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Barber shop

How to Run a Barber Shop

You’ll need to think of your customers if you want to keep them coming back.

Over the years, the barber shop has adapted to appeal to the market that it is in. While traditional barbershops still exist where men’s haircuts and shaves are offered to customers and little else, there are also many barbers that have taken to encouraging women to become part of their customers, increasing their services to offer coffee and creating a comfortable environment for people to come and enjoy.

Barber shops are one of the fastest growing sectors thanks to social media, facial hair trends and groomed hairstyles. If you’re looking to keep your business growing with the trends, you’ll need to have a well-run shop!

No matter what kind of barbers you want to run, there will be some basics that remain the same. The most important thing, though, is that you know who your audience is and how you are going to appeal to them.

The shop

After you have found the right barber shop to buy, there will probably still be changes that you will need to make to it to turn it into your ideal business. Cleanliness, in particular, is a concern for customers coming to your shop. Make sure that the shop and the equipment is always clean and in good condition.

Consider who it is that you are hoping to appeal to and decorate your shop accordingly. Are you hoping to attract people after a classic barber shop experience, or will you offer coffee and Wi-Fi to a trendier crowd?

the shop

The space that you have should be inviting to your target audience. You will want your customers to want to come in and spend time in your shop. Barber shops have, traditionally, been more than just a place to get a shave and a haircut. They are also areas where people can congregate and socialise. Creating this sense of community can help to make sure people keep coming back.

Have you thought about creating a rewards programme for those that come to your shop multiple times? Have you made an effort to get to know your regulars?

Social media

Part of the rise in popularity of the barber shop is said to come down to the proliferation of social media. Grooming has become more important as recording ourselves with images and sharing them has become more and more popular.

Embrace the trend and put your best work on social media. This will be great marketing for you, and it won’t cost you anything. You can use social media to stay in touch with your clients and let them know when you’re offering specials or discounts.

social media

If you want your customers to advertise where it is that they have had their hair cut, think about

creating an ‘instagramable’ area. Customers can then snap a pic of their fresh cut before they leave hopefully tagging your business.

Trends

Keeping busy will mean keeping up with trends. The only way to do this is to keep researching and going on booster courses to find out what methods and styles are popular.

You should also send your staff on these courses. If the prices put you off, keep in mind that there are online learning opportunities so don’t become complacent.

Taking your time with your customers is a better approach to take than trying to get as many cuts done in a day as possible. Creating an experience that your customers can enjoy will be a much better way to get people to come back on a regular basis.

The day to day

Some of the most important tips for running a barber shop, though, is the business side of the job. You are going to need to be adept at balancing books and planning for future expenses. Don’t underestimate how useful basic business skills will be when it comes to running your barber shop.

If you are not adept at doing your books, you might consider hiring an accountant. It can be especially complicated to get on top of business tax and how to organise the PAYE system.

the day to day

Something that you will need to consider is whether you will employ full time or part time staff. Be sure on how much work there actually is and when you will be busiest. No matter how many hours your staff are working, though, treat them well so that they stay as long as possible giving your customers continuity. 

If they stay for a prolonged time, you will also be able to train them up and improve the services that you offer your customers.

These tips can be applied to any type of barber shop. However, to run a great business, you will need make sure that you find the right business to buy.



Anthea Taylor

About the author

Anthea Taylor is Content Producer at Dynamis and writes for all titles in the Dynamis stable including BusinessesForSale.com, FranchiseSales.com and PropertySales.com as well as other industry publications.