Nearcut
The Online Booking System for Barbers
Project overview
Nearcut is The Online Booking System for Barbers. Appointment booking system trusted by thousands of barbers Built with high standards for performance, security, and intuitive user experiences, the platform is engineered to support mission-critical workflows and seamless scale.
What was the problem or pain point
Client Dilemma & Technical Bottleneck
Nearcut serves hundreds of barbershops and hair studios across the UK, allowing clients to book appointments and purchase grooming products. The client's existing mobile apps were sluggish, suffered from high abandonment rates during appointment booking, and lacked reliable real-time calendar synchronization, resulting in double-booked barbers and lost revenue. Barbershops also struggled with high no-show rates that directly eroded daily stylist earnings.
What we suggested to the client
Solid Sphere Architectural Recommendation
Solid Sphere proposed rebuilding the entire customer mobile app using Flutter to provide a smooth, unified cross-platform experience on iOS and Android. We recommended introducing upfront deposit payments via Stripe to eradicate no-shows, automated SMS reminders via Twilio, and a real-time calendar synchronization engine that mirrors salon chairs down to the minute.
What made this project challenging
Eliminating traditional barbershop walk-in queues with dynamic real-time slot scheduling
Supporting non-tech-savvy barbers with an ultra-simple touch POS and calendar interface
Handling automated appointment reminders to reduce customer no-show rates
Managing split payouts between barbershop owners and independent chair-rental barbers
What was implemented and how it was implemented
Step-by-Step Technical Execution
We built a modern cross-platform mobile application in Flutter, featuring a streamlined three-tap appointment booking flow, barber portfolio galleries, and location-based shop discovery. We developed a high-concurrency Node.js backend connected to PostgreSQL, utilizing database row-level locking to eliminate double-booking race conditions during peak morning scheduling rushes. We integrated Stripe Elements for seamless Apple Pay, Google Pay, and credit card deposit captures, automatically refunding or holding deposits according to each shop's cancellation policies. An automated communication worker was built using Twilio to send timed SMS confirmation reminders and appointment reschedule links, reducing client no-shows by over 70%. We also engineered a dedicated tablet-optimized portal for barbers to manage their daily walk-ins, breaks, and commission reports.
How we delivered
Built cross-platform customer booking app with instant barber availability selection
Created dedicated barber tablet POS app with walk-in queue management and quick checkout
Integrated Twilio automated SMS reminders resulting in significant reduction in missed bookings
Implemented Stripe Connect custom payout schedules for barbershop chair rental arrangements
What did we use to implement it
Technology Stack & Technical Rationale
Flutter was chosen for the mobile application to achieve 60fps animations, shared business logic across iOS and Android, and rapid UI development. Node.js powered the backend API with fast asynchronous request handling. PostgreSQL maintained strict transactional integrity for appointment slots, barber calendars, and customer profiles. Stripe powered payments, mobile wallets, and deposit escrow. Twilio handled SMS messaging, and AWS provided reliable hosting with auto-scaling.
Key outcomes
Over 500 barbershops onboarded across the UK & Ireland
Reduced customer no-show rates by 70%
Processed over 5M haircut bookings
4.9★ rating on iOS App Store
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