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Booking system vs Google Calendar: what a salon actually needs

Google Calendar is a fine place to see your day. It cannot let a client choose a time, send a reminder or take a deposit. That is the part a booking system adds.

Create your booking page See the difference
Keep Google CalendarClients book themselvesFree for 7 days
In shortChecked October 2026

Google Calendar records appointments; a booking system such as Avana, by Sweeber Technologies, lets clients book them. Avana gives a salon a booking page, automatic confirmations and reminders, deposits and client records, and connects to Google Calendar so private plans close those times. Avana Business costs £15.99 a month with VAT included; Google Calendar is free.

Google Calendar and Avana
At a glanceAvanaGoogle Calendar
Clients book themselvesYesNo
Reminders to clientsAutomaticNo
Cost£15.99 a month, VAT includedFree
Side by side

Google Calendar next to a booking system

One keeps a record. The other does the arranging.

Google Calendar and Avana side by side
 Google CalendarAvana
Client chooses a free timeNoYes, on your booking page
Correct length per treatmentYou set it each timeAutomatic
Confirmation and reminder to the clientNoAutomatic
Deposit when bookingNoOptional, per treatment
Client history and notesIn event titlesOn the client record
Your private plans block bookingsNot applicableYes, with Google Calendar connected
CostFreeFrom £15.99 a month, VAT included

Avana connects to Google Calendar, so your appointments show up there and your private plans close those times for online booking.

What a booking system adds

Three jobs your calendar cannot do

You can keep looking at Google Calendar every morning. These happen in the background.

Taking the booking

Clients see your real free times and pick one, at any hour. Nothing waits for your reply.

Making sure they come

A confirmation goes out at once and a reminder the day before. Long treatments can ask for a deposit.

Remembering the client

Formulas, allergies and notes sit on the client record, not in the title of an event.

Your own page

Clients book with you, even when your hands are full

Your booking page shows your treatments, your prices and your free times. You put the link in your Instagram bio, send it in a message and print a QR code for the front desk.

  • Clients book without creating an account
  • Open for bookings in the evening and at weekends
  • Someone helps out on Saturdays? Add them with their own hours
How your booking page works
Reminders

Clients stop forgetting their appointment

A confirmation goes out the moment someone books, and a reminder the day before with the time and your address. For clients who never open their email, you can send the reminder by text as well.

  • Confirmation and reminder go out on their own
  • Clients reschedule themselves if they need to
  • Text messages come in packs, with no subscription
How reminders work
Payments

Clients can still pay in the salon

Paying at the desk works the way it always has. For a long treatment you can ask for a deposit when they book, so the slot you keep free is paid for. You decide per treatment.

  • Pay in the salon, as before
  • Turn a deposit on for the treatments that need one
  • Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay online
How deposits work
Honest

When Google Calendar is enough

It is a real option for some people.

A booking system pays off when
  • you get more booking requests than you can answer during work
  • no-shows cost you money
  • clients ask for times late at night
  • you want reminders without typing them
Google Calendar is enough when
  • you have a handful of fixed regulars
  • everyone books their next visit in the chair
  • you rarely have gaps or no-shows
What you get

Everything you need to open for bookings

Every Avana plan includes a booking page, a calendar, deposits, email reminders and client records from day one. Where something starts at Business Plus, it says so on the tile.

Your own booking pageTreatments, prices and free times on one link, with your photos. Clients book without making an account.Set up your page Your calendar on your phoneYour whole day at a glance, wherever you are. A new booking appears straight away, with who is coming and for what.Set your hours Pay in the salon or onlineClients pay at the desk as they always have. Online payment works too, by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.Turn on online payments Deposits against empty slotsAsk for an amount upfront on a long treatment. The slot is then properly held, and if nobody turns up, you keep the deposit.Set a deposit Email remindersA confirmation right after booking and a reminder the day before with the time and your address. You do nothing.Switch reminders on Text remindersFor clients who never read their email. Text messages come in packs from £4.99, with no subscription on top.Pick a text pack Your client recordsColour formulas, your notes and everything done before, per client. After the visit you invite them back with one tap.Import your clients A waiting list when you are fullSaturday fully booked? A client can join the waiting list, and the moment someone cancels, the next person gets an email.From Business PlusSet up the waiting list Someone helps out?If someone works with you on Saturdays or a few days a week, add them with their own hours and treatments.Add a team member

Also included

  • Reviews collected after each visit
  • Invoices for your accountant
  • Discount codes for your clients
  • A questionnaire before the first visit
  • Your own cancellation rules
  • Gift cards and product sales, from Business Plus
  • Holidays and days off in one go
  • A QR code for your front desk
  • Your own wording in every email
  • A clear view of how full your week is
Questions

Google Calendar or a booking system: FAQ

Can I run my salon on Google Calendar alone?

For your own overview, yes, and plenty of salons start that way. What is missing is the client's side: they cannot see what is free, book it or get a reminder, so every appointment starts with a message to you.

Does Avana connect to Google Calendar?

Yes. Connect it once and your Avana appointments appear in a separate calendar in Google, usually within a minute. When you add something private in Google Calendar, that time closes on your booking page. See Google Calendar sync.

What is the difference between a calendar and a booking system?

A calendar records what has been arranged. A booking system does the arranging: the client picks a free time, the right length is reserved, and a confirmation, reminder and optional deposit follow automatically.

Is a booking system overkill if I work alone?

Working alone is when it helps most, because nobody else answers the phone for you. Avana Business is £15.99 a month with VAT included, cancellable any month.

Does a booking system prevent double bookings?

Yes. A slot is gone the moment someone books it, and you can set a buffer between appointments so your day does not overrun.

Question not here? The help centre walks through every part of Avana step by step.

Create your booking page Go to the help centre
What it costs

The price is right here on the page

Avana has three plans: Business at £15.99, Business Plus at £28.99 and Business Max at £55.99 a month, all with VAT included. There is no commission on your takings and no contract, and every plan starts with 7 days free without card details.

MonthlyYearly save up to £112

Business

For the independent salon that takes bookings seriously.
£15.99/month

£0.53 a day, and no commission on your revenue.

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Business Plus

For the salon that wants every gap in the week filled.
£28.99/month

£0.97 a day. One extra appointment a month covers it.

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Business Max

For the salon that also teaches, with Avana Academy included.
£55.99/month

£1.87 a day, with Avana Academy included.

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  • Mobile app for iPhone and Android
  • 2 extra team members includedEach with their own calendar. After that, £5.99 a month per person.
  • Avana Academy includedSell courses with certificates for your students.
  • Treatment rooms in your calendarAdd the room or chair to each appointment, so two treatments never clash.
  • 5 free SMS a month included
  • Email campaigns
  • Automatic birthday and win-back emails
  • Use your own domain name
  • Your own branding in campaigns
  • Advanced settings
  • Early access to new features

All prices include VAT. If you change plan, you only pay the difference.

Add when you need it

Three extras you can switch on

Avana Connect costs £9.99 a month, the Avana Academy £8.99 a month with a plan, and text messages come in packs from £4.99. They go on the same bill as your plan, and you can stop any month.

Avana Connect

Switch it on once for your Instagram. It answers clients with your own prices and free times and lets them book inside the conversation.

£9.99a month
Add Connect

Avana Academy

Sell your own courses to people who want to learn your craft. Lessons are set up once, the practice day sits in your calendar and certificates go out on their own.

£8.99a month with a plan
Add the Academy

Text message packs

Text reminders for clients who skip their email. You buy texts in packs, the credits never expire and there is no subscription.

from £4.99a pack
Pick a text pack

Keep your calendar, add the booking

Set up Avana and connect Google Calendar in one afternoon. Free for 7 days.

Create your booking page