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I’ve had a few friends and other barbers. That after over 10 years in the business and for the most part full books are slowing down. What’s your thoughts on this. Is it the barbers own doing? Are barbers pricing themselves out of work? To confident/ comfortable? I know that usually most barbers after a few years of being pretty booked lay off the social media and do a lot less advertising themselves, because they just don’t have room for more people. What should you do to keep yourself relevant without working yourself to death with new clients. I realize to expect about a 3-5 percent client loss every year. Has anyone else experienced this? What was the solution
There are multiple things at play right now.
First, the economy sucks - no matter how you slice it, a lot of people are out there struggling to pay the necessary bills and put food on their tables. When it's a choice between going to the barber, or putting dinner on the table - the barber can wait.
Secondly, it's winter. Business always slows in the winter - people either get their cut when they're out of town for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or they just change their schedule from "it's hot and I'm miserable and want this shit short as possible" to "it's cooler outside now and I don't care as much".
Third... Ya, a lot of barbers have forgotten their role and their place. Sure, you might find a few suckers paying $50 for a haircut - but for every one of those 9 are going to go to Supercuts instead.
Fourth, COVID killed the business. A lot of people jumped ship and just learned to do their own out of necessity - and kept doing it. But, a lot of people also quit their jobs or whatever and decided doing hair was how they'd strike it rich. The school I went to went from an average class side of 5-10 barbers, to 30. There simply aren't enough heads out there to support 300 new barbers in an area, every year, year after year.
As a barber we have the same issue in reverse - people come in rattling off the latest SM trendy cut, and name 3 completely different haircuts in the process. So, you ask for a picture - and they want a skin fade. There's no need to reinvent the wheel, but the wheel doesn't get engagement apparently.
I can't tell you the number of barbers I went to school with who can only reliably cut the current SM trendy cuts. Hand them a comb and shears or a clipper and they're lost to do a "normal" haircut.
But, traditionally, barbers are for short cuts - what's why barbers died out in previous decades when men's fashion leaned towards med/long cuts which, by and large, are not barbers' fortè.
Well that and probably half of the people working in "barber" shops aren't even barbers - they're cosmetologists who happen to work in a barber shop.
And, I'll add, you're also now dealing with the tiktok barbers - those with no formal training who've watched a few videos and now think they're a barber - and though their clients may only be a few of their friends, that's a few of their friends who aren't going to a real barber. Take that phenomenon times however many are in your city and it adds up.
And, I'll add, you're also now dealing with the tiktok barbers - those with no formal training who've watched a few videos and now think they're a barber - and though their clients may only be a few of their friends, that's a few of their friends who aren't going to a real barber. Take that phenomenon times however many are in your city and it adds up.
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Sure it does... But charging $50 for a haircut is absolutely ridiculous as well, and has turned a lot of people away from going to a barbershop at all when there are 20 other options for salons and chains that'll do the same cut for $20 or less. If you want to market to the 10% willing to pay more, go for it - but you're letting 9 customers walk away for every one you get in your chair.