: a fixed monthly rent, a share of takings, or both together. What the renter owes and has paid is tracked on their account.
Whether rent or commission works better depends on how busy the salon is and how many clients the tech brings with them. We compare both models with examples in chair rental vs commission. If you work in the North West, our page on salons in Manchester may be useful too.
Working completely on your own is easier too: take payment with the quick sale, keep track of gel, polish and lash supplies in stock, and see your cash and card totals in the end-of-day report each evening.
The link for your Instagram bio is ready in a few minutes.
Enter your treatments and how long they take, then take your first online booking.
Frequently asked questions
Can a one-person studio use it?
Yes. If you work alone, the booking link, client profiles, reminders and quick sale cover most of your day. When someone joins you, you add them as staff.
Does the system book the next infill automatically?
No, recurring appointments are not created automatically. We suggest booking the next one with the client before they leave; the reminder then goes out on its own as the date approaches.
Can I track the rent of a tech who rents a chair in my salon?
Yes. Chair rent is a separate pay model: fixed rent, a share of takings, or both. What the renter owes and has paid shows on their account.
Where can clients message me instead of Instagram DMs?
When a client writes to the bot through your Telegram booking link, the message lands in the Inbox on your panel. From there you can reply, turn the conversation into an appointment or link it to the client profile.
Related pages
- FeaturesOnline booking: a link, a QR code and TelegramYour own booking link, a QR code and booking via Telegram. Clients pick the service, the stylist and a free slot; the booking lands straight in your diary.
- FeaturesClient profiles: every client's history in one placeColour formulas, notes, past tickets, last visit, no-shows and balances on one profile, plus a we-miss-you message for lapsed clients and a birthday greeting.
- FeaturesAutomatic reminders and messages on TelegramBooking confirmations, reminders, receipt links, we-miss-you, birthday and balance messages sent free via Telegram. Your templates; WhatsApp coming soon.
- GuidesChair rental vs commissionChair rental or commission for your stylists? How each model works, pros and cons, a break-even example, hybrid rent and the employment status question.
- CitiesRunning a salon in Manchester: students, match days and the MetrolinkAdvice for salons in Manchester and Greater Manchester: student terms, match days, the Metrolink, Christmas markets and part-time staff on daily pay.