Do you own a barbershop business and you want to make it grow? If YES, here are 10 tips on how to bring extra income and make your barbershop successful.
Barbershops offer grooming services, like haircuts and shaves. Apart from cutting hair, barbershops, from time immemorial, have provided men a place to network and connect with others in the community. These businesses make money by charging a fee for services provided.
The prices they charge vary, depending upon the services they offer, their location, and experience. Neck clean up prices average $10 and haircuts can range anywhere from $20 – $90. According to reports, the average annual profit of a barber shop owner is $35,000. Many have reported profits of $70,000 and higher, depending upon location and the number of barbers they employ.
Meanwhile, before getting started, you need to attend a barber school to obtain the necessary certification. Additionally, many states require barbers to log a certain number of training hours, ranging anywhere from 800 – 2,000 hours.
Whether you are an existing shop owner searching for ways to grow your shop or a new entrant into this lucrative industry, there are several keys to running a successful barber shop. Have it in mind that employing talented barbers is just one part of the equation. Strategic marketing, strong vendor relationships, and a healthy online presence are also keys to success. Properly analyzed below are tips for barbershop owners to make money and attract clients:
10 Tips on How to Make your Barbershop Successful and Bring Extra Income
- Know Your Target Market
Even before you open your doors for business, it is necessary you identify a target audience. Selecting a specific clientele will enable you know how best to cater to their needs. Everyone needs haircuts, meaning there are many niches to build your barber shop around.
These groups include everyone from children, millennial, business professionals to retired people. Once you have chosen a specific market, you then have to coordinate your business around your target market. This includes the actual location of your shop, what kind of barbers you employ, and what kind of services you will offer.
For example, a shop geared towards young customers won’t need services like beard – dying. If you market your barber shop as being kid – friendly, you will need staff that work well with children. If you aim your business towards white collar workers, you will want to find a location in a downtown district near lots of professional jobs.
- Establish Your Brand
Just because you are a small business doesn’t mean you should not have a brand. Don’t forget that your brand is made up of a lot more than your logo:
- All the personalities and values your brand represents.
- Your use of colour, typography (on your website, and in any printed marketing materials).
- The attraction and atmosphere of your shop, including décor and how any employees dress.
- The style of any photos you post online.
- Your marketing’s tone of voice, which is certainly influenced by personality and values.
- Offer Specialty Retail Products and Build Strong Relationships with Vendors
Another wonderful way to generate extra income for your barber shop is by offering retail products. According to reports, hair product sales in the united states are growing rapidly and a third of men base their hair product purchases on advice from their hairstylist.
Yes, specialty hair products can grow your brand’s awareness because customers will think of your shop when they use the product. Take your time to analyze and find specialty products unavailable at bigger retailers. Customers will know the only place to get their favourite product is at your store, which will help with customer retention.
Even with these advantages, many shops do not offer retail products, which is a big missed opportunity to make more money. Note that even without a retail product selection, running a barber shop means you will have to work with vendors.
You will need to purchase everyday supplies like after shaves, shaving cream, and more, which are typically bought through a third party. Have it in mind that when you develop a strong relationship with these vendors, you can find ways to save on operating expenses by buying in bulk at a discount or even on short – term credit.
- Become a Familiar Face in the Neighbourhood
Another unique way to attract business to your barbershop is to become a familiar face to other businesses in your neighbourhood… coffee shops, bars, gyms, clothing boutiques. Just any place men with some sense of style are spending time, and spending their hard earned money.
It is advisable you align with classy establishments that associate with your sense of masculine aesthetic and that draw the kinds of clients you want to work with. Consider talking with local business owners, inquire about their marketing strategies, and ask them to get in on a co – marketing plan with you.
This could be as simple as posting advertisements or coupons for their business in your barber shop in exchange for passing out coupons for you at their place of business. It always helps to have other local businesses recommending your services to their customers.
- In-Shop Experience Should be Topnotch
Note that from the second a customer walks toward your shop door until the moment they leave, their in-shop experience should be nothing but exceptional. It simply means your customer service, your shop’s aesthetic, your fun little bonus offerings (water or beer or snacks, etc.), should all be sorted out before a customer walk through the door.
Although customers will always appreciate talent and a quality cut, they are going to want to absorb an entire experience—which means that if you are not providing them with quality visual, quality aesthetic, and quality feeling when they enter your shop, you are doing them a disservice.
- Leverage Social Media and Online Marketing
From time immemorial, successful barber shops could rely on word – of – mouth and limited advertising to successfully build a client base. But things have changed and barber shops with limited marketing reach will fail to succeed in the very competitive industry of men’s grooming.
Most online marketing efforts can be achieved for relatively little cost, making the return – on – investment very high. Although social media marketing can be tough for any business owner, but it is still very crucial.
Establishing a strong presence for your barbershop across the social media channels will increase your exposure and allow you to connect with customers. If you want to appeal to a wide variety of audience, you can also think about using a print magazine to promote your business.
- Have a Good Website
Indeed, you are a barber and not a web designer, meaning that the concept of designing and maintaining a website may be daunting. But the fact remains that most consumers simply grab their phones when it is time to find a barber shop.
To compete favourably in this modern business era, you need to have a website, and it needs to be attractive, informative and helpful. Note that the idea is to capture the same vibe you are going for in your shop– class, sophistication, attention to detail.
And nothing quite captures that feel like rich, dark tones and minimal print. In this age, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars for someone to build you a website; you can use WordPress to get one up and running in no time.
Secure a domain name, choose among the hundreds of free, customizable design themes and add a few interior shots and some simple descriptions of what makes your place worth a visit. It really is just that simple. Plus, WordPress offers free hosting and support. Ensure to make your website informative enough to be useful by including your services, your prices, and your contact information.
Play it cool, don’t try to sell it hard. Keep it updated if you ever offer specials or if you are participating in some volunteer work in the community. Make a concerted effort to update your website on the regular; add it to your calendar so this small but incredibly important task doesn’t become void.
- Ensure you are Visible Locally
A barbershop is a local business, your target audience is local, and when it comes to having an online presence, your website should obviously be more visible to people searching locally, not someone 3,000 km away. Local SEO is about more than just having your address visible on your website, and maybe a few mentions of your town or area in your website copy.
If you have ever done a brand agnostic search for any business or service that is available in your location, you would have noticed Google’s search results usually include what is known as a Local Pack. This Local Pack consists of a map of your location, along with three local businesses matching your search query.
Note that each business entry includes a review rating (if available), business type, address and contact number, trading hours, and links to the business website and directions. Making it possible for your business to show up in a Local Pack isn’t a sure thing, but to even be considered requires you to have first added your business to Google My Business (GMB).
GMB is a free service through which you are able to list various details of your business with Google – for possible inclusion in Local Packs, and Google Maps. The more information you enter, the better, but try to keep your physical address and contact numbers exactly the same as they appear on your website.
- Change Your Payment Processor
In this age, consumers expect to quickly and easily pay for grooming services with a variety of methods. This is one crucial reason why a payment processor remains an important partner for barber shops. Without a high-quality payment processing vendor, your business will suffer.
If you feel dissatisfied with the service or costs of your current payment processor, switching to a new vendor can be beneficial. Changing your payment processor can streamline the way your barber shop does business. Many payment processors include terminals and other hardware. Changing your processing vendor can also save you a significant amount of money on fees.
10. Keep Them Coming Back With Coupons
Note that new customer coupons will grab the attention of potential customers and convince them to give your business a try. Always ensure your coupon is valuable enough to get guys to tuck into their wallet and think of your shop the next time they need a cut.
Even if it means taking a bit of a hit, consider it an investment and an opportunity to demonstrate your chops so you can build a loyal client base. Additionally, social media should be your first stop for posting coupons and advertising your business. Always ensure your social media game is on point by creating a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And make sure your business has a listing on Google and Yelp, so customers know where to find you.
Local publications are also an effective and reasonably priced place to advertise your business and include a coupon. Also keep in mind that any co – marketing efforts you put into motion can be a fantastic way to make sure your coupons are being circulated throughout the area.
Once you have wowed customers and they have become a regular, give them a reason to spread the word about your shop by establishing a good customer referral program. Consider offering a discount for every new customers they send your way. Word of mouth remains one of the best forms of advertising, so take advantage of happy customers to let others know about your business.
Conclusion
Making your barbershop successful is never easy, which is why an approach that combines both passive and active marketing is best. Your passive barbershop marketing channels such as your brand, your website, and SEO aren’t entirely passive.
They need a bit of effort in the beginning, and some ongoing maintenance, but they also serve to promote your business at all times. Also consider renting out a space to a nail technician. Not only will you profit from the rental fee, but the clients who come in to get their nails done might also stay for a haircut.
However, to introduce yourself to the neighbourhood, consider having a grand opening event. Drop off flyers at businesses and homes in the surrounding area. Community newspapers, local TV stations, and radio stations are also a great marketing resource. Advertise the event well in advance and offer specials for those who mention your flier.