We all know that the bread and butter of a successful barber shop is putting hair on the floor. If your shop has a constant flow of bums on seats, then there’s no reason for you to be unhappy. But what if we told you that’s just the beginning of making your business successful? There are so many ways to make sure your business has longevity and thrives in the most difficult of economic climates, and Barber Blades is here to share some tips on how to be the best in the business!
Use Booking Software
Booking software has got to be one of the best things to happen to the barbering industry in recent years. If these softwares are used to their full capacity, it is like having your very own personal assistant! They can handle your appointments, clients and calendar all in one. Having a software do all of this for you allows you to do what you do best, cut hair! These softwares can also give you data on the busiest days and time slots in your shop which will allow you and your colleagues to maximise your productivity during the peak hours.
Booksy allows you to communicate directly to your customer base too with their marketing tools - you can engage your community and attract new customers using communication tools, promotions, and Boost. Everything you need is built in via SMS, emails and push notifications. Absolutely perfect!
Other softwares: Nearcut, Squire, Fresha, Barberly
Offer Retail Options
This is one of the most underrated options in the barber shop! While the main focus of a barber shop should be cutting hair, that should not be the only focus. As an expert in all things male grooming, the client will have 100% trust in you and your expertise.
The key to ensuring success when it comes to retailing is training. When you and your team are familiar with the products and who they are suitable for, selling them will be water off a ducks back!
When it comes to retailing in your shops you will want to take two things into consideration - do the products fit the aesthetic of your clients demographic? And do the products have a sufficient profitable margin that you are content with? If your business focuses on more of a high end customer base, we would recommend looking at brands with more of a luxurious and higher quality ethos. Uppercut Deluxe are a great example. Their product range is very well rounded and caters to the needs of pretty much everyone. They offer pomades of various finishes and holds including Easy Hold, Matt Pomade & their traditional Deluxe Pomade. To add to that they also have Salt Spray, Styling Powder, Beard Oil, Beard Balm - essentially a full range! If you are looking to have a uniformed product range in your shop then Uppercut Deluxe is a great shout!
If your shop is more of a lower priced establishment, then offering retail options seems like a no brainer! When a client is in your chair, you can use this as an opportunity to talk through the products you are using on their hair. Are you using a Hair Styling Powder? Now is the perfect time to tell your client that these offer a natural and dry texture that holds all day but also is flexible enough to be reworked throughout the day.
Looking for inspiration for lower priced retailing options? Here a few of our favourite brands: Osmo, Morgan’s Pomade, Marmara Barber, Johnny’s Chop Shop, Clubman Pinaud.
Some of our favourite higher end brands: Dapper Dan, Apothecary87, Captain Fawcett, Reuzel.
Upsell Your Services
The word upsell tends to be used negatively a lot of the time but in this instance it is just a case of making the most of your skills. If a client comes in and asks for a regular shave, why not ask if they would prefer a hot towel shave? If a customer has a beard but only asks for a haircut, how about asking “and your beard?”
This might seem minimal but these little prompts could be the thing that sets you apart from the other barbers down the road. Customer retention is imperative to any successful business, and giving them your best service possible will ensure they return again and again!
Need help for hot towel shaves? Shop towels, steamers & shaving products here.
Give your customers the best beard service possible - use beard balm/beard oil!
Upgrade Your Skill Set
You could be the best barber in the business but you are never the finished article - there is always room for improvement. There are various barber courses, classes and look & learn sessions these days and they are BUSY! While other barbers are out there learning, honing their skills and improving their craft, you do not want to be left behind. Attend trade shows such as Barber Connect - a two day event focused entirely on barbering. You and your team can sit in seminars by some of the biggest names in the industry including Alan Beak, Josh Lamonaca, Hayden Cassidy, Tariq Howes, Slider Cuts and so many more. And best of all? It’s free!
If you can’t get to shows or classes, there are plenty of online tutorials nowadays. The internet is truly a great place to learn, especially with barbers putting whole courses together for you to learn. We recommend staying dialled in to the major players via Instagram - this is the best platform for barbering news and updates. Social media is an incredible tool to network, share your work and get feedback. Why not follow us to stay up to date with product releases, trends and industry tips?
Find Your Niche
If you are struggling or questioning how to get more money in your tills then you need to ask yourself this question - what is your niche? A niche in your business could be services you offer i.e eyebrow threading or the location of your shop. Do you operate in a student heavy area? If so, are you offering them incentives to choose you instead of your competitors? How about giving them 10% with a valid student card? Or do a student discount day on your least busy day in the shop?
If you are in more of a business-oriented space, it is definitely worth liaising with local businesses which leads us on to our next point!
Connect With Other Local Businesses
There is SO much power in the local market, especially for small businesses. We all know that word of mouth is undeniably the most valuable and sincere form of marketing and this is definitely something to be focused on. Is there a coffee shop that you and your staff regularly frequent? Why not leave a stack of business cards there in exchange for their cards being left on your counter? Think of it as a “you scratch my back and i’ll scratch yours” kind of agreement!
This kind of agreement could also stretch to the local workforce too. If you work close to a local office, you could offer them employee discount or even a referral scheme. As mentioned before, word of mouth is SO powerful. People are more likely to refer you if there is something in it for them, and an occasional discount or free cut could be the key.
Offer A Loyalty Scheme
And our last point focuses once again on retention. Never underestimate the power of a returning customer! As barbers we need to do our best to make sure they keep coming through our door to ensure that we have a steady income, but that’s not the only reason! If we have strong relationships with our clients they are more likely to refer friends or family or leave a review online.
Offering incentives for returning is almost paramount nowadays, especially with more and more barber shops popping up every day. Why not offer a loyalty card? If you get 10 stamps you get a free cut/product. Or offer a family discount if you cut multiple family members?
If you have signed up to a booking software, a lot of them will allow you to communicate these schemes direct to your customers and share promotions direct to their inboxes!
Do you have any tips to share? Contact us @barberbladesuk on Instagram!
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