Your barbershop is your baby. In your eyes, it’s absolutely perfect, right?
Well, maybe not perfect–in fact, there are probably a few things you could change to start maximizing its efficiency. Right?
We’re not here to call out your barbershop if it’s truly doing the most for you. If you feel like your shop is running smoothly, keeps your workflow on point, and provides the best possible experience for your customers, then please feel free to skip this blog.
But if you think your shop could function even just one percent more effectively, you might want to read on!
Why? Because this blog is all about taking your perfect-for-you shop and making it work better than ever. Here are some top tips to consider!
Top Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Barbershop
Take a Multi-Functional Approach to Design
When you can multipurpose, do it! Can your back bar also have cabinet storage for other products? Can your workstation share a space with the sink? Opt for multifunctional and multipurpose when you can and when it works.
As a note, do not sacrifice one workflow and functionality just to make things compact–if you can find the balance between functionality and multi-purpose, you’re in a great spot!
Be Realistic About Your Space
Some of the best advice we can offer is to stop trying to do too much. Take a good look around your space–what can you reasonably accomplish here? We’re not saying don’t dream big–we are saying be realistic about the space you’re working with. Once you get a clear picture of what you’ve got going on, the easier it will be for you to create a space that’s usable and on-brand.
For Decor, Focus on Footprint
This is especially poignant if you’re working with small shop space. We’re never saying don’t decorate or try to bring your brand into the mix, but if your square footage is lacking, don’t pack in decor that has a huge footprint. How can you decorate without taking up floor space?
Look to the walls, friends. Pivot from floor-based decor to wall-based hanging, decor, and functionality to get the most out of your place without clogging up space.
Schedule Based on Your Space
By this we mean if you’re planning on being a walk-in shop, make sure the way you design that space reflects that. If you’re planning on only taking appointments, make sure your space reflects that.
Do you need a massive waiting area for folks coming in and waiting for their walk-in appointment, or just a few chairs? Do you need plenty of space in your lobby for extra people, or is it OK to let your decor bleed into this area for less standing room? Make sure you’ve got this concept nailed down before you start designing your shop space to maximize efficiency.
Usability First, Vibes Second
We could talk endlessly about the importance of your brand and ensuring it relays in your actual shop space (and we do in several relevant blogs, BTW)–but you can’t prioritize brand over usable, functional space.
Make sure that you’re focusing on getting the absolute most out of your space by prioritizing the functionality of your shop first and then worrying about the vibe.
This is one of those “just keep that in mind” pieces of advice without a tangible, step-by-step guide–it’s just important to have that in the back of your mind while planning.
Make sure you never miss another helpful hint, tip, or piece of career-boosting advice by . Trust us; this is one email in your inbox you’ll be glad to see every week.We hope this blog can help guide you on your path toward efficiency, effectiveness, and customer experience (and, well, profit, too–because, duh!). If you’ve got tips for your fellow barbers about how to take their shop and make it work even better, we encourage you to drop your advice in the comment section below. Otherwise, take a few of these tips to heart, try them out, and see what works and what doesn’t!
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