To be a good barber you need to love people, have attention to detail and be a hard worker. I have always loved being a barber and was lucky enough to do my apprenticeship with a great traditional barber, who taught me excellent cutting skills and cutting speed.
There is nothing like owning your own barbershop to make you realise that the only way to make money is to do as many haircuts a day as you can, or to diversify into other areas like cutthroat shaves, colours and retailing. I went into business to give my family a great lifestyle and opportunities, and this certainly has been the case. I have, however, worked extremely hard for the past 10 years, doing up to 72 haircuts on my own on Sundays! Barbering can be hard on the body, and it’s important to understand you may not be able to do it forever.
In my opinion there are two types of barbers coming trough the ranks: the 45 minute perfectionist cutter, and the 10 minute get them in and out cutter. Whilst every barbershop needs a “perfectionist “ barber, they cannot possibly make money unless the barber is confident enough to charge according to his time and skill. As a shop owner, time is money, and when employing staff I expect them to be able to do a great haircut in 10-20 minutes.
There has been a huge growth in the barbering industry in the last few years. Barbershops have become very popular. Men now want to look good, feel good and are prepared to spend money on products. These include beard oils, aftershaves and accessories. Guys are wanting to go back to old school traditional shaving accessories and rituals. It’s all about having a great style that others envy. There are now heaps of great new shop styles emerging, which is bringing guys out of the ladies/unisex salons and back into barbershops. It is now cool to go to a barber, and guys are confident that they’ll walk out with a great fashion cut, not just a short back and sides. It’s also great to see shop owners are diversifying by selling accessories, clothing and men’s retail lines, and doing shaves, beard trims and men’s facials. I hope that these new business owners are doing the math, creating a sustainability in their business instead of ending up like 70% of all new businesses, who shut their doors after only two years. My advice to achieving a long lasting successful barbershop would be to work hard, love what you do, provide fantastic customer service, keep training and learning, and to get expert advice wherever possible.
Shop 6,Carine Glades Shopping Centre, Davallia Road,
Carine WA 6020 (08) 9448 9477
