Salongram
Register yourself and the premises
Manchester City Council says a hairdresser or barber must be registered with it, and so must all premises occupied for the business. A salon owner therefore has two things to register, the person and the shop.
City guide
No fee, one inspection, 28 days: registering a Manchester salon
Manchester asks hairdressers and barbers to register themselves and their premises, charges nothing for it and issues the licence within 28 days of the application if the inspection is satisfactory. More than half of residents come from an ethnic minority, and Greater Manchester speaks at least 90 main languages. Salongram keeps the diary, rota and payments on one phone.
Try the demo with a salon in Manchester
Chorlton Cuts & Colour
Manchester · GBP · 09:30 to 18:00, Tuesday to Sunday
A working copy of the app's screens with a sample salon in Manchester: local staff, services and prices in GBP.
Salongram in Manchester, in short
Salongram is a free salon booking app for Manchester salons and barbershops: appointments, clients, staff hours and WhatsApp reminders in one Android app.
- Free for a new salon that has just registered with the council
- Mobile hairdressers keep a diary without a shop
- Staff hours and days off for a small rota
- English, Arabic or Spanish screens on each phone
- A QR code for walk-by clients
Key takeaways
- Manchester City Council requires hairdressers, barbers and their premises to register, and charges no fee.
- The council inspects the premises and issues the licence within 28 days of receiving the application.
- In the 2021 Census, 283,366 Manchester residents, 51.3%, were from an ethnic minority.
- Greater Manchester residents spoke at least 90 different main languages in 2021.
What is different about opening a salon in Manchester?
Registration is local and free. Manchester City Council registers hairdressers, barbers and their premises, inspects them and issues the licence within 28 days. The city is also the most ethnically diverse district in Greater Manchester, so the region's residents speak many languages.
Mobile hairdressers register a base
For a mobile hairdresser or barber the registered premises is the home address, or any premises where the equipment is stored and maintained. A mobile stylist with no shop still has an address on the council's register, and still needs a diary.
Free, inspected, and in 28 days
The council charges no fee. It inspects the premises, and if the inspection is satisfactory the licence is granted and issued within 28 days of receiving the application. Registration stays in force until the business ceases to exist or the registration is cancelled.
The most diverse district in Greater Manchester
The 2021 Census counted 283,366 Manchester residents from an ethnic minority, 51.3% of the population. Greater Manchester's combined authority calls Manchester the most ethnically diverse district there, in absolute and percentage terms.
At least 90 languages across the region
Across Greater Manchester, at least 90 different languages were spoken as a main language in 2021. Urdu was the main language of 45,249 residents, Polish of 24,869 and Arabic of 19,323. These are regional figures, not Manchester-only.
Why a new Manchester salon starts with a free diary
No fee to register, none to book
The council charges nothing to register a hairdresser or barber, and Salongram is free on Android. A new Manchester salon can open with a working diary and no software bill.
A diary for mobile stylists
A mobile hairdresser registers a home or storage address, not a shop. Salongram keeps appointments, client notes and reminders on the phone, so the stylist can work from one place to the next.
Ready in the inspection window
The council issues the licence within 28 days of receiving the application. Use that time to enter services, prices, staff hours and your first clients, so the diary is ready when registration arrives.
Clients with many first languages
More than half of Manchester residents come from an ethnic minority, and the regional languages include Urdu, Polish and Arabic. Salongram runs in English, Arabic or Spanish, though not Urdu or Polish yet.
A link for clients who find you online
A booking link and a QR code let a new client choose a real free time. The request waits for you to accept it, so a small team is not interrupted at the chair.
How does Salongram help a Manchester salon day?
We found no official data on how Manchester clients book, so this guide does not guess. What Salongram does is keep walk-ins, calls and link requests in one diary per person, with warnings for clashes, so a small team does not double-book a chair.
One diary for every chair
Each stylist or barber has a column with their own days and hours, so a call, a walk-in and a link request all land in the right place.
The calendarReminders prepared for you
For tomorrow's clients, Salongram prepares a WhatsApp message in English. You check it and send it yourself, and it never goes out on its own.
RemindersReturning clients remembered
Notes, past visits and each person's usual service stay with the client, so a stylist who is new to them still knows what they had last time.
Client recordsWhat does a Tuesday look like in a Chorlton salon?
An illustrative Tuesday, not research: a four-person salon in Chorlton run by an owner and three staff, newly registered with the council, open six days, with a mix of regulars and first-time clients.
- Staff
- 2 stylists, 1 barber, 1 mobile hairdresser
- Hours
- 09:30 to 18:00, Tuesday to Sunday
- Currency
- Pounds sterling, card and cash recorded
- Illustrative
- Times and services are an example, not research
The owner opens the diary and sees the mobile stylist is out on two home visits until noon.
A first-time client rings for a cut; the barber has an opening at one, and it is booked straight in.
A colour client cancels. Someone on the waiting list who wanted a weekday afternoon takes the slot.
Two requests arrive from the booking link for Saturday. The owner checks each against the stylist's hours and accepts them.
What do no-shows cost your salon?
Type in your own numbers. A no-show is a slot nobody else could take; reminders and a waiting list are how most salons win part of it back.
An estimate from the numbers you enter (a month counted as 4.33 weeks). Nothing is sent or stored. Salongram is free to download.
How do I set Salongram up for a Manchester salon?
Enter services and prices
Add each haircut, colour or barber service with its price and how long it takes, so the diary blocks the right amount of time.
Add the team and their hours
Give each person their working days, hours and breaks. A mobile hairdresser can have shorter days or fewer working hours.
Share your booking link
Create the free optional account to get your link and QR code, then put it on your social pages, Google listing or shop window.
What Salongram does not do for a Manchester salon
- It does not file or track your council registration; you apply to Manchester City Council yourself.
- The app speaks English, Arabic and Spanish only, so it has no Urdu or Polish screens for staff.
- It records card and cash payments but does not take payments or online deposits.
- Reminders are prepared as English WhatsApp messages that you send yourself; none are sent automatically.
- No card processing. Payments are recorded in the app, not processed. There is no card reader, payment terminal or online payment.
- No automatic WhatsApp or SMS. The app never sends messages by itself. Staff open each prepared message in WhatsApp and send it.
- Not a marketplace. Salongram does not list salons in a public directory and has no Fresha, Treatwell or Booksy integration. Customers book through the salon's own link.
Questions Manchester salon owners ask
Do I need to register my salon with Manchester City Council?
Yes. The council says hairdressers and barbers must be registered, and so must all premises used for the business. There is no fee, and the licence is issued within 28 days of the application if the inspection is satisfactory. Salongram does not handle that registration.
Can a mobile hairdresser in Manchester use a salon booking app?
Yes. A mobile hairdresser registers a home address or equipment-storage premises with the council, but needs no shop. Salongram is free on Android and keeps appointments, client notes and reminders on the phone, which suits work from one visit to the next.
How long does Manchester take to register a hairdresser?
The council says the licence is issued within 28 days of receiving the application, after an inspection of the premises. Registration lasts until the business ceases or is cancelled. Use the wait to set up your diary in Salongram.
Which languages do Manchester salon clients speak?
In Greater Manchester, at least 90 main languages were spoken in 2021, including Urdu, Polish and Arabic. These are regional figures. Salongram runs in English, Arabic or Spanish, so check that your team can use one of them.
Is there a free salon booking app in Manchester?
Yes. Salongram is free on Android. It keeps the diary, client records, staff hours and payment notes, and prepares WhatsApp reminders you send yourself. It does not take card payments.
Sources
- Manchester City Council: Hairdressers and barbers registration: Hairdressers, barbers and their premises must register; mobile hairdressers register their home or equipment-storage address; no fee; inspection; licence within 28 days; stays in force until the business ceases or registration is cancelled (checked 2026-10-28)
- Greater Manchester Combined Authority: Census 2021 briefing, ethnicity: Manchester: 283,366 residents from an ethnic minority (51.3%), the most ethnically diverse district; Greater Manchester: at least 90 main languages, Urdu 45,249, Polish 24,869, Arabic 19,323 (checked 2026-10-28)
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