1. ARE YOU AN ENTREPRENEUR RETURNING TO THE HEALTH & HEALING SECTOR? I am (scary isn't it!)

ARE YOU AN ENTREPRENEUR RETURNING TO THE HEALTH & HEALING SECTOR? 

You may have noticed in blog 1 that many moons ago I ran a successful herbal toiletry company (pre internet) via mail order and shop-in-shop. So I'm a mature ' returner; and the good news is I'm here to help you, whatever your 'health and well-being' niche is. 

The first hurdle I came across was very simple: how to choose the best way to connect my calendar to my client booking system to an easy interface payment system. I thought that would be easy but TBH it gave me a headache.

Are you, like me, a health or healing professional looking for the best CRM and booking software? 

Come and join us at Green Lotus Lounge we offer online  & F2F workshops; and 1:1 bespoke client therapies. We’re intending to expand into collaborative co-operative ways of working with other therapists, health professionals and healers: so, we’re looking for booking, client management, and engagement system we can share: something with an easy customer user interface from an app that is intuitive for us to use as part of our daily admin (because at the end of the day we are health and healing experts not IT or operational admin experts right?). If you're up and running already - please share in the comment section below your preferred app (and tell us why). 

Join us on our journey Green Lotus Lounge: a safe space for healing.

To help you get started, I’ve found the top 4 reviewed apps and written introductory comparisons for you (so you don't have to)

Spoiler alert: I’m going to try them all (out of curiosity) in the following order:

1st.   WriteUpp

2nd.   Baluu

3rd. PowerDairy

4th. Acuity

Watch this space I might come back and share more info. You also need to know that I might receive an introducer commission if you sign up and use one of these calendar/CRM apps. If you decide on one- do message back letting us know which one you choose and why. Meanwhile…

Here’s my personal comparisons of the top 4 offerings:

Baluu v.  Acuity

Power Diary v.  WriteUp 

• Why I might choose Baluu over Acuity?

Baluu v.  Acuity

An appointment booking software for counsellors and therapists. Marketing itself as “a simple yet robust all-in-one booking system, designed for appointment led businesses of any size.” With baluu, you can build an effortless client booking experience and make use of automation features for unnecessary admin, which will save you valuable time and money.”

I like the idea of being able to offer “seamless, branded booking experiences/ appointment scheduling” with the potential to offer products & voucher upsells. 

Baluu has integrated payment options; and you can import existing CRM data and create bespoke client intake forms. It also promises to help “increase your SEO …and reach new audiences”

There’s a free plan and free trial for paid (Business & team expansion) plans. Baluu also offers discounts for certified Not for Profit organisations (cute).

ACUITY

Speaking of cute: the word Acuity actually means ‘keenness/ cuteness’. Billed as a “Flexible scheduling software to help you succeed…with seamless client scheduling, secure payments, and workflow automation”  apparently “all you have to do is show up on time.”
Acuity features include: ability to easily control your availability; host virtual appointments or classes; and block off personal time; create custom client intake forms to streamline and personalise customer experience. Use powerful loyalty tools to drive business growth and keep customers coming back. On the tec side Acuity syncs with: Google Calendar, iCloud, Outlook.com, Exchange, and Office 365; QuickBooks and Freshbooks for invoicing and accounting; MailChimp, AWeber, and others for sending email blasts; Pipedrive integration for sales/CRM ( and over 500+ other apps through Zapier). I use iCloud, Microsoft Office and AWeber but my accountant synchs with Xero (which might be problematic for me).

Acuity seem confident because their free trial is only 7 days. Prices start monthly at £15pcm. 

This seems geared up for larger organisations with say several branches (you can run several accounts at once).  From a personal point of view the images on the Acuity website wouldn’t load properly on Safari (I’m a Mac user). I might sign up to be noisy for 7 days (if so I’ll let you know).

Why might I choose Baluu over Acuity?

Acuity Scheduling has no free plan, limited customisation tools and online only customer service. Baluu on the other hand, allows you to create a seamless and consistent branded booking experience for your customers. Get free & affordable plans, a dedicated support team and customisation features that fit your business needs.

Watch this space

• Why I might choose Write-up over Power Diary

Power Diary v.  WriteUp 

POWER DIARY

A USA medical practice management software offering “One Platform to Empower Your Health Practice…Effortless scheduling, client care, notes, and a lot less admin.” PowerDiary boasts calendar & CRM tools incl: easy to use; appointment status at a glance; automated reminders; secure (SO 27001 certified) data storage; tagging; online form & mail shot creation; space for clinical notes; video calling & payment options. 

Their website prompts are persistent pop-ups (trial offers, Q&A, book-a-demo) and a 14 day free trial, but their offer reminds me very much of my NHS GP surgery communication. I think I’m looking for something less clinical and more friendly.

...offers the same: “Streamline your (clinic/ healthcare) practice, save time & connect with your patients”. Transform your work practices with video consultation, 24/7 online bookings, SMS & email reminders & much more.

So why might I choose Write-Up over PowerBook?

Write-Up website looks friendlier: which might be construed as less professional, but I’m assuming it means it’s user (UXI) friendly for my customers. They straight up say “Software comparisons from businesses with a competitive agenda are cheeky at best, and at worst completely misleading.”  (I won’t take that personally)

“In fact, comparisons conducted by anyone other than yourself (or possibly your peers) have questionable validity” which is exactly why I’m encouraging you try them for yourselves and let us know (in the comments below) how you get on. You can use Write-Up’s really useful “Top 5 Tips for Comparing Practice Management Software” I’m definitely going to read their (April 2024) give away free ebook: How to Start a Private Healthcare Practice in the UK packed with practical advice, regulatory guidelines, and business strategies to guide us all through steps to success in the health & healing sector. Write up charge £4.99 pcm for online bookings with a menu of tools for £19.99pcm. It’s a quite a commitment, but you can start with a free trial for 30 days. (that’s a whole month of business to test its’ viability.

To find out more about this app you can click on my link

Spoiler alert: I’m going to try them all (out of curiosity) in the following order:

1st.   WRITE UPP

2nd.   BALUU

3rd. POWER DIARY

4th. ACUITY

Full Disclosure:
If you do decide to go ahead and sign up with one of these providers we may receive a small referral commission. This will not affect the price you pay in anyway.