Kick Your 2019 Struggles to the Curb
& Boost Your Barbershop to the Next Level
Look, let’s be real for a second. No matter how awesome your barbershop biz did in 2019, we can all admit that we’ve got at least one thing in common—we struggled in 2019. That doesn’t mean you didn’t mean goals, that doesn’t mean you didn’t make money, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you weren’t successful. But it does mean that, as always, there’s plenty of room for improvement.
If you ask us, bettering ourselves is the actual spice of life, so implementing that attitude in your barbering biz can help you reap real benefits. And here’s the best part—with 2020 right around the corner, you’re in the perfect position to make some serious (but not terribly overwhelming) changes to your shop.
We’re talking about taking 2019 and learning from it, kicking it to the curb once and for all, and investing in changing your shop, your career, and your life with some itsy-bitsy but impactful changes.
So, if you’re looking for ways to up your barbershop game in 2020, we’ve got exactly what you’re looking for right here.
So Long Bad Habits, Hello Refresh
Wave goodbye to your bad habits and say hello to a fresh, exciting (and, ahem, profitable) new year.
But, before you do that, take your year and lay it all out on the table—this is the refresh, rebrand, and revamp opportunity you’ve been looking for!
Your 2019 in Review: Take a Good, Hard Look
This is the hardest part of the process, but the most necessary—it’s time to review your 2019. You’ll need to look at your successes, your failures, your coulda-done-betters, and your never-doing-that-agains and really dive in.
Gather your crew, make an event out of it, and have town hall meeting discussing your barbershop biz in 2019. Evaluate everything—your staff’s feedback, customer reviews, your own thoughts. No matter how you plan to go about this, make sure this session is productive, positive, and purposeful.
Only then can you really guarantee you’ll be making necessary changes in 2020.
Declutter and Clean Up Your Shop
Take your spring cleaning to the max. We totally believe that every new year should start with a deep clean. Declutter everything, clean out your products and inventory, reorganize every part of your shop to ensure that not only are you not dealing with clutter, but that your customers aren’t either.
When you get rid of junk and clean out your shop, you create a more inviting space where’s there’s room for opportunity, profit, and techy updates, too.
Give Your Website the Detox it Needs
Even if tech totally stresses you out, this is a hugely important part of your business. We know, we know—websites aren’t super fun to deal with, but they’re a vital piece of your marketing puzzle, so if your 2019 website is lookin’ a little drab, 2020 is the perfect time for a fabulous transformation.
If you seriously just can’t handle the website stress or don’t have the time (which, is totally fair), make room in your 2020 budget to hire on a professional to get the job done for you.
Brand Yourself Better
Check-in with your marketing strategy and think about how you can start branding better. This is especially relevant for those barbers out there who didn’t get the clients they were after in 2019.
We suggest taking a deep dive into some useful marketing courses, online guides, classes, and even continued education at your local university to really boost your marketing, optimize your reviews, and create the on-point branding you’re searching for.
Set 5 Goals to Improve On
Set these bad boys in stone and don’t make excuses. Create 5 specific goals you want to accomplish and ensure they happen by creating a plan to put them into action. Set milestones for each of these goals, plan how you’ll celebrate meeting those goals, and have your staff hold you accountable.
Think about what you want to improve on—better budgeting, getting rid of wasted expenses, being a better manager, hopping on the eco-friendly train, etc. No matter what you want to improve on, there’s real power in giving each of these goals life by writing them down and creating a plan to stick to them.
Invest in Your Education
This year don’t just sit in your shop and expect the education to happen. Invest in yourself and in your craft by attending some tradeshows, expos, or conventions. Sure, they can be expensive, but it’s vital to consider these as an investment in your business to take your shop to the next level.
If that type of expense is totally out of the question, follow along with respected influencers and barbers online and watch tutorial videos, practice, and learn. If you ask us, 2020 is all about self-improvement, so take the first step by investing in your barber education!
Be Straight-Up About Your Bad Habits
Here’s the bottom line—you’re not going to get anywhere new with 2020 if you can’t admit where you went wrong. There’s no shame in talking about bad habits, failures, or misstep—we all deal with it.
But if you aren’t honest about where you’ve been, you can’t alter the course for where you’re going. Be real with yourself and with your staff about where you can improve, and then do it.
Have some additional advice for your barbering community about how they can reboot 2020? Share it with us in the comments—we’re all about learning together.
We can guarantee that no tip or trick is too tiny for us to appreciate, and they definitely all make a difference.
If you’re looking for other barber advice, trends, tips, and insight, keep up with our blog here! We’ve got the need-to-know info and the latest advice for your barbering endeavors.
