Articles from Boulevard

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the fastest-growing client experience platform for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced the findings of a new survey of more than 2,000 beauty consumers aimed at helping salons and spas better understand the behaviors and motivations of modern clients. According to the report, among Gen Z and Millennial clients, the first impression of a salon or spa is now heavily influenced by social media, but even the best digital vibes are not enough to overcome an online booking experience that’s anything less than seamless. Together, these trends confirm that the way clients discover and judge a self-care business is undergoing a generational shift that salons and spas must account for in everything they do.

Funding round led by JMI Equity enables Boulevard to accelerate delivery of enterprise capabilities and boost investment in AI research and development to help businesses create more personalized client experiences

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced it has been named to the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™. Now in its 30th year, the renowned list ranks the 500 fastest-growing public and private technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth from 2020 to 2023. Appearing on the list for the third year in a row, Boulevard ranks 62nd overall in 2024 with a three-year growth rate of nearly 2,300%.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that Boulevard Capital has been named a finalist for LendTech of the Year in the 2024 US FinTech Awards. The prestigious awards program, produced by FinTech Intel, celebrates the achievements and successes of the brightest innovators and leaders in the burgeoning financial technology industry. Launched earlier this year, Boulevard Capital has already surpassed $10 million in funding delivered, with self-care businesses nationwide leveraging this innovative financial offering to fuel growth investments ranging from additional marketing and increased headcount to new equipment and location expansion.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced the launch of Last Client of the Day, a new podcast created specifically for modern self-care business owners and operators. An expansion of Boulevard’s already extensive focus on thought-provoking content, Last Client of the Day features in-depth conversations with industry experts and entrepreneurs who have overcome significant hurdles and built some of the best brands in self-care. With Last Client of the Day, Boulevard elevates a far-too-often overlooked industry through a platform for sharing stories and examining the real challenges owners and operators face on the path to serious business success.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced it has been ranked No. 163 on the 2024 Inc. 5000, the renowned annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. A prestigious list on which many household-name brands gained their first national exposure as honorees, the Inc. 5000 provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent, entrepreneurial businesses. Making its first appearance on the list, Boulevard soared to 19th overall in the software category and 31st in California with a three-year growth rate of nearly 2,300%.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that Skya Jones, the company’s medspa education manager and in-house aesthetics expert, has been named a mainstage presenter at the Medical Aesthetic Art Institute (MAAI) 2024 Annual Summit. Jones’s session will provide medspas with a blueprint for harnessing the power of modern technology, streamlining business operations, and creating a resilient and dynamic work environment. Emphasizing leadership and business development, Jones will detail actionable best practices medspa owners can implement to grow and nurture staff, automate critical workflows, boost productivity, and optimize marketing to increase revenue and develop long-term client relationships.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced the launch of text marketing. This new capability creates an efficient and effective way for salons, spas, medspas, and barbershops to boost bookings, drive revenue, and maximize client engagement. Text marketing with Boulevard enables self-care businesses to instantly reach clients through highly targeted SMS campaigns. Executed directly within the Boulevard platform, text marketing enriches the end-to-end client experience on which self-care businesses depend.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced the launch of Boulevard Capital. This new financial offering gives Boulevard-powered salons, barbershops, spas, and medspas access to essential growth funding without the challenges of traditional lending. Based on demonstrated business performance rather than credit history, Boulevard Capital offers self-care business owners the fast, flexible funding they need to reinvest in their businesses and drive continued growth.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that Jozlyn Miller, the company’s senior education manager, has been named a mainstage presenter at the Data-Driven Salon Summit 2024. Miller’s session will focus on providing salon owners and operators with strategies and best practices to transform challenges into opportunities and create memorable experiences designed for the modern self-care client. Miller will specifically discuss how salons can stand out in a competitive marketplace, attract new clients and retain existing ones, build a work culture where stylists can thrive, and leverage salon software to better understand how the business is performing and where it can grow.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced a pair of enhanced integrations with Google to help medspas further accelerate growth and provide a more seamless online experience for their clients. Leveraging Reserve with Google, medspas and other HIPAA-covered businesses such as IV, laser hair removal, and wellness centers can now connect their Google Business Profile directly with Boulevard, enabling clients to transition from searching to booking with just a single click. Medspas, salons, and other self-care businesses using Boulevard can now also leverage Google Analytics (GA4) to better track how well Google Ads convert to bookings, helping them fully maximize their digital marketing investments.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced a trio of new capabilities to enhance client communication and messaging and better track and manage appointments and memberships. Newly launched features include text notifications for automated appointment confirmations and reminders, a new self-serve portal enabling clients to proactively manage their appointments, and automated membership billing alerts that help self-care businesses better protect vital recurring revenue. Together, these enhancements empower salons, spas, and medspas to further elevate the end-to-end client experiences on which the self-care industry depends.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced it has been named to the 2023 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™. Now in its 29th year, the renowned list ranks the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth from 2019 to 2022. Making its second-consecutive appearance on the list, Boulevard ranked 65th overall with a growth rate of more than 2,300% during that period.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced the findings of its first-ever medspa customer impact study. Based on real customer-generated data, the study reveals how medspas improved across numerous key performance metrics after just one year of using the Boulevard platform. According to the study, medspas using Boulevard average a 30% increase in revenue, a 24% increase in service sales, a 31% increase in retail sales, a 36% increase in package sales, and a 175% increase in membership sales.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced the availability of advanced charting for medspas. This powerful new capability enables medspas to add detailed visuals to their client documentation and treatment notes. With advanced charting, medspas can capture or upload photos from a device gallery, mark up images to indicate injection sites and treatment points, and compare before and after shots to track client progress and guide follow-ups. Integrated directly into the simple and elegant workflows for which the Boulevard platform is known, advanced charting helps medspas create a more efficient treatment planning and review process, reduce the time and expense spent transferring information to a costly EMR, and ensure compliance requirements are met without impacting the client experience.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced the findings of new customer data analysis aimed at helping salon owners better understand the drivers of best-in-class client retention. The report shows that salons with best-in-class retention rates optimize for online booking, obsess over creating seamless client experiences, and take a methodical approach to relationship building and upselling. The analysis also reveals that top-performing salons retain 56 percent more first-time visitors than average, and rely on first-time visitors for less than 10 percent of their total revenue.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that co-founder and CEO Matt Danna has been named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Greater Los Angeles Award winner by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program is one of the preeminent competitive awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. Danna was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous award winners, leading CEOs, investors and other regional business leaders. The candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that it was named to the 2023 SMBTech 50, an annual list created by GGV Capital in collaboration with Crunchbase and 27 venture capital firms to celebrate private, venture-backed technology companies seeking to make a significant impact on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Launched in 2022, GGV Capital’s SMBTech 50 demonstrates both the breadth and depth of the sector and the enthusiasm of venture capital investors for these companies. This is Boulevard’s second consecutive appearance on the prestigious list.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, and the Professional Beauty Association (PBA), the national trade association supporting the entire beauty industry, today announced the launch of a joint fundraising initiative aimed at helping pass bipartisan legislation to extend the existing 45B Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) Tax Tip Credit to the beauty industry. Demonstrating its continued support for the self-care businesses it serves, Boulevard is donating $2,500 to the PBA’s Issue Advocacy Fund (IAF) while also providing a dollar-for-dollar match on subsequent donations to the fund up to an additional $2,500.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that it posted its fourth consecutive year of triple-digit revenue growth in 2022. Demonstrating the resiliency of both its own business and the broader self-care industry in the face of considerable macroeconomic headwinds, Boulevard achieved a 122 percent year-over-year increase in annual recurring revenue, while nearly doubling the size of its customer base. Additionally, reflecting its continued growth as a trusted payment facilitator (payfac), Boulevard now processes over $1.5 billion in payments annually on its platform.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced it was named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 for 2022™. Now in its 28th year, the renowned list ranks the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. Making its first-ever appearance on the list, Boulevard ranked 54th overall with a nearly 3,200% growth rate during that period.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that it has been honored by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work® as one of the 2022 ​​Best Workplaces for Women. This is Boulevard’s first time being named to the prestigious list, with the company ranking 11th overall among small and medium workplaces. Earning a spot means that Boulevard is one of the country’s best companies to work for.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that it has raised $70 million in Series C funding led by Point72 Private Investments, with participation from Toba Capital, Index Ventures, Bonfire Ventures, BoxGroup, and VMG Partners. The funding enables Boulevard to significantly increase its investment in engineering and development, accelerate the delivery of new platform capabilities, and drive expansion into new self-care verticals. In conjunction with the investment, Eddie Kang, who leads growth-stage investment activities for Point72 Private Investments, joins Boulevard’s board of directors.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that it has been honored by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work® as one of the 2022 Best Workplaces for Millennials. This is Boulevard’s first time being named to the prestigious list. Earning a spot means that Boulevard is one of the country’s best companies to work for.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced the launch of the Boulevard Marketing Suite, a collection of tools that help customers streamline and simplify their email marketing strategy. Seamlessly integrated into the Boulevard dashboard, the suite enables self-care professionals to quickly and easily create, execute, track, and maintain email marketing campaigns that are both targeted and customizable. With the Boulevard Marketing Suite, self-care businesses can create better client experiences and boost revenue by filling slow days and last-minute openings, rescuing lost clients, and reminding loyal ones when it’s time to book.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that it has earned certification by Great Place to Work® for 2022. A global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and effective leadership, Great Place to Work provides independent company assessments based entirely on employees’ feedback about their workplace experience. Its assessment revealed that 96 percent of employees say Boulevard is a great place to work, compared to just 57 percent at the typical U.S.-based company.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced that it has been recognized on Forbes’ list of America's Best Startup Employers 2022. The list showcases the nation’s 500 best startup employers based on employee satisfaction, employer reputation, and company growth, with Boulevard ranking 33rd overall.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced the findings of a new consumer survey aimed at helping salon owners and stylists better understand how to attract new clients and keep them coming back. According to the Boulevard survey, value, reputation, and the ability to provide a high-end experience, in that order, are the top attributes clients seek when choosing a new salon or barbershop. When it comes to choosing a new stylist, clients are primarily influenced by availability, the recommendation of friends, and the work they see in a stylist’s online portfolio, respectively. Online self-booking, meanwhile, is seen as critical to both client acquisition and retention.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), provider of the client experience platform purpose-built for appointment-based, self-care businesses, today announced results from the most successful year in the company’s history. Boulevard achieved record growth in 2021, highlighted by a 188 percent year-over-year jump in annual recurring revenue (ARR), the company’s third consecutive year of triple-digit ARR growth. Boulevard also more than tripled the size of its customer base and surpassed a half-billion dollars in gross payment volume. More than 25,000 professionals in 2,000 salons and spas across the nation now rely on the Boulevard platform to deliver personable, enjoyable experiences to their clients through online appointment scheduling, messaging, and payments that are simple, elegant, and reliable.

Boulevard (www.joinblvd.com), the business management platform powering the next generation of salons and spas, today unveiled its debut payments hardware: Boulevard Duo™. Custom designed to handle the unique needs—and meet the high standards—of the beauty industry, Boulevard Duo is a sleek, elegant point of sale card reader that elevates the in-person client experience and alleviates the back-end complexity of merchant processing.