Create your account and set up your business

Go to zelobooking.com and click “Start free” (top right). On “Create your account”, fill in “Your name”, “Work email” and “Password” (at least 10 characters, with letters and a number), then click “Create account”. Or click “Continue with Google” to use your Google account instead. (Already have an account? “Log in” → “Business login”. “My bookings” is the sign-in for clients — they never need a business account.)

We email you a 6-digit code to confirm your email. Type it under “6-digit code” and click “Verify” — or open the link in that email instead. No email after a few minutes? Check spam, then click “Resend code”.

No card is needed. New businesses get the Salon plan free for 14 days, so you can try every Salon feature before you decide.

Once your email is confirmed, the “Welcome, …! Let’s get you booking.” screen opens with two quick questions. Under “What kind of business do you run?”, click the card closest to your trade (1) — Nail salon, Spa, Barber, Hair salon, Lash & brow, Massage, Tattoo studio, Pet grooming or Other. Each card shows how many starter services come with it.

This only decides what we preload: typical services and prices, opening hours, consent forms and a website for your trade. You can change everything later.

Type your “Business name” (1). “Your booking link” (2) fills in from the name — the short web address clients use to book. Change it if you like (letters, numbers and dashes).

“Timezone” (3) is set from your computer’s clock (for example Boise shows as Mountain, Indianapolis as Eastern). Check it, then click “Create my business”. Your dashboard opens straight away, with your booking page already live.

Home shows a “Finish setting up” checklist, and Settings → “Set up status” (1) has the same list with a tick next to each finished step:

• Create your business
• Add your address and phone
• Check your services and prices
• Set your team and working hours
• Invite your team (only when someone on your team has an email but no login yet)
• Publish your website
• Share your link and get your first booking

Each open step has a button that takes you to the right screen (“Add details”, “Review services”, “Set hours”, “Invite team”, “Open website”, “Get the link”) and — except the address step — a “Mark as done” button for when it’s already right or you handle it another way. “Your links” on the right has “Copy booking link” (2).

Click “Review services”: change a price, a length or a name, archive what you don’t offer, or add a service. The step ticks as soon as you save a change — or click “Mark as done” if the preloaded menu is right.

Click “Set hours” to open Team: add the people clients can book and set their working hours. Clients can only book times when someone is working. This step ticks the same way.

Gave someone on your team an email? “Invite your team” shows on the checklist. Click “Invite team”: on Team → “Team access”, everyone with an email but no login is listed under “Not invited yet”. Click “Invite …” next to each person — they get an email to create their login, as Staff, linked to their own profile. The step ticks once everyone has an invite or a login.

Click “Open website”, look through the site we built for your trade and press “Publish” in the editor. Already have your own website? Click “Mark as done” instead.

Click “Get the link”: under “Your links”, “Copy booking link” copies the address for your Instagram bio, Google Business Profile and texts. “Booking on your own website” has two codes (a floating “Book now” button, or a booking form inside a page) — click “Copy code” and paste it into Wix, Squarespace or WordPress. Copying the link or a code ticks the last step. Website → “Share & book” has the same link and code, plus a QR code to print.

Until every step is ticked, a “Finish setting up” bar shows at the top of the other dashboard pages — click “Continue” to come back to Set up status. Click “Hide” on the bar to hide it for your own login (other owners and admins still see it). To bring it back, open Settings → “Set up status” and click “Show the setup bar again”.

Click “Business details” (1) in the Settings menu. Check “Business name”, “Phone”, “Public email”, “Timezone” (2), “Street address”, “City”, “State” and “ZIP code” — these appear on your booking page, website, emails and Google. Click “Save details” (3).