There is an abundance of services in San Francisco: restaurants, music venues, bike shops, bars, boutiques, dry cleaners, Starbucks. Such is big city life. But there are also tons of hair salons and exercise studios. When seeking a new look, or workout, I turn to referrals. That is, my social network of the fabulously coiffed and fit. Enter StyleSeat.

StyleSeat is the first of its kind connecting beauty professionals and salon owners with their clients via social media. Beauty and wellness industry professionals have access to free and easy tools to run their show online, attract new clients and grow their businesses. On the flip side, customers can search for services based on personalized criteria and recommendations from their social circles.

Melody McCloskey, founder and CEO of StyleSeat explains: “We’re empowering beauty professionals and salon owners to actively grow their business and connect with today’s clientele who are using the Internet to make purchasing decisions."

One of the most addicting features is browsing through the photos to heart favorites and build your own style profile. You can also browse specials, find same day appointments, and book online. Professionals can sign up by going to styleseat.com/signup.

Whether you're a budding beautician or a hair color hedonist, StyleSeat is a win win for the world of beauty and wellness.

Samantha Durbin (sami.7x7@gmail.com) is a lifestyle writer who honed her blogging skills as Editor of FabSugar.com. Samantha graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology, also writes for San Francisco magazine and Gilt City, and shares her musings via her poly-blog network, led by SFonFire.