Working in a barbershop can be like working with family. It could also be compared to high school all over again. There’s always that one barber that’s late, the one that’s on time, the one that plays too much, then everyone in between. I was blessed to spend a year and a half of my time around 11 other talented barbers, but it wasn’t always a walk in the park. Some days it can be great to be around so many familiar faces. Other days it can get a little annoying. But there’s ALWAYS some sort of tea because men are just as messy as women. If you’re anything like me, you don’t like being in one place for too long. At some point one chapter has to close so that another one can open. So how do you know when it’s time to move from a shop to a suite? Here’s three ways to know when you’re ready:
1.Needing More Space
I’d like to start off by saying, if you’re new to the hair industry, a shop environment is where you need to be for at least a year to gain a consistent clientele. That means, being the first to come and the last to leave to get as many walk-ins as you can. After that year mark you may start to notice that the environment that you’re developing your business in may not be suitable for you. The station that you’re provided may not give you all the space you need. You may be sharing resources with others and it may not be favorable. For example, if there’s 1 shampoo bowl and 3 stylists that all have a 12 pm appointment, who’s using the shampoo bowl first? That can cause some drama and the shop owner doesn’t care because he just wants his booth rent at the end of the week. If you’ve faced an issue like that, it may be time to move around.
2. Wanting your clients to feel comfortable
Your business thrives as long as your clientele keeps coming back. When you start noticing that first time customers don’t return, you have to look at yourself to figure out what went wrong. For me, I noticed that my female customers were not returning. It became an issue for me because I wanted to expand my horizon by incorporating women's dreadlock styles in my repertoire. As I mentioned before, I worked in a barbershop with 11 other men. They loved flirting with any woman that sat in my chair. That became an issue because what woman really wants to be flirted with during their beautification process? No one!! I realized that if I wanted to grow, I was going to have to leave the shop.
3. Feeling complacent
Feeling comfortable is one thing, but being complacent is a feeling that isn’t fun! Feeling like you don’t have anything to challenge your mind, going through the days doing the same thing, not having any goals to check off the list makes life seem boring. Life is all about growing and evolving. I don’t know about you, but when I don’t feel challenged or engaged at work, it makes me want to find something else to do. I’ll never quit on my business, but because I was having those thoughts, I realized that I needed to stir the pot a little bit. No one is truly ready to be uncomfortable, but when you’re put in uncomfortable situations, you show yourself what you’re really made of. I had to change locations, raise my prices, and develop a new business strategy, but it gave me something to do.
If you’re worried about your clients not following you to your new location, they weren’t your clients anyways. The ones that ride for you are the ones that move where you move, don’t question your policies, and never give you a hard time. There’s a difference between customers and clients. Customers are only with you when you’re there. Clients are with you wherever you are, and whenever you’re available. You’ll lose some, but the amount you gain will help you to quickly forget about any losses. If you’re ready to make that move, then make that move (of course give your clients and the shop owner some sort of notice). You’ll thank yourself for taking the right risks.