SMS Credit and Top ups on the Lite plan

With our Lite plan you have the option of sending SMS appointment reminders to your clients. SMS messages cost 10c each and replies from your clients, including confirmations and cancellations, also cost 10c each. We are charged by our SMS provider for both sent and received messages.

When you get started with the Lite plan we give you 50 SMS credits for FREE to allow you to evaluate the SMS functionality. After you’ve used the 50 free credits you can continue to use YellowSchedule without using SMS reminders (remember email reminders and replies are free!) or you can top up the SMS credits in your account. You can top up in $20 and $50 bundles.

You can see the remaining SMS credits in the top right of your account as in the image below. When your credit gets low we’ll automatically warn you by email. This allows you to relax and not worry about running out of credits.

To top up simply click on “Add Credit” as highlighted in the image above. This will bring you to the Add Credit screen you can see in the image below. Simply select your credit card and topup amount. (You will need to add a credit card the first time you do this).

You can also switch on the Auto Renew Credit option which will automatically add credit once your SMS credits begin to get low.

And don’t worry about your SMS credits expiring, there isn’t an expiry date, so you can use your SMS credits at your own pace.

We’ve added new Business Reports to YellowSchedule

We recently improved your dashboard view with new analytical business reports. These beautiful reports allow you to see trends in your businesses performance over time.

KPI Performance Reports and Staff Metrics

Did you know that our new reporting features in your Dashboard now allow you to easily compare performance of your staff across a number of different metrics such as appointments taken, confirms/cancels, revenue, new appointment bookings etc.

See who communicates most with clients and Find out who your most wonderful Staff member is today.

An Irish Start-up’s Experience of the Web Summit

YellowSchedule is an Irish based software start-up. We applied for Alpha last year, which looked as though it was free. I spent time doing a phone ‘interview’. I was told at the end of it that our company was so exciting that he didn’t even need to go back and consult with colleagues, we were hot and he was putting us straight though. Sounds good, appeals to the founder’s ego, you feel like you’ve just won a prize.

Then the issue of the cost comes up. I expressed surprise at the cost, having believed I was applying for a free table. I was told that it was normally €10k, our table was being subsidised by the larger companies. I told him we already had 4 early bird tickets and I suggested that he could just deduct the cost and it would be approx. the same. He wasn’t willing to do that, although he was willing to come down a little on cost.

So we declined to exhibit at Alpha. We still turned up with our 4 cheapie tickets, rocking our bright yellow hoodies with our logo. We got large yellow helium balloons made with ‘Ask me about YellowSchedule’ and tied them to our wrists, letting them float high above us. We made ourselves visible on the floors and we split up to maximise our exposure. We had our target list of attendees, we made contact beforehand and had our meetings set up. Securing meetings took a LOT of planning and effort on our part. For the ‘serendipity’ part we got 1,500 yellow cigarette lighters made and we put them in the bars that were hosting Summit Parties. Our team just left some at all the tables when we were in a venue and offered them to smokers outside. We also got 1,000 rain hoods with our logo made and handed them out when it rained (It’s Ireland after all, we knew we were safe to order rain hoods!). We secured a free house as a friend’s parents were away that week.

Companies need to be smart and find cheap ways to ‘hack’ the Summit. I know of Irish companies, who never buy a ticket, but contact attendees, VCs and speakers and set up meetings with them at venues just outside the main venue. We ourselves were interviewed by the National TV broadcaster. We met a Senior Exec from one of the largest tech companies in the world and had a call the following week about a potential acquisition of our start-up.

I’ve thought for many years now that Paddy Cosgrave is selling fairy dust to start-ups and is really clever at it. He appeals to ego and fear in equal measure and knows how to push those buttons to perfection. I have the benefit of being a bit older, so I know that I’m never going to be sitting in a bar beside Bono, I think lots of other founders don’t realise that.

Additionally, Irish based start-ups get emails asking them to host Summit pub crawls, which sounds like it’s going to be great exposure for the start-ups invited. However, you are asked to foot the bill at the bar, and don’t get to choose what companies you invite. It’s a way of the Summit getting the people who can least afford it to pay for some hospitality and give foreign attendees a good time.

The Web Summit is certainly guilty of sharp practice with start-ups but I really wish start-ups were smarter about this. As a start-up you won’t be schmoozing with the VIPs, despite what the slick marketing leads you to believe. You are not going to meet Bono. You are mostly going to meet other start-ups. You will find it hard to meet investors. The companies that raised money at the Web Summit were so good that they would have raised money anyway. It wasn’t a serendipitous meeting that made it possible and it certainly wasn’t the Web Summit.

The onus is on your to do your due diligence beforehand. Phone peers who have attended and ask them did they get any value, do they recommend them, would they go again, would they go as an attendee or as an exhibitor. Know what you’re trying to achieve and who you’re trying to meet.

I wouldn’t use the phraseology ‘scam’ in relation to the Web Summit as there are a lot of fantastic connections to be made if you do a significant amount of work before the event. But at the end of the day, Paddy is in it to make a tonne of money, and the people he’s making money from are the start-ups. Buyer Beware!

I should point out that I won a free ticket this year, and I’m happily attending.

EDIT 16 October: I’ve handed back my free ticket,

@martina_skelly
@yellowschedule

Signing into YellowSchedule with Google

It’s no secret that no matter what business you run, big or small, your company more than likely relies on at least one Google product or service to operate.

From using Gmail as your company email, collaborating with colleagues on Google Drive, promoting your business through Google + , uploading and sharing videos via YouTube, storing your events and reminders on Google Calendar and even using Google Analytics to monitor your websites performance.

It’s pretty much safe to say, if your business isn’t availing of at least one of Googles many products and services, on offer, your definitely going about life the hard way.

It’s obvious that Google has helped many a business owner streamline their company online and because we’re all about streamlining your appointment book, we have decided to introduce this handy guy;

We understand quite a few of our customers already rely on Google as an online booking calendar for patient appointments and events. So, why make them create another account to remember?

To make life easier, YellowSchedule customers can log into their appointment scheduling software using either their companies Google Account details or personal account details.

Not only does signing up to YellowSchedule with Google mean one less account to remember, but already scheduled appointments made using Google Calendar will be duplicated and imported onto your YellowSchedule appointment calendar and vice versa.

This means you don’t need to re-schedule every single appointment and re-enter all of your past and present clients. It’s just another small way we can help simplify your life.

Updates: Multi-User Usability

Updates: Multi-User Usability

At YellowSchedule, we’re always looking for ways to better our appointment scheduling software. We reached out to you, our customers, to find just some of the little things we can do to make life that little bit easier for you.

We wanted to let you know that we made two new major improvements to the Multi-user usability of YellowSchedule.

1) User listing and 2) User filters

1) User listing across the top

For our first improvement, we have replaced the old choc-a-block viewing of multiple users stacked one on top of the other, by sequentialy listing all users across the top of your appointment calendar in day view.

This makes it easier to see “who is doing what” in an instance.

Can I re-arrange my patient appointments with a different user?

Yes, simply click on the appointment you wish to re-arrange and drag the appointment across to the new users’ slot.
Now your appointment will be automatically scheduled under a new user, and your automated reminder will be sent out to inform and remind your client.

2) User filters

Do you have more than one user working off of your account, or have several users who location very week to week?

With our handy new ‘User Filter’ functionality, Administrators of accounts containing more than one user onn their appointment book can now use filtering controls to select only the users who perform a certain service or are based in a specific location.

But wait, that’s not all, you can even setup post/zip code zones and perform a search on your team to see who is in range of a specific location.

To switch ‘User Filters’ on, just follow these steps.
• From the Calendar view;
Go to ‘Settings’ at the top right of the screen.
In the dropdown menu, click ‘User Access’ under ‘Account Settings’.

Switch on both ‘Enterprise level user management controls’ and ‘Enable user filter controls’.

If you wish to setup User service areas for your staff you can do this in the “User Access” area by clicking ‘Set User Service Areas’.

This will allow you to see the location your user will be working out of.

We welcome your feedback on these useful new multi-user features.

As always, we’re available at your beck and call, so feel free to contact us by mail or on the Yellow phone should you ever experience any difficulties, or just fancy a chat!

Start organizing your business Today!

Joomla Online Appointment Scheduling Extension

What is Joomla?

Joomla is an award-winning open source CMS solution, which allows virtually anyone from beginner to developer to build websites and online applications.

Due to its ease-of-use and extensibility, Joomla has become one of the most popular forms of website software available today for online magazines, small businesses, non-profit and organizational websites and even personal homepages.5151

What can I do with Joomla?

Well, now, thanks to YellowSchedule – the easiest and most powerful client scheduling software in the world, you can start implementing your appointment scheduling software onto any Joomla page by downloading and installing our online booking calendar extension, hassle-free.

What does YellowSchedule bring to Joomla?

The YellowSchedule online scheduling software plugin for Joomla brings an easy to integrate appointment booking widget to Joomla for the first time. This simple, attractive plugin places our lightweight javascript booking calendar widget on your website. Allowing you to take client bookings directly from your website 24/7.

Install YellowSchedule for Joomla.

You need to register at YellowSchedule.com to get the required business key for configuration.

Step 1:

Go to Joomla.org

Step 2:

Donwload the extension to your local machine as a zip file package.

Step 3:

From the administration end of your Joomla site select Extensions then Install/Uninstall.

Step 4:

Click the Browse button and select the extension package on your local machine.

Step 5:

Click the Upload File and Install button.

Step 6:

Enjoy using your YellowSchedule extension for Joomla!

As always, we’re available at your beck and call, so feel free to contact us by mail or on the Yellow phone should you ever experience any difficulties, or just fancy a chat!

Start organizing your business Today!

Online Scheduling and Appointment Reminders on the Go!

And now there’s one for everyone!
So over the past number of weeks we have been developing, testing, re-developing and now launching our new appointment scheduling software application, across all platforms.
So whether you’re an apple fan-boy, on team android, or the unique windows user, we’ve got your practice covered.

First hand testing by Matthew, our Mobile Developer

Below is just a taste of some of the great YellowSchedule features you can now avail of, anywhere, anytime.

Practice Management on the Go
Login anytime, anywhere with our free to download mental health scheduling software app for iPhone, Android and Windows. YellowSchedule mobile is the smart way to manage your practice on the go, check your appointment book for the day ahead and create, confirm or change appointments at the push of a button.

Your Technical Pocket Diary
View your schedule anywhere, anytime. Our dashboard and appointment calendar is optimized to suit any mobile device and allow users to effortlessly check their schedule in preparation for the day or week ahead.
Our color coded appointment book informs you of confirmed, cancelled and no-show appointments at a glance.

No More Missed Bookings
Instantly receive patient appointments directly to your mobile device.
Effortlessly store new clients into your contact list and compose client information in an instant so you don’t have to wait for access to a computer anymore.

Security
We’ve put a lot of thought and effort into developing the ideal therapist scheduling software application to help make life easier for our customers. Above all else we still abide by our strict HIPAA Compliance policy, making sure you and your clients’ information stays protected no matter how or where you manage your business.
On top of this, we have added an optional pin security feature ensuring you will be the only user with verified access to your mobile appointment scheduling software. This means, even if your phone is lost or stolen, no one else will be able to access your app.

Start organizing your business Today!

Therapist Scheduling Software – Case Study

Andriea Washington

(TherapySites User)

The Client:

Andriea is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor specializing in trauma counseling and practices in the Metro Atlanta area. Andriea is cognitive-behavioral counselor who desires to empower her clients to live their best possible life in spite of life’s challenges.

The Problem:

I have been operating a private practice for about one year. I struggled with a high no-show rate. I knew that if I desired to keep my business on top in this day and age I would need to rely on more than business cards and word of mouth.

Call to Action:

I created a webpage for my practice on TherapySites. It had everything I needed to eventually get myself ‘out there’. I did everything I could to make my site look unique, stand out amongst the rest and shout ‘book me’, but still, It just seemed to blend in amongst the hundreds of other local therapists around me. This is when I realized “wouldn’t it be great if clients had the option to reserve the time THEY wanted, whenever suited THEM”. This is where I came across the YellowSchedule package offered to TherapySites users.

The Solution:

The first thing that really grabbed my attention with YellowSchedule was their booking calendar (widget) that could be directly installed onto my page (this is effortlessly done for TS customers). Once I log into my account I can create my own working hours with some blank spaces for emergencies. Now when a current or potential client browses through my page they can instantly check out what hours are available for booking. Once they decide on a time that suits them, they can book immediately through my site without the hassle of chasing me over the phone or back and forth through emails. Instead of phone tagging, each client will receive an automated and personalized, appointment reminder text or email, all that is wanted from them, then is a one word ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ reply to confirm their booking which helps me monitor my confirmations and cancellations along with their analytics tool to keep track of my no-show rates. Along with all the handy features at my disposal, I can trust the highest of confidentiality for my clients’ bookings and private information as YellowSchedules encryption rate meets above and beyond HIPAA compliance.

The Verdict:

All in all I have seen a huge increase in business by merely implementing the YellowSchedules scheduling tool in my practice. After just a couple of weeks of using YellowSchedule I have seen my no-show rates reduce to an amazing 10 % and my confirmed bookings have increased by over 90 %! YellowSchedule honestly has changed how I run my business and I couldn’t envision myself going back to how I operated before. And what’s more – the clients have all responded favorably to the appointment reminder. In this age of “technology at our fingertips” this reminder feature is an absolute must have!! I have and will continue to recommend any TherapySites customer to avail of this awesome scheduling service provided to them.

Start organizing your business Today!

Online Scheduling and Appointment Reminders – Case Study

Protein Box

(From America to Kuwait)

The Client:
Protein Box is a food prep company for athletes. Run by Ali Mohammad, We design make and deliver food on a daily basis. We consult with clients on a one on one setting once a week. Our tests include a fat pinch in 7 places, body circumferences in 17 places and blood draw with lab results to prescribe vitamins and supplements customized for each client.

The Problem:
The Elephant Group is an organization operating in the United States (worldwide) that recently set up a new branch, Protein Box in Kuwait. Although I am situated in America it is still my role to oversee the establishment and running of our new company whilst managing customer appointments from both sides of the world.
We searched the market thoroughly for a professional solution to provide us with scheduling and SMS notifications for appointments. However, none of the solutions worked within our market (Kuwait). Each solution we tested required lengthy customizations.

Call to Action:
I needed a system that would allow me to keep track all our Kuwaiti appointments and a means of communicating with our Kuwaiti customers about their appointments from the US office. Before I set about researching systems I wrote up the main features tailored to fit my demands, these included an online scheduler that I could access from both sides of the globe, a system that could sustain more than one user at a time depending on bookings, and lastly the ability to send automated text reminders to our customers from America to Kuwait.

The Solution:
Most software products today can give off an intimidating feel about them with their overwhelming amount of unnecessary features. YellowSchedule was the complete opposite. They don’t over complicate things; although they do provide a variety of handy features, they manage to keep their system simple. Upon logging in I followed through with their quick start tutorial guide and before I knew it I got all of my contacts up on the database, our booking hours organized, each user was color coded for ease of visibility on the calendar, automated text reminders composed and what benefited me most, I could use my scheduler in the Kuwaiti time zone for timing my outgoing texts, which really eases the fact Kuwait is 8 hours ahead of where we are situated.

The Verdict:
I couldn’t ask for anymore, it’s as if YellowSchedule had based their whole product around me. For our company YellowSchedule was the perfect choice. Now I can operate our bookings from the other side of the world and still keep on top of confirmed, cancelled and no-show bookings. Very few scheduling systems I researched could operate their appointment reminders abroad and this was the key feature for me. Additionally, none were able to satisfy real time text messages with the ease of both communication and automated reminders. The analytics tool is also a brilliant feature, no analysis is required by the user, but is all done in the background. It’s great to be able to monitor our no-shows even though I’m not around and since using YellowSchedule I have notice these no-shows reduced by 80% of our old rate.

Start organizing your business Today!