Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Just thought that you should know that not all barber shops are doing good in this down economy. My father and I own our own barber shop in beautiful historic downtown Van Buren, Arkansas and our shop has been there for 75 years. Now granted, we haven't owned it that whole time but we have seen our clientele dwindle down to about 1/4 of the business we had just last year. Of course, we live in an area of the country where people are pretty cheap and will just as soon go to Walmart and buy their own clippers and cut their own hair. There really isn't any real loyalty these days to barbers (especially when it comes to men). Men generally don't make appointments and are only interested in coming into a barber shop when they have the time. Our clientele base is 99% men, so we don't provide chemical services and that probably doesn't help. What gets me is, we never have and we've always made great money. Upwards of $700-$800 per person every week but we are lucky to make $200 a week right now and we haven't changed our prices in three years. $14.00 for a regular man's cut. So our customers have decided to not come back and we don't know why. The one's who are still coming in also can't understand why others are not coming back Customers that we have had for many many years aren't even coming back. We see them out at dinner and around town and you can tell that they are cutting their own hair. We don't do female hair so we don't reap the rewards of chemical services which puts us in a really bad position these days. We will probably have to close by the end of this year. I would simply tell you to either open a barber shop in a good location in a large city or be sure to provide all salon-type services to all sexes in your shop. Good luck out there!

I have been a barber for 15 years and have owned my own business for the last 5.  I have a great location with a captured clientel.  I am less than 10 min from a public safty training center and I am less than 3 min. from a site that is soon to be our Sate Dept of Corrections headquaters.  There are soon to be more than 400 officers training, as well as other state agencys to follow withing the next 3 years.  My shop can potentialy be a 8 chair shop in the next 3 years.  My shop is not a dump but its not super fancy.  Its clean and quaint!  I charge 12.00 for a regular clipper haircut and that includes a hot lather neck shave.  I follow up with a stamed towel and a lite massage.  The whole process takes from 12-20 min max.  My problem is finding good, honest, friendly, personable, hard working barbers. 

You need to know your state rules for sure.  You will need some deep pockets to pay for all the fancy furniture and keep it in operation untill you find a GOOD barber to keep customers coming in.  The hard thing is, most GOOD barbers are not going to work on a percentage, and most GOOD barbers have worked a long time to build the  clientel they have and are not going to relocate and risk loosing them.  Call every barber shop in your local phone book and I promise they will tell you that they have the same problem.  I have been ther 5 years and only have one other barber.  I had to train this one, who has so far worked out well.  If I don't find more help......supercuts or madwacker chain type place is going to reep all the rewards.  Men just arnt willing to sit and wait more than 30 min even WITH all the perks I offer.  I forgot to mention .....we are both not bad looking ladies. 

I wish you all the best........and if you happen to find some good barbers, Please contact me and let me know what you did to get them!  Hell,  If you get some good experianced barbers, then you must be offering something REALLY good.  Then I may consider coming to work for ya! 

Best of luck

Ldybarber

9927. i see that was posted two years ago. just join this site. very very nice post. im also in the process of opening my own shop in the ohio. if u are still around . would like very much to know how ur doing now . have a bless day. 4848.