Scissors and Scotch

scissors & scotch: BreaKing the industrY mold

THE IdEA FOR SCISSORS & SCOTCH WAS BORN OUT OF NECESSITy

Erik Anderson, who is one of the founders, was new in town and needed a haircut. He realized he only had a few choices, and none of them really appealed. He could go to his wife’s salon, an oldfashioned barbershop, or someplace with “clips” in the title.

This issue led to a conversation with his friends. A haircut can often feel like just another item to check off a to-do list. It’s usually a chore. So, they wondered if they could create a space that guys actually looked forward to visiting. It would be a place where someone could relax, feel comfortable, and enjoy conversations, while getting a haircut and shave.

It turns out there was a market for an elevated experience in the men’s grooming industry. Since Scissors & Scotch launched in 2015 with six employees and one shop, it’s now grown to hundreds of erik Anderson, Sean Finley & tanner wiles

employees across multiple states. The brand is actively looking for franchisees who want to bring this unique concept to town.

“Most of the time, when we talk to a potential franchisee, they are excited because they don’t see anything like Scissors & Scotch in their city, and they recognize the need,” Erik Anderson, Co-Founder of Scissors & Scotch, said. “Getting a quality haircut has a big effect on a person daily. Our franchise owners have a chance to impact the community in a unique way.”

cheap and efficient is not what All Guys want

“The idea is to create a place that is part of a man’s routine.”

Anderson and his buddies Sean Finley and Tanner Wiles began mapping out the concept, what would make it cool, and what would make it different.

Basically, they knew what they wanted, and they knew what guys like them wanted.

“Haircuts and grooming have always been marketed to guys as ‘cheap’ or ‘efficient’,” Finley, one of the co-founders, said. “Guys want a well-rounded experience that’s more than just a cheap haircut. We want someone who is going to put the time in and have the expertise, but we don’t want to have to go to a salon to get that experience.” This is a common feeling among the clientele served by Scissors & Scotch. Men are spending a lot more time and money on self-care in 2022 than they did even 10 or 15 years ago. And this is not a trend that will go away anytime soon. The male grooming industry is expected to reach $276 billion by 2030.

The reasons for this are pretty simple. Men are recognizing how important a good haircut and a well-groomed beard can be for social and professional success. Putting a little extra effort into a grooming routine can increase a person’s confidence, so it’s probably not a good idea to risk a subpar cut at a “clips” joint.

not Blinded by tradition

Anderson, Finley, and Wiles came to the industry with zero experience. While that may sound like a negative, it actually worked in their favor because they were able to avoid falling into the trap of blindly following traditions and doing things the “way things have always been done.”

They sat down and thought about what they admired in many different business models, from a variety of industries, and were able to weave the ideas into the plan for a modern barbershop.

Not wanting to leave the actual haircutting to industry rookies, they quickly sought counsel from someone with decades of experience. Brandi Busboom is the Director of Grooming Operations for S&S and has developed a training program for all barbers and stylists who hold a pair of scissors at any of the locations. Busboom came to Scissors & Scotch after years of learning and working to perfect the barbering craft. She has a passion for men’s hair and grooming and was an ideal fit for a team looking for someone who knew the business and wouldn’t be shy about telling them if she thought one of their ideas was a bad one.

“Brandi is a huge part of our success because she’s an expert in this field,” Anderson said. “She leveraged that experience, education, and her awardwinning technique to help us develop the framework for a best-in-class training program for barbers and stylists.”

Each barber is taught an advanced technique, called clipper-over-comb, which gives every guy who sits in the chair a tailored haircut based on the shape of his head and his goals for the style. This differs from a traditional clips joint where stylists will ask the customer what number he wants, slap a guard on the clippers, and provide a standard cut which doesn’t look great as it grows out. The S&S method is tougher to learn, and takes a bit more time to execute, but produces much better results for the customer.

It’s the kind of detail that was important for the leadership team as they crafted the plan for what this barbershop could be.

Each service at Scissors & Scotch includes a cocktail, coffee, or beer which can be enjoyed before or after the appointment in the lounge area. A full experience that’s breaking the mold and raising expectations for a customer base that’s been looking for something more and longing for quality.

the Franchise Plan

Scissors & Scotch has already grown to 19 locations across nine states, with more than 40 locations sold or currently under development. The idea is to create a place that is part of a man’s routine — customers who buy memberships, develop trusting relationships with their barbers, and come back every month expecting to get a great cut that will last. For the franchise owner, that means recurring revenue and a chance for serious growth.

What started as an idea between friends is now a thriving company that’s providing opportunities for ambitious entrepreneurs to disrupt the market in cities across the country. Men are willing to pay a little more for quality and experience, and Scissors & Scotch is continuing to prove it.