Skip to main content

Our Story

We might have grown up a little since our humble beginnings as a backyard startup, but one thing hasn’t changed: we’re here to help you achieve your wildest business dreams.

Our history

The Shortcuts journey began way back in 1994, the brainchild of salon owner Joanna Burgess, who joined forces with two forward-thinking software developers to create what has become one of the most powerful hair and beauty software solutions on the market.

Back then, paper appointment books were the norm, marketing meant little more than running ads in the local paper, the Internet still seemed a little bit sci-fi, and Facebook was more than a decade away.

But from day one, our mission was clear: to create an easy-to-use software system to help creative types and savvy business owners alike do better business, without having to sacrifice their work/life balance, and which would improve their profits at the same time.

An innovator from the get-go, Shortcuts was the first salon software designed specifically for Windows (anyone remember those clunky old DOS systems?), and was also the first to take advantage of touch-screen technology, which was brand new at the time.

Fast forward a few years, and we have stayed true to our vision, all the while adapting to the latest tech trends. We were the first to create text messages that sync with your Appointment Book. We were innovators with our set and forget Marketing feature, which so many businesses can’t live without. More recently, we led the way with our Mobile Guest App.

 

Shortcuts today

These days, we’re pretty proud to be able to call ourselves one of the world’s leading software providers for the hair and beauty industry. Our software can be found in more than 14,000 salons and 45 countries worldwide – not bad for a business that began with three young entrepreneurs in a back shed!

We’ve never been the kind to rest on our laurels – our constant innovation keeps us at the top of our game. The world of technology today is changing faster than ever, and we are always dreaming up new ways to help businesses work smarter, not harder.

At the end of the day, we’re so much more than just a company that creates software. We’re also a bunch of hard-working humans who love what we do, and who will go out of our way to help you achieve your wildest business goals.

Welcome to the future. Welcome to Shortcuts.