Massive career change - becoming a barber

Massive career change - becoming a barber

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Discussion

Jonathan27

732 posts

174 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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Alickadoo said:
EmailAddress said:
TownIdiot said:
What's the going rate for cut in west wales?

Work out how many you need to do to hit your future income target and see if it's realistic.

I'd imagine it's an awful lot of 12 quids to to get to where you need to be.
12 quid... when did you last get your hair cut... 1995 Huddersfield.
13 quid where I go in leafy Surrey, inside the M25.
There is quite a bit of variability, I paid £42 last week on Canary Wharf

okgo

39,755 posts

208 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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I doubt there’s going to be many fade cuts in West Wales is there?

There’s a place I’ve been in Brixton a few times (not for a fade) where they charge a monthly fee and you get a set number of cuts for that if you want fades. The top end of it meant you could come almost as much as you want.

He said it was a very much more stable flow of cash. That said, their cheapest cut is £20 for clippers, £26 for fade and £30 for scissor cut - I also doubt Wales can support that.

The other place u go the lads are all from Kurdistan, is £16 I think. I personally would not enjoy the job. Hard work and poor pay.

Blackpuddin

17,665 posts

215 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
quotequote all
EmailAddress said:
TownIdiot said:
What's the going rate for cut in west wales?

Work out how many you need to do to hit your future income target and see if it's realistic.

I'd imagine it's an awful lot of 12 quids to to get to where you need to be.
12 quid... when did you last get your hair cut... 1995 Huddersfield.
£8.50 in Hay on Wye.

PRO5T

5,140 posts

35 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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wisbech said:
Re fade cuts - other thing to look out for is a recession. Shaggy hair becomes fashionable once getting a weekly haircut starts becoming a financial burden. E.g early 90’s
Well noticed. Toni & Guy's Natural Inversion (and to a lessor extent, their Forward Graduation that became the "Rachel" cut) was an incredibly clever technique born out of the early 90s recession for womens cuts. It basically meant that a longer womens style cold go around three months without a trim instead of six weeks.

I based a large part of my business on it and was incredibly successful once the straitening fad had worn out in the mid noughties and women embraced the "boho chic" or "beach curls" look that folk like Sienna Miller led. I could charge more while doing less as word spread there was someone who cold cut hair and you didn't need a trim for ages.

Returning uni students loved it as did busy working women/mums who didn't have the time.

I actually met an old client a couple months ago who was bemoaning that they couldn't understand how every stylist they visited now couldn't get a haircut to last more than six weeks.

Anyway, I digress...

Giantt

656 posts

46 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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Jonathan27 said:
There is quite a bit of variability, I paid £42 last week on Canary Wharf
Used to pay £29 + tip so around £34 in Camden,last time I went had increased to £34 still gave a tip but the deciding factor in looking elsewhere, appointment is booked so always get same guy,this time he was still finishing off someone else,'suggested' another barber who was not busy,also noticed slight drop in standards,so after using the place last three years off to pastures new,despite it being just down road, plenty of choice nearby

AndyAudi

3,304 posts

232 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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PRO5T said:
One other thing to note-hair like any traditional fashion is very cyclical. The "Peaky Blinders" skin fade has been in for years now and is dangerously close to being out of fashion.

Once this fad runs out (and believe me, it will in less than five years) the barbering game will be decimated. The proliferation of men getting a weekly haircut to support that style has fuelled the explosion of barber shops and when it dies a lot of them will too.
I’ve always thought watching the kids getting cuts it’s to be like footballers etc so I guess keep an eye on the premier league styles! I’m genuinely surprised to see parents spending so much on kids cuts, but peer pressure means it’s damn near compulsory in my town yet If you’re over 40 most folk frequent the gents hairdressers & pay £8 every 3-4weeks

I first got drawn into the “Turkish” for lining/shaping my beard & I like the “pamper” experience v the £8 cut, it’s also near a necessity for me to visit before an event/function to look my best with the beard. At times I wonder how much cheaper life would be without the beard, I’d prob return to the £8 queue so I guess beard trend would have a big impact too.

Monkeylegend

27,374 posts

241 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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I love how thinking going on a 9 week training course suddenly makes you a successful hairdresser and you will live a stress free life from then on.

My partners daughter runs her own unisex salon, and I can assure you that training to become a professional hairdresser with your own sustainable client base takes years not weeks and is far from stress free.

I would at least stick to the lady clients Petrus, you do seem to have natural skills in that dept hehe


Wacky Racer

39,296 posts

257 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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The woman I go to is the traditional type place, her clientele are mainly aged between 40-90 plus children,

She charges £10, and I reckon an average cut takes 5-10 minutes, no more.

There are always 1-4 sitting down waiting for their turn.

However, she is on her feet most of the day and is probably over 50, must be hard.

She knows everything about everybody, men tend to rabbit on.."My wife doesn't understand me" etc, smile

Not bad pay though, as she owns the shop.

There is another chair which she rents to a lady friend who does ladies at the other end of the shop.

Petrus1983

Original Poster:

9,972 posts

172 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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Alickadoo said:
Making a wild guess that the 1983 refers to the year of your birth, you are now in your early 40s.

You have had a career in the financial world and you are n0w thinking of becoming a barber.

Don't.

Stay with what you know.
I'm 44. Whilst the financial world has provided me with a lot and I'm grateful for that - I desperately didn't enjoy it. I by and large didn't like the other people in the industry, client expectations, constantly worrying about global markets etc etc. I don't have a mortgage, my boat is fairly well behaved lately, my retirement is sorted and I have provisions for my son.

I absolutely know that after 9 weeks I won't be an expert - but the course is intensive and I've met the owner this morning (and visited the location etc) who seems very professional in his approach. Plus I have to start somewhere.

MonkeyLegend... I weirdly have zero interest in doing women's hair.

TownIdiot

2,300 posts

9 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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Petrus1983 said:
I'm 44. Whilst the financial world has provided me with a lot and I'm grateful for that - I desperately didn't enjoy it. I by and large didn't like the other people in the industry, client expectations, constantly worrying about global markets etc etc. I don't have a mortgage, my boat is fairly well behaved lately, my retirement is sorted and I have provisions for my son.

I absolutely know that after 9 weeks I won't be an expert - but the course is intensive and I've met the owner this morning (and visited the location etc) who seems very professional in his approach. Plus I have to start somewhere.

MonkeyLegend... I weirdly have zero interest in doing women's hair.
You are in a great position so why not give it a go? It's not as if it's going to ruin you if it doesn't work out.

Fusion777

2,387 posts

58 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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Alickadoo said:
Making a wild guess that the 1983 refers to the year of your birth, you are now in your early 40s.

You have had a career in the financial world and you are n0w thinking of becoming a barber.

Don't.

Stay with what you know.
And yet he’s said he didn’t enjoy it. Why do people think that well paid profession equals happy person?

Go for it Petrus.

Petrus1983

Original Poster:

9,972 posts

172 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
quotequote all
I've hopefully taken the last place on the course.

I forgot to ask about scissors etc - they sell a barbering kit "at cost" for £500, which should be £950. I hadn't factored it in but speaking to a few friends in the industry this is acceptable/good.

Thanks for the support about smile

Monkeylegend

27,374 posts

241 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
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Petrus1983 said:
I've hopefully taken the last place on the course.

I forgot to ask about scissors etc - they sell a barbering kit "at cost" for £500, which should be £950. I hadn't factored it in but speaking to a few friends in the industry this is acceptable/good.

Thanks for the support about smile
Are you left or right handed?

Petrus1983

Original Poster:

9,972 posts

172 months

Tuesday 18th June 2024
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
Are you left or right handed?
This reminds me of a scene in Casino laugh

Right.

Countdown

42,853 posts

206 months

Wednesday 19th June 2024
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I shave my head so haven't needed a barber for 5-8 years smile

However there are two local to me; one is an asian guy who started off charging £5 a cut until he'd built up a customer base and now charges £8, the other one is much more "trendy/fashionable" type place which charges £25.

I'd be surprised if the £8 guy is making less than £150 a day. There are always 4/5 people in his shop waiting for a cut.

Monkeylegend

27,374 posts

241 months

Wednesday 19th June 2024
quotequote all
Countdown said:
I shave my head so haven't needed a barber for 5-8 years smile

However there are two local to me; one is an asian guy who started off charging £5 a cut until he'd built up a customer base and now charges £8, the other one is much more "trendy/fashionable" type place which charges £25.

I'd be surprised if the £8 guy is making less than £150 a day. There are always 4/5 people in his shop waiting for a cut.
At £150 a day with all his running costs he would find it very hard , if not impossible, to survive and make a decent living.

Countdown

42,853 posts

206 months

Wednesday 19th June 2024
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
Countdown said:
I shave my head so haven't needed a barber for 5-8 years smile

However there are two local to me; one is an asian guy who started off charging £5 a cut until he'd built up a customer base and now charges £8, the other one is much more "trendy/fashionable" type place which charges £25.

I'd be surprised if the £8 guy is making less than £150 a day. There are always 4/5 people in his shop waiting for a cut.
At £150 a day with all his running costs he would find it very hard , if not impossible, to survive and make a decent living.
Must be making more than that then as he's just bought himself an 18-plate Audi A4 smile

He rents the shop from a mate of my dad's so that's about £100 a week, I'd be surprised if it was more than £50 a week on utilities so that leaves him with £600 a week. Without casting aspersions I doubt all of that is fully declared to HMRC. I don't know, I'm guessing on the number of haircuts he does but he seems happy and doesn't seem to be "just surviving".

Monkeylegend

27,374 posts

241 months

Wednesday 19th June 2024
quotequote all
Countdown said:
Monkeylegend said:
Countdown said:
I shave my head so haven't needed a barber for 5-8 years smile

However there are two local to me; one is an asian guy who started off charging £5 a cut until he'd built up a customer base and now charges £8, the other one is much more "trendy/fashionable" type place which charges £25.

I'd be surprised if the £8 guy is making less than £150 a day. There are always 4/5 people in his shop waiting for a cut.
At £150 a day with all his running costs he would find it very hard , if not impossible, to survive and make a decent living.
Must be making more than that then as he's just bought himself an 18-plate Audi A4 smile

He rents the shop from a mate of my dad's so that's about £100 a week, I'd be surprised if it was more than £50 a week on utilities so that leaves him with £600 a week. Without casting aspersions I doubt all of that is fully declared to HMRC. I don't know, I'm guessing on the number of haircuts he does but he seems happy and doesn't seem to be "just surviving".
My partners daughter has her own salon with both male and female customers and her VAT bill alone is roughly £13k every 3 months.

Her monthly running costs including rent, rates, utilities, wages, products etc are well over £20k

Even without staff costs she would need to clear at least £12k a month before she starts earning anything for herself.

The only way Petrus could make any decent money is to rent a chair in another shop or become an employee if you only charge £10 for a haircut and even then he wouldn't be earning much above the minimum wage.


BoRED S2upid

20,438 posts

250 months

Wednesday 19th June 2024
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
Countdown said:
I shave my head so haven't needed a barber for 5-8 years smile

However there are two local to me; one is an asian guy who started off charging £5 a cut until he'd built up a customer base and now charges £8, the other one is much more "trendy/fashionable" type place which charges £25.

I'd be surprised if the £8 guy is making less than £150 a day. There are always 4/5 people in his shop waiting for a cut.
At £150 a day with all his running costs he would find it very hard , if not impossible, to survive and make a decent living.
Horse st. That’s like £4000 a week £200,000 a year for what is probably a tiny shop a pair of scissors and a shaver!

Monkeylegend

27,374 posts

241 months

Wednesday 19th June 2024
quotequote all
BoRED S2upid said:
Monkeylegend said:
Countdown said:
I shave my head so haven't needed a barber for 5-8 years smile

However there are two local to me; one is an asian guy who started off charging £5 a cut until he'd built up a customer base and now charges £8, the other one is much more "trendy/fashionable" type place which charges £25.

I'd be surprised if the £8 guy is making less than £150 a day. There are always 4/5 people in his shop waiting for a cut.
At £150 a day with all his running costs he would find it very hard , if not impossible, to survive and make a decent living.
Horse st. That’s like £4000 a week £200,000 a year for what is probably a tiny shop a pair of scissors and a shaver!
Not h poo at all, my other half does her book keeping so I see every detail of her running costs etc.


She employs about 10 staff to be fair and her minimum cut and blow dry is about £30 with things like extensions costing up to £300, but the cost of the products is very high.

I am just making the point that when you say you charge £10 for a haircut, if you are running your own shop and even more so if you are VAT registered, you will only take about £2 maybe £3 of that for yourself.

Her staff are always moaning about how much she charges and the fact that they only earn not much above minimum wage, but as in all these case they don't realise how much a business like this costs to run in an accessible town centre ish slot.

Her business rates and shop rent alone are nearly £6k a month.

Edited to add that anybody who thinks they can do a 9 week intensive course and suddenly become a proficient hairdresser/barber are living in cloud cuckoo land.

Her trainees do a minimum 2 year college course followed by continual in shop assessments until they reach qualified junior stylist level, and then need to gain further shop experience before they are freely let loose on customers.

The last thing you want is somebody who thinks they are now a fully qualified barber/hairdresser having done a 9 weeks course given free reign with your established customers.

They will very soon become somebody elses customers smile

There is also ongoing college training to keep up to date with changing styles, methods of cutting etc.

Edited by Monkeylegend on Wednesday 19th June 12:38