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by MoeGo on Oct 16, 2025 12:37:19 PM
When Denise Heroux first heard about online booking, she wasn’t convinced it was for her. “I was nervous about losing control,” she admits. “What if clients booked the wrong service, or I couldn’t manage the flow?”
Fast forward a few years, and Denise now runs three thriving salons in Cleveland, Ohio, including a cat-exclusive location — all powered by technology. As the owner of Awesome Paws Pet Salon, founder of the Ohio Professional Pet Groomers Association, and host of The Ambitious Groomer podcast, Denise has spent 25+ years learning how to work on her business, not in it.
Starting Small and Gaining Back Control
Denise’s digital journey began with her smallest, most controlled environment — her cat salon.
"We had limited hours and an one-on-one booking structure," she explains. "We weren't physically present at the cat facility often, so we knew we had to upgrade." This approach allowed her to test the waters without overhauling her entire operation.
The result surprised her: rather than losing control, she gained more. "I utilize the feature that requires me to approve appointment requests," she says. "I also choose which groomers have online availability based on their skill level."
To stay in control, she:
- Used MoeGo’s “approval required” feature to review every request before confirming.
- Restricted availability based on groomer skill levels.
The best thing was when she regained a client who had been absent for two or three years, just because she began offering online booking. "The convenience factor for clients who want to book outside of business hours, like at 9:00 p.m. on the couch, is huge," she said.
Creating Your "Business in a Box"
The true power of systemization comes from creating repeatable processes that anyone can follow. For Denise, this meant creating what she calls the "MoeGo Bible"—a comprehensive handbook with screenshots and step-by-step instructions for every operational task.
Here are Denise’s favorite MoeGo features in action:
Multi-Location Management & Easy Onboarding
"Whether it's making, deleting, or refunding appointments, everything is documented," Denise says.
"This allows any staff member to run the reception area effectively," Denise explains. It is especially powerful for multi-location owners like Denise. With this, Denise can track every change across three busy salons, giving her full visibility, accountability, and peace of mind.
By having everything all in one place, the system ensures consistency and quality across all salons, new hires can get up to speed quickly, and the business becomes less dependent on any single person.
Automated Communication
Denise’s team saves hours every week with MoeGo’s automated messages. They rely on automated confirmations, reminders, and follow-ups that keep clients informed without constant back-and-forth.
The team now enjoys seamless, automated workflows that keep operations smooth and they have more time to focus purely on their craft.
Reclaiming Your Most Valuable Currency: Time
For business owners like Denise, time is the difference between being stuck in the daily grind and having the capacity to grow.
Denise quantifies this precisely: "If an owner's time is valued at $100 per hour, saving 6 to 10 hours weekly equates to $600 to $1,000 worth of recovered time that can be used for growth activities." That time now goes toward what truly matters: mentoring her team, funding creative grooming classes, and planning for the future.
For Denise, she reinvests this reclaimed time into what she calls the "big end game": staff investment and retention. "I use this extra time to plan, teach, and pay for specialized training," she says. "This increases job satisfaction and reduces the likelihood of staff leaving." In a competitive labor market, this investment is what separates good salons from great ones.
Denise’s Must-Have Software Checklist
We partnered with Denise to create a checklist of the top 10 must-have features to look for when choosing software. Fill out the information below to access it for free. 👇
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Demystifying Technology with Denise Heroux: Time as Currency
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