The challenge
eSalon.rs needed a SaaS platform that lets hair and nail salons run their business and take online bookings — fast to use on a phone, accurate in real time:
- Self-service booking for customers, calendar control for staff
- Multi-location support for salon chains
- Real-time schedule updates across every connected user
- Appointment reminders via push, SMS, and email
- A mobile experience good enough to replace the phone call
The approach
I built eSalon as a modern progressive web app with real-time interactivity at its core.
Platform
- Rails with Hotwire (Turbo & Stimulus) for real-time UI without a SPA tax
- Progressive Web App installable on any phone
- WebSocket-driven schedule updates the moment anything changes
- Tailwind CSS for a fast, responsive interface
Salon operations
- Drag-and-drop calendar with staff availability management
- Service catalog with pricing and duration, customer history tracking
- Push, SMS, and email reminders that cut no-shows
- Dashboards for revenue, retention, and staff performance
The results
- Native-like mobile experience without app-store friction
- Real-time accuracy across all users via WebSockets
- Fewer phone calls and no-shows for salon owners
- Multi-location management for growing chains
Stack
- Ruby on Rails
- Hotwire
- Tailwind CSS
- PostgreSQL
- WebSockets
- PWA
We went from idea to a fully working booking platform in record time. The team understood exactly what salon owners needed and delivered a product our customers love using every day.
Jovan Stefanovic
Partner, eSalon.rs