Setting Up Your Salon Profile

15-20 minutes

Tutorial 1.2: Setting Up Your Salon Profile

Introduction

Before you start booking appointments, let's get your salon set up properly. This tutorial covers adding your salon name, contact details, uploading your logo, and configuring essential settings like timezone, currency, tax rates, and date formats. We'll also explain why these settings matter for your day-to-day operations.

Who this is for: Salon owners and administrators setting up a new salon in Luminate.

What you'll learn:

How to access and edit salon settings
Setting up your business name and contact details
Uploading your salon logo
Configuring timezone, currency, tax settings, and date format
Understanding how these settings affect your salon

Time to complete: 15-20 minutes

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

You must be logged in as an Owner or Admin
You should have your business details ready (address, phone, email)
If uploading a logo, have it saved as a PNG or JPG file (recommended minimum: 500x500 pixels)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Access Salon Settings

Click your salon name in the header bar
Select Salon Settings from the dropdown, or navigate to Salons and click Edit next to your salon
You'll see the salon edit page with multiple tabs - the Details tab contains your profile settings

Step 2: Set Your Salon Name and Business Name

Salon Name: This is the name customers see on communications and receipts. Keep it simple and recognisable.

Business Name (Legal Name): Your registered business name for official documents. This may be different from your trading name.

Enter your Salon Name (e.g., "Luxe Hair Studio")
Enter your Business Name if different (e.g., "Luxe Hair Ltd")
These names appear on receipts, emails, and customer communications

Example:

Salon Name: "The Style Bar"
Business Name: "Style Bar London Ltd"

Step 3: Add Contact Details

Complete these contact fields in the Basic Information and Location sections:

Field	Description	Example
Email	Primary contact email for customers	bookings@luxehair.example.com
Phone	Main salon phone number	020 7946 0958
Country	Select from dropdown	United Kingdom
Street Address	Your salon's street address	123 High Street
City	Town or city	London
County	County or region (label varies by country)	Greater London
Postcode	Postal code	SW1A 1AA

Why this matters:

Email appears on receipts and customer communications
Address is used for location-based features
Phone number appears on appointment confirmations

Step 4: Upload Your Salon Logo

Your logo appears on:

The login screen for your staff
Receipt headers
Customer-facing emails
PDF exports

To upload your logo:

Scroll down to the Branding section
Drag and drop an image file onto the upload area, or click Choose File to browse
Wait for the upload to complete
The preview will show your new logo

Logo Guidelines:

Recommended size: 500x500 pixels minimum
Accepted formats: PNG, JPG, JPEG
Maximum file size: 5MB
Square logos work best; rectangular logos will be scaled to fit
If possible, a transparent PNG image is recommended

Step 5: Configure Your Timezone

This setting is critical. Your timezone affects:

How appointment times are displayed
When reminders are sent
Report date/time calculations

Find the Localization section
Select your local timezone from the Timezone dropdown (e.g., "Europe/London (GMT/BST)" for UK)
Double-check this is correct before saving

Common UK Timezone:

Europe/London (GMT/BST - automatically adjusts for daylight saving)

Warning: If your timezone is wrong, appointments may show at incorrect times. Set this correctly before adding any appointments.

Step 6: Set Your Currency

The currency setting affects:

How prices display throughout Luminate
Receipt formatting
Report exports

In the Localization section, find the Currency dropdown
Select your currency (e.g., "British Pound (GBP)")

Available Currencies:

British Pound (GBP)
Euro (EUR)
US Dollar (USD)
Australian Dollar (AUD)
New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
Canadian Dollar (CAD)
Singapore Dollar (SGD)
Japanese Yen (JPY)

Note: This is a display setting. It doesn't convert prices - it only changes the currency symbol shown.

Step 7: Configure Tax Settings

Tax settings determine how tax is calculated and displayed on transactions, receipts, and invoices.

Scroll to the Tax Settings section
Enter your tax rate as a percentage in the Tax Rate (%) field (e.g., "20" for 20%)
Set your Tax Label (e.g., "VAT" or "GST")

Country-Specific Defaults:

When you select a country, Luminate automatically sets appropriate tax defaults:

Country	Tax Rate	Label
United Kingdom	20%	VAT
Jersey	5%	GST
Guernsey	0%	GST
Australia	10%	GST
Other countries	10%	GST

Customising Tax Settings:

The tax rate can be customised to any value between 0% and 100%
The tax label appears on receipts and invoices (e.g., "VAT (20%)" or "GST (10%)")
Settings are applied per salon, so multi-location businesses can have different tax rates

When to adjust:

If your business is VAT-registered, use 20% VAT
If operating in a tax-free jurisdiction, set to 0%
If you have a different tax arrangement, enter your specific rate

Note: When you change the country, the tax rate and label may update automatically if the current values match the previous country's defaults. Custom rates you've set manually are preserved.

Step 8: Choose Your Date Format

Different regions display dates differently. Choose the format familiar to your team and customers.

In the Localization section, find the Date Format dropdown
Select your preferred format

Available Formats:

Format	Example	Common In
DD/MM/YYYY	31/12/2025	UK, Europe, Australia
MM/DD/YYYY	12/31/2025	United States
YYYY-MM-DD	2025-12-31	International (ISO)
DD-MM-YYYY	31-12-2025	Alternative UK
DD.MM.YYYY	31.12.2025	Germany, Switzerland
Month Day, Year	December 31, 2025	Formal documents
Day Month Year	31 December 2025	Formal UK
Day 31st Month Year	Mon 31st October 2025	Friendly format
Day DD/MM/YY	Mon 31/10/25	Compact UK
Day MM/DD/YY	Mon 10/31/25	Compact US
Day YYYY-MM-DD	Mon 2025-10-31	Compact ISO

Tip: Choose a format your staff can read at a glance. The calendar and all dates throughout Luminate will use this format.

Step 9: Save Your Changes

Review all settings to ensure they're correct
Click Update Salon at the bottom of the form
You'll see a confirmation message when saved successfully

Common Pitfalls

"Appointment times are wrong"

Your timezone is probably incorrect. Go back to Step 5 and verify your timezone setting. Remember: changing the timezone affects how times display, not the actual appointment slots.

"I set the wrong currency and now all my prices look wrong"

The currency setting only changes the symbol displayed - it doesn't convert prices. You can safely change it. Your actual price values remain unchanged.

"Staff can't access salon settings"

Only Owners and Admins can modify salon settings. Managers, Staff, and Receptionists cannot access the salon edit page. See Tutorial 1.3 for role details.

"My date format changed but old records look different"

The date format applies to how dates are displayed. It doesn't change any underlying data. All new displays will use your chosen format.

Tips and Best Practices

Set timezone before adding appointments - This prevents confusion later
Use a professional email address - Create a dedicated booking email (e.g., bookings@yoursalon.com) rather than personal email
Keep your logo simple - It will appear at various sizes; simple designs scale better
Match your date format to your receipts - If you're used to dd/mm/yyyy, stick with that for consistency
Complete all contact fields - These details may be used in customer communications and receipts
Review settings quarterly - Check that contact details are still accurate, especially after any business changes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change these settings later?

Yes, all settings can be changed at any time. However, we recommend setting timezone and date format correctly from the start to avoid confusion.

Do I need to add my address?

While not strictly required, adding your full address enables location features and ensures receipts display complete business information.

What happens if I don't upload a logo?

Luminate will use a default placeholder. Your salon will work fine, but adding a logo provides a more professional appearance.

Can I have different settings for different salons?

Yes! If you manage multiple salon locations, each salon has its own independent settings. Currency, timezone, and date format can all differ between locations.

Why does my currency need to match my Stripe account?

If you're processing payments through Stripe, your display currency should match your Stripe account currency to avoid customer confusion. The amounts are the same; only the symbol changes.

Can I use a GIF as my logo?

No, animated images are not supported. Use PNG or JPG format for your logo.

What's the difference between Salon Name and Business Name?

Salon Name: Your trading name, used in customer-facing communications
Business Name: Your legal/registered company name, used on official documents

For sole traders, these might be the same. For limited companies, the business name would be your registered company name.

How do I know what tax rate to use?

If you're VAT-registered in the UK, use 20% with the label "VAT". For Channel Islands businesses, Jersey uses 5% GST and Guernsey has 0% GST. For other countries, consult your local tax authority. When in doubt, speak to your accountant.

Will changing my tax rate affect existing transactions?

No, changing the tax rate only affects new transactions. Previously completed transactions retain their original tax calculations. This ensures your historical records remain accurate.

My salon is in a tax-free zone. What should I do?

Set your tax rate to 0%. This ensures no tax is added to transactions. The tax line will still appear on receipts showing "GST (0%)" or similar, confirming no tax was charged.

Why does Luminate change my tax settings when I change countries?

Luminate provides sensible defaults based on your country. When you change countries, if your current tax settings match the old country's defaults, they'll update to the new country's defaults. Custom rates you've manually set are preserved.

Last Updated: January 2026