When you expand to a second (or third, fourth) location, dozens of small decisions arise: shared or separate team? Same or adapted catalog? Consolidated or independent reports? BookHero supports multi-location through the concept of multiple businesses on a single account. This guide shows how to configure and manage without friction.
Why multi-shop is different from multi-team
Common confusion: thinking opening a 2nd shop means adding more staff to the same business. Wrong. Each shop is an autonomous operational entity - own hours, own page with own URL, own billing. In BookHero, this translates to creating a new business for each location.
The architecture: 1 account, N businesses
Your owner account is the master entity. Under it, you can have multiple independent businesses. Each has its own slug, configuration and data.
| Concept | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Owner account | You (Maria Silva). Single login. Business-selection dashboard. |
| Business (shop) | Operational entity. Own slug, page, services, team, billing. |
| Switch | 1 click in menu - switch between businesses without logging in. Isolated context. |
| Team | Staff can be in multiple businesses. Single login, see schedule per business. |
| Client | Each client is per business. Client visiting both shops has 2 cards (one in each). |
| Reports | Independent per business. For consolidation, export CSV and merge. |
Configuring the 2nd shop: steps
In the menu, choose Add business
Creates new entity. Side menu shows the list of your account's businesses.
Define specific slug for the 2nd shop
shopx-porto, shopx-lisbon, etc. Different from 1st but recognizable as same brand.
Configure hours, services, team for this shop
Can be similar to 1st (manually copy services) or different (catalog adapted to the area).
Invite staff
Those working only here: regular invite. Those working in both: use same email - system detects and adds access to 2nd business.
Configure independent billing
Shop tax ID, own prefixes, numbering starts at 1 (independent from 1st shop).
Activate WhatsApp notifications if Pro+
Each business has its own notification setup.
Share the link
2nd shop's Instagram bio, 2nd shop's Google Business, etc. Each shop with its own presence.
Multi-shop team
Common scenario: professional Ana works 3 days at Porto shop, 2 days at Lisbon shop. How to manage? Ana is invited to both businesses with the same email. Result:
- Ana logs in once; sees two businesses in the menu.
- In Porto, sees Porto's calendar. Switch to Lisbon, sees Lisbon's.
- Ana's client in Porto doesn't see Lisbon bookings (and vice versa).
- Revenue generated by Ana is per shop - each business's report shows what she billed there.
- Conflicts: BookHero doesn't consolidate calendar automatically. Ana has to mentally manage to not be booked in two shops at the same time. Practical workaround: define Ana's hours in each shop only on dedicated days.
Catalog: same or adapted per shop?
Strategic decision:
| Strategy | When it makes sense |
|---|---|
| Identical catalog in all shops | Uniform brand, consistent client expectation, strong branding |
| Catalog adapted per area | Different client profile per neighborhood (center vs suburb), adjusted prices |
| Common core + per-shop specialties | Consistent brand but added value of local specialization (Porto shop does color, Lisbon doesn't) |
Per-shop billing
In multi-shop, each business bills under its own tax ID and numbering. Per-shop configurations:
- Tax ID of the entity operating that shop (can be the same if centralized management).
- Own document prefixes (FAT-PORTO, FAT-LISBON, or simply FAT in each if you prefer).
- Independent sequential numbering (each shop starts at 1).
- Shop address on invoice (not your headquarters).
Reports: independent + manual consolidation
Each business has its own isolated reports. For consolidated network view, follow this flow:
In each business, export the month's report
Revenue, no-shows, top clients, etc. CSV in 1 click.
Merge CSVs in Excel or Google Sheets
Create pivot table summing equivalent columns.
Note in a consolidated monthly sheet
Total network revenue, % each shop, MoM and YoY comparison.
Network decisions: investment, change, closing
Based on aggregated numbers. Underperforming shops become visible.
Clients: card per shop vs consolidation
Practical reality: a client visiting both shops has a card in each. No automatic merge. Implications:
- Private notes in Porto don't appear in Lisbon.
- Booking history is per shop.
- For regulars of both, log the connection in private notes: client also at Lisbon shop, card there has favorite color.
- In rare cases, top clients decide to reduce to one shop - BookHero supports migration via CSV export/import.
Client communication: 1 brand, multiple shops
Consistent brand, operationally independent shops:
| Aspect | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Site / page | 1 brand site with shop selection, each redirects to its own BookHero |
| 1 brand account + 1 account per shop for local content | |
| Google Business | 1 listing per shop (mandatory - it's by physical address) |
| Loyalty programs | Managed manually across shops (BookHero doesn't have automatic cross-business loyalty) |
When NOT to create separate businesses
Although multi-shop is managed with multiple businesses, there are cases where 1 single business is better:
- Single shop with 2 separate rooms / areas but unified operation: 1 business, rooms as virtual professionals.
- Mobile professional (home-visit hairdresser) with 2 geographic zones: 1 business with different daily hours.
- Multidisciplinary clinic (physio + osteopath + psychologist) at the same address: 1 business, different professionals.
Expansion plan: 2nd shop in 30 days
Week 1: create 2nd business, base configuration
Slug, hours, catalog, photos, description.
Week 2: team and training
Invite team, train them on BookHero flow (same as 1st shop).
Week 3: external launch
Instagram bio, Google Business, link sharing, opening events.
Week 4: refinement
Analysis of first numbers. Adjustments based on real use (durations, prices, team).
FAQ
Will it cost more to have more than 1 business?
Depends on plan and negotiated conditions. For small networks, talk to us - there are conditions for multi-shop. Each business has full independent features.
Can I copy services, team, descriptions from 1st to 2nd shop?
Currently no automatic copy between businesses. You configure manually. For large catalogs, prepare a reference document to speed up 2nd shop setup.
How to manage a client visiting both shops?
Each shop has its own card for that client. For critical notes (allergies, preferences), log in both with note also at shop Y. BookHero doesn't have automatic cross-business merge.
Staff member works 3 days at one shop, 2 at another - how to prevent schedule conflicts?
Define her hours in each business only on the right days. In Porto: Mon-Wed. In Lisbon: Thu-Fri. System blocks bookings outside those days. Manual coordination in exceptional cases.
Can I have automatic consolidated reports?
Currently no. Each business has isolated reports. For consolidation, export CSV from each and merge in Excel. In big networks, automating with Excel macro or small script is worth the investment.