Guide for Salon Owners - Everything You Can Do

15-20 minutes

Tutorial 16.1: Guide for Salon Owners - Everything You Can Do

Introduction

As a salon owner in Luminate, you have complete access to every feature in the system. This is the highest permission level, designed to give business owners full control over their operations, finances, and team management.

This comprehensive guide serves as your command centre reference, summarising all the features available exclusively to owners as well as the day-to-day operations you'll be performing. Whether you're checking in on revenue, managing multiple locations, or handling your subscription, this guide will help you quickly locate the features you need.

Who this is for: Business owners with the Owner role in Luminate.

What you'll learn:

Owner-exclusive features and where to find them
How to manage multiple salons from one account
Billing and subscription management
Staff account administration
Complete report access and exports
Salon settings and configuration
Your day-to-day operational features

Time to complete: 15-20 minutes

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

You should have an Owner account (the account you created when registering)
You should have at least one salon set up
Helpful to have completed the onboarding checklist (Tutorial 1.4)

What Makes Owners Different

Owners have a fundamentally different relationship with Luminate than staff users:

Aspect	Owner	Staff Users
Permission checks	Bypass all checks automatically	Must have specific permissions
Salon access	All salons they own	Only the salon they work at
Billing access	Full billing and subscription control	No billing access
Multi-salon	Can create and manage multiple salons	Works at one salon only
Account creation	Can register new accounts	Accounts created by owners

Owner-Exclusive Features

These features are only available to users with the Owner role. No other role—not even Admin—can access them.

Billing and Subscription Management

Location: Click your profile picture (top-right) → Billing

As an owner, you have complete control over your subscription:

View subscription status - See your current plan, trial status, and next payment date
Add payment method - Enter card details to activate or continue your subscription
Update payment details - Change your payment card before it expires
View billing history - See all past payments and download invoices
Access billing portal - Manage your subscription through our payment provider
Cancel subscription - End your subscription (with grace period for data access)
Restore subscription - Reactivate a cancelled subscription within the grace period

Important: If you need to transfer ownership of a salon to someone else, contact support at hello@luminate.salon.

Multi-Salon Management

Location: Click the salon name badge in the header

Owners can create and manage multiple salon locations from a single account:

Creating a new salon:

Click the current salon name in the header
Click Manage Salons
On the Salons page, click Add Salon
Fill in the salon details
The new salon appears in your salon switcher

Switching between salons:

Click the salon name badge in the header
Select the salon you want to view
The entire interface updates to show that salon's data

Key points about multi-salon:

Each salon has completely separate data (customers, appointments, transactions)
Staff members are assigned to one salon only
You can see consolidated views in some reports
Billing is per-salon but managed from one account

Staff Login Account Management

Location: Staff → [Select staff member] → Login Access section

Only Owners and Admins can create and manage staff login accounts:

Creating a login account:

Navigate to Staff in the sidebar
Click on the staff member's name
Find the Login Access section
Click Create Login Account
An invitation email is sent automatically

Managing login accounts:

Resend invitation - If the original email was lost or expired
Remove access - Immediately revoke login ability (the staff profile remains)

Why this matters: Staff login accounts allow team members to access Luminate from home, view their schedule, and process transactions. You control who gets access.

Notification Settings and Templates

Location: Sidebar → Notifications

Owners and Admins can access the notification management area:

Reminder settings - Configure when appointment reminders are sent (24 hours before, 48 hours, etc.)
Notification templates - Customise the messages customers receive
Channel configuration - Choose between email, SMS, or both
SMS balance - View your SMS credits and usage

Note: While Admins can also access notifications, only Owners can manage billing for SMS credit top-ups.

Setup Guide Access

Location: Click your profile picture → Setup Guide (if previously dismissed)

The onboarding setup guide tracks your progress in configuring the salon. Once dismissed, owners can re-access it from the profile menu.

Full Report Access and Exports

Location: Sidebar → Reports

Owners have access to all reports plus the ability to export data:

Available Reports

Report	What it shows
Daily Revenue	Revenue breakdown by date, service type, and payment method
Accounts Receivable	Outstanding customer balances
Gift Vouchers	Gift voucher sales, redemptions, and balances
VAT Report	VAT collected, net sales, and gross sales for tax reporting
Top Customers	Your highest-spending and most frequent customers
Staff Performance	Appointments, revenue, and commission per team member
Hours Worked	Rostered hours and break time for each staff member
Payroll	Commission calculations and payroll summaries
Leave Report	Staff leave taken and remaining allowances
SMS Usage	SMS messages sent and credit usage

Exporting Data

Each report has an Export button (visible only to Owners and Admins):

Navigate to the report you want to export
Set your date range and filters
Click Export and choose Export as CSV or Export as PDF
The file downloads automatically

Exports include all data matching your current filters—useful for accounting, tax records, or external analysis.

Salon Settings and Configuration

Location: Click salon name in the header → Salon Settings, or go to Salons page → Edit

Owners have full control over salon configuration. Settings are organised into tabs:

Details Tab

Salon name and Business name - For receipts and communications
Contact details - Email, phone, address for customer contact
Logo - Upload your salon logo for branding
Timezone - Critical for accurate appointment times
Currency - Displayed on all prices and transactions
Date format - How dates appear throughout the system
Tax settings - VAT/GST rate and label

Themes Tab

Theme colour - Customise the interface colour scheme
Choose from preset colours or set a custom brand colour

Badges Tab

Appointment badges - Visual indicators on appointments (First Visit, Running Late, etc.)
Customer badges - Traits to highlight on customers (VIP, Prefers Silence, etc.)
Custom badges - Create your own badges with custom colours

Gift Vouchers Tab

Default expiry - How long vouchers remain valid
Value limits - Minimum and maximum voucher amounts
Code settings - Prefix and length for voucher codes
Redemption rules - Allow partial redemptions

Skin Tests Tab

Validity period - How long patch tests remain valid
Enforcement - Warn or block bookings without valid tests
Reminder settings - Automatic expiry notifications
Consent statement - Custom consent text for forms

Staff Settings Tab

This tab contains several sub-sections:

Roster Settings:

Maximum weeks for roster duplication

Staff Levels:

Create experience tiers - Junior, Senior, Master, etc.
Tiered pricing - Charge different rates for the same service by staff level
Assign staff to levels - Match team members to their tier

Leave Settings:

Default leave allowance - Annual holiday entitlement for new staff
Carryover policy - How unused leave is handled year-to-year
Leave year start - When your leave year begins

Public Holidays:

Enable/disable bank holidays - Choose which holidays to observe
Create custom holidays - Add salon-specific closure dates
Roster warnings - System warns when creating shifts on holidays

Time Blocks:

Create categories for non-appointment time blocks (meetings, training, admin, etc.)

SMS Credits Tab

Current balance - View your SMS credit balance
Purchase credits - Buy credit packs
Auto top-up - Configure automatic purchases when balance is low
Usage history - Track SMS spending

Online Booking Tab

Enable/disable online booking - Allow customers to self-book
Booking URL (slug) - Your unique booking page address
Lead times - How far in advance customers can book
Cancellation policies - Rules for customer self-service changes
Bookable services/staff - Choose which are available online

Day-to-Day Operations

As an owner, you can perform all the same tasks as your team—plus more. Here's your quick reference for daily operations:

Appointments

Location: Sidebar → Appointments

View and manage the appointment calendar
Book appointments for any staff member
Reschedule or cancel bookings
Mark appointments as arrived, in progress, or completed
Handle no-shows

Waitlist

Location: Sidebar → Waitlist

Add customers waiting for appointments
Set priority levels and preferred staff
Convert waitlist entries to bookings when slots open

POS (Point of Sale)

Location: Sidebar → POS

Process transactions for services and products
Apply discounts and record tips
Split payments across multiple methods
Email or print receipts
Bypass POS PIN - Owners don't need a PIN to access POS (if enabled)

Cash Drawers

Location: Sidebar → Cash Drawers

Open and close cash drawer sessions
Record opening and closing balances
Track cash movements throughout the day
Reconcile variances

Customers

Location: Sidebar → Customers

Add and edit customer profiles
View customer history and analytics
Manage marketing consent
Deactivate or anonymise customer data (GDPR)

Skin Tests

Location: Sidebar → Skin Tests

Track patch test requirements
Record test results
Monitor expiring tests on the dashboard

Messages

Location: Sidebar → Messages

View two-way SMS/email conversations
Reply to customer messages
Close and archive conversations

Roster

Location: Sidebar → Roster

Create and edit staff shifts
Set break times and recurring patterns
Duplicate rosters between weeks
View public holiday indicators

Leave

Location: Sidebar → Leave

View all leave requests
Approve or reject requests from any staff member
Monitor team leave balances
See upcoming leave on the calendar

Staff

Location: Sidebar → Staff

Add new team members
Edit profiles, roles, and commission rates
Create login accounts (covered above)
Deactivate or anonymise staff records

Services

Location: Sidebar → Services

Create and edit your service menu
Set durations, prices, and commission rates
Configure tiered pricing by staff level
Assign colour coding for calendar visibility

Products

Location: Sidebar → Products

Add retail products to your catalogue
Track stock levels and reorder points
Adjust inventory when stock arrives
Set retail and cost prices

Refund Processing

Location: POS → [Select transaction] → Refund

Owners and Admins can process refunds:

Navigate to POS → Transactions
Find and open the transaction to refund
Click Refund
Choose full or partial refund
Confirm the refund

Refunds automatically update the transaction status and are recorded in reports.

User Profile and Account

Your Profile

Location: Click your profile picture → Profile

Update your name and email address
Change your password
Enable/disable two-factor authentication

Switching Context

As an owner, you'll see:

Your name in the header with "Owner" label
The current salon name (clickable to switch)
Access to Billing in the profile menu

Common Workflows for Owners

Morning Opening

Check the dashboard for today's appointments and alerts
Open the cash drawer if handling cash
Review any pending leave requests
Check the waitlist for opportunities to fill gaps
Review yesterday's revenue in the dashboard

End of Day

Close the cash drawer and reconcile the balance
Review today's transactions in the POS
Mark any no-shows on the appointment calendar
Process unbilled appointments if needed
Check tomorrow's schedule for preparation

Weekly Review

Run staff performance reports to see team productivity
Check accounts receivable for outstanding balances
Review the roster for the coming week
Process any leave requests
Check gift voucher sales and redemptions

Monthly Tasks

Run payroll reports for commission calculations
Export reports for your accountant
Review top customers for VIP attention
Check SMS usage and top up if needed
Review subscription status and billing

Common Pitfalls

"I can't find the Billing page"

Billing is in the profile menu, not the sidebar. Click your profile picture (top-right) and select Billing.

"My staff member can't access Reports"

Only Owners, Admins, and Managers can view reports. If a staff member needs report access, upgrade their role to Manager.

"I accidentally deactivated my only Admin"

As an owner, you can reactivate any staff member. Go to Staff → find them in the inactive list → click Activate.

"I need to transfer ownership to my business partner"

Ownership transfer requires contacting support at hello@luminate.salon. We'll guide you through the process.

"The dashboard shows limited data"

Make sure you've selected the correct date range. The dashboard defaults to the current week—use the period selector to change the view.

Tips and Best Practices

Regular billing checks - Review your billing status monthly to avoid unexpected subscription issues.
Delegate with roles - You don't need to do everything yourself. Assign Admin or Manager roles to trusted team members.
Weekly report review - Schedule time each week to review staff performance and revenue reports.
Audit login accounts - Quarterly, check who has login access and remove accounts for staff who've left.
Keep settings current - Update your salon details, holiday settings, and service prices as things change.
Export regularly - Monthly exports of key reports protect your data and keep your accountant happy.
Train your managers - Show Admins and Managers how to handle daily operations so you can focus on the business.

Quick Reference: What Only Owners Can Do

Feature	Location
Billing & subscription	Profile menu → Billing
Create new salons	Salon badge → Manage Salons → Add Salon
Delete salons	Salons page → Edit → Delete

Note: The following features are available to both Owners and Admins:

Feature	Location
Notification settings	Sidebar → Notifications
SMS balance & top-up	Salon Settings → SMS Credits
Online booking config	Salon Settings → Online Booking
Export reports	Reports → [Report] → Export
Access payroll	Reports → Payroll
View leave allowances	Reports → Leave

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have multiple Owners for one salon?

Currently, each salon has one owner account. If you need multiple people with full access, make them Admins—they have nearly identical permissions except for billing.

What happens if I forget my password?

Use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page. A reset link will be sent to your registered email address.

Can I downgrade an Admin to a lower role?

Yes. Go to Staff → [Admin's name] → Edit → change their Role. The change takes effect immediately.

How do I give someone access to Billing without making them an Owner?

You can't. Billing access is exclusively for Owners. If you trust someone with billing, consider making them a co-owner (contact support).

Is my data safe if my subscription lapses?

Yes. You have a grace period after cancellation during which you can restore your subscription and keep all data. Contact hello@luminate.salon if you need an extension.

Can I use Luminate on my phone?

Yes. Luminate is fully responsive and works on mobile devices. The interface adapts to smaller screens while keeping all functionality available.

Last Updated: January 2026