If you find yourself in a position to open a second barber shop location, it is sure to be exciting and a tad daunting. On one hand, it’s a testament to your hard work paying off. On the other hand, it can be a bit scary. Starting a second shop comes with a variety of hurdles to overcome.
To make the most of your opportunity and give you a blueprint for success, we’ve compiled a little guide to opening a second barbershop location. Read on to discover what you need to know before you open your new shop!
Your Guide to Opening a Second Location as a Barber
Before you let your enthusiasm propel you to hasty decisions, pause for a moment and consider the following tips to ensure opening your second barber shop location is a smooth and successful process. There are expenses and risks involved, so having a plan in place to limit the potential downfalls of a second location is key.
Choose Your Location Wisely
Location, location, location. It’s a simple saying that carries significant weight. The physical location of your shop can be the difference between it being a smash hit and an abject failure. That’s a heavy thought and exactly why we included it as the first thing to consider when opening a second barbershop.
Basic research is essential, including the foot traffic in the area, proximity to competition, what the neighborhood is like, and how far it is from your current store. Things like square footage, cost of rent, and included infrastructure are also important to consider.
If you take your time and are thorough in your research, you should be able to narrow your list of potential locations to a select few. From there, your decision should be much simpler.
Is a Second Location Needed?
When you find success as a barber, it can be tempting to jump to the seemingly logical next step—opening a second location. Before you decide to do so, it is imperative to ask yourself a difficult question—is a second location truly needed?
Evaluating whether or not the demand for a second location is strong enough to justify expansion is the first question to consider. Is your current shop no longer able to handle the volume of clients who want your services? Will a second location be able to attract enough market share to sustain both the new shop and your original? Are you trying to appeal to a different clientele, and if so, are you positioned to separate yourself from the competition?
Expanding for the sake of expanding is a recipe for disaster. Ensure that a second barbershop location is needed before you take the leap.
Define Your Goals and Stay Focused
Do you know why you want to expand your business? It may seem like a simple question, but answering it can be anything but easy. Are you trying to meet the demand of your current customer base or reach a new market?
If the latter, there may be alternatives to a second location, such as adding more barbers at your current shop. If you want to expand your reach, build your brand, and diversify your business, a second location may make more sense. You just need to define these goals beforehand to ensure you have a clear direction.
From there, it’s as easy as staying focused on those goals. You will encounter substantial challenges over the course of starting a second location, and retaining focus is crucial to the success of your new location and the health of your original shop.
Branding, Culture, Quality, and Consistency
When you expand, there is the possibility of losing your identity. You’ve worked hard to establish your brand, your company culture, and a standard of excellence that your customers have come to expect. Opening a second store creates an opportunity to either further those defining characteristics of your barbering business or compromise them.
Maintaining consistency across locations is no easy task, so it is vital to have a plan in place and take actionable steps to ensure the identity you’ve spent years defining isn’t lost.
Opening a second barber shop is an exhilarating process that is full of potential. It can be a huge step forward for any barber, and that’s something to be excited about. Before you leap headfirst into treacherous possibility, it is important to know what you’re getting into. We hope the tips above give you the knowledge necessary to thrive as you expand your barbering business.
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