Sunil Khatri, Co-Founder Zalon, shares his thoughts on the idea behind the firm and the technological advancements

Why did you choose to become an entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur gives me lots of freedom to use my creativity and make my own decisions to run my business the way I like. It gives me an opportunity to meet new people and acquire different sets of skills on a daily basis which I am really enjoying. In the last few years, technology has revolutionized lots of industries, and being a techie myself I feel passionate about building something substantial using technology that can make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Also, entrepreneurship keeps putting me in those tough situations where me and my partner are challenged to take on tough problems and collaborate with the right people to help us nail those problems. Most importantly, the pride we feel in bringing employment to the economy and providing exhilarating experiences to our customers is simply amazing.

What was the idea behind establishing this startup? What is the USP of your business?

During Covid times, the beauty and salon industry got impacted the most as it is a high-touch based industry, and a lot of salons could not survive during the lockdowns. I strongly feel that even in those tough times, if the salons had the right set of technological solutions, they could've at least stayed connected with their customers, and had a better possibility of staying afloat. Even after things opened up, customers were not informed about the services that have been resumed or Salon timings. They were also not exactly confident about precautions being taken by Salons. If at that time, salons had a good CRM tool to communicate with customers, they could have notified their existing customers and also connect with new clients. Customer acquisition would have been much easier had there been technological solutions. They could have easily reassured them about the precautions and steps they’d taken to maintain hygiene. Another opportunity that I feel they missed out on was offering services at clients' places as per the need of the hour. All this because there was no proper communication channel between the Salons and the clients.

How Salons Are Using The Latest Technology To Stay A Cut Above?

Salons today are taking help of technological tools to stay ahead in the game. Technology enhancement like Virtual Reality is being used extensively by Salons to provide the latest services to customers. AI-based technologies provide data backed beauty solutions which have upped consumer service to the next level. Alongside, technology solutions are used to engage with customers using Social Media platforms, push notifications and mailers. Also apps are being used to handle Salon management, procurement of products and payment tracking etc; which gives Salon owners enough time to focus on customer services.

What new technologies are emerging in the salon industry, and how is Zalon staying ahead of the curve? Zalon is a forerunner in bringing Salons, brands and service providers together on one platform. Zalon through its SaaS offerings has digitalized the end-to-end management of Salons. Right from booking appointments, staff management, procuring, tracking orders, and managing payments, Zalon is a one-stop solution for all Salon needs. Zalon has successfully streamlined the running and managing of Salons, thereby making them more profitable and future-ready.

How is Zalon helping salon owners use technology to provide a more personalized and engaging experience for their customers?

Zalon with its digital services has brought Salons closer to their clients. The platform allows online booking of appointments which keeps the customers and Salons on the same page. Using tools such as push notifications, Salons are able to keep the customer engagement high. Notifications and email marketing are used to keep the customers informed about the latest offers, deals and beauty trends. All these services help Salons stay connected with their customers and keep them engaged at all times.