Matthew Thomas
Founder of Parlor — the booking and payments platform for independent barbershops, salons, spas, and tattoo studios. Writes about the business of running a studio: the no-show math, what software actually costs, and the operations behind a full book. Every number published here is sourced or computed in the open.
Booth renter or employee: who should own the booking system?
One of the genuinely unresolved arguments in this industry. Here is the case each side makes, where the line actually falls, and the four questions that settle it before it becomes a fight.
Aug 24, 2026Why no-show fees fail to charge — and what a preauthorization actually is
A card on file is not a guarantee of payment. Here is the plain-English difference between saving a card, authorizing a card, and charging one — why fees decline weeks later, and which policies actually collect.
Jun 12, 2026Deposits that don't scare anyone off: a working policy for studios
Percent or flat? How much? What about regulars? A practical deposit policy for barbershops, salons, and tattoo studios — with starting numbers and the one rule that prevents complaints.
Jun 12, 2026Your client list is yours — here's how to get it out of any booking platform
The step-by-step for exporting your client list from Vagaro, GlossGenius, or Square — what you can take with you, what you can't, and what to do with the file once you have it.
Jun 12, 2026GlossGenius pricing, tier by tier: the solo price and the team price (June 2026)
GlossGenius starts at $24/mo and is genuinely great for solo pros. The teardown is what happens when you hire — the features a team needs sit in the $48 and $148 tiers. Public list prices, June 2026.
Jun 12, 2026The real monthly cost of a 4-chair shop on Vagaro (June 2026)
The advertised price is ~$30 a month. A working four-chair shop ends up near $110. Here's the line-item math from public list prices, with sources and dates — and what each add-on is actually for.
Jun 12, 2026What no-shows actually cost a three-chair shop
The math behind our no-show calculator, every assumption stated in the open: how a one-in-five no-show rate quietly takes ~$23,000 a year off a small shop's book.