RECOVERY MUCH F#%K YOU COVID

THE BARBER AND HAIRDRESSING INDUSTRIES WERE AMONG THE MOST EFFECTED DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC. THE CLOSE PERSONAL CONTACT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO COMPLETE A SIMPLE HAIRCUT. LOCKDOWN RULES ALSO CRIPPLED MANY OF OUR LARGE CITIES, MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE INDUSTRY TO TRADE.

We Are Bouncing Back

SEAN EDWARDS

The barber and hairdressing industries were among the most effected during the Covid Pandemic. The close personal contact made it very difficult to complete a simple haircut. Lockdown rules also crippled many of our large cities, making it nearly impossible for the industry to trade. We can focus on the negativity, but the end of this pandemic is here and it’s time to reflect on what good concepts and trends came out of this disaster. Australians are true battlers and I think we always know how to come out of the corner swinging. Let’s look at some of the new trends that Covid helped us initiate.

CASHLESS PAYMENTS.

There was lots of debate around the rights of people having the choice to pay cash, resulting in most businesses forced to go cashless because of the hygiene factor of dirty money spreading disease via hand to hand contact. Payment gateways have sprung up everywhere and smart businesses like Tyro and Square have developed simple to maintain Point of Sales software which was directly linked to current systems of smart phones and tablets. For a very minimal cost barber shops could get started and eliminate cash transactions. Nearly 80% of all transactions are now cashless and in Australia our banking systems have been at the forefront in working with this technology and its partners.

BOOKING SYSTEMS.

Barbers were normally notoriously bad at making people wait for a cut, with a first-in-line system which may have worked in the old days when barbers were just cutting for the old, retired blokes who had all day to hang about telling stories. Walk-ins were fun for a time but I couldn’t see that this style of system was going to be sustainable, as we have many labour shortages in our industry.

Times have definitely changed and people are time poor, especially now many of us are working multiple jobs, so we need to be organised to fit in the time for a haircut. Online booking systems have boomed over Covid in all industries and barbering businesses have some good software options to choose from. We have seen a big development in these bespoke packages designed to fit the culture of the Aussie barber shop. Shortcuts have been developing turnkey solutions for barbering and the hair industry for a decade and they offer some great starter solutions and inexpensive packages for most barber shop models. Many technology companies like Shortcuts have good industry knowledge because that was where these developers started from. Many barbers are spending more time now on the floor, back on the tools and haven’t got the time to do paper work, so good technology to assist them is vital to profitability.

CLEANING.

When I first started The Cutthroat Journal, I was blown away by how bad the cleanliness was of many shops in our country. Being from the hospitality industry where cleanliness was essential, I knew it directly affected your bottom line. Covid achieved one massive improvement - it made barbers look at the cleanliness of their businesses, as health and hygiene became everybody’s business. If you did not comply, people soon told you! We saw a lot more personal hand cleaning and better care of tool hygiene. Barbers have a very large choice of cleaning products in the marketplace and this greater care to attention has been a good thing. As a media business we decided early into Covid to join forces with a chemical manufacturer, Zexa Clean, to assist in developing a Barber Range that barbers could afford and would be easy for them to use. One product that we were very proud to introduce was ‘Clip It’, a powerful spray pack that would clean, sanitise and lubricate clippers. This product was designed to use between customers and stop the spread of diseases like Folliculitis which I have personally experienced from dirty clippers in a barbershop.

IT'S RAT SMASHIN TIME!

TRAINING SYSTEMS.

We have seen a mass exodus of barbers from this industry, where opportunities stopped for many young barbers who left to find other careers. After recent research with longtime barbers, I have discovered many shops are turning to registered training organisations for help with the trainee and apprentice procurement and training programs. It is sometimes overwhelming to recruit and train in your own business, so outsourcing makes sense. We have also seen the rise of online training come into vogue and some of the world’s best educators have set up businesses in this arena. Area Academy have really made inroads in this space and have been very active in teaching barbers the latest trends in the global barber industry. Eoin McCarthy has developed a smart Vlog where he and other industry professionals discuss industry happenings in a fun-towatch format.

OTHER REVENUE STREAMS.

Barbers have never been great retailers, compared to hairdressers. I believe it’s been a good time for barbers to shine in this space as there are hundreds of great products out there in the marketplace that can be incorporated into a smart revenue stream within the shop. I love seeing good, dedicated retail spaces in barbershops where products are displayed. Most Trade Only Barber Products have a good margin of around 30% and is an easy revenue income. Franchise barbers understand this well and it’s a big part of their business models, to carry certain products that have high turnover benefits with good profit.

PROCEDURES AND POLICIES.

Pre-Covid saw a lot of us rewrite our own business procedures, or start them.

Time has given us a major benefit of looking at our businesses under the microscope and fixing the broken bits. As a business consultant I like to revisit business plans, Policies and Procedures every few years. The hygiene issues forced by Covid saw us create new procedures around social distancing, masks, hygiene, and employee sickness policies. It’s now time to look at how more procedures can be added into the operation manual, such as opening and closing practices, Health and Safety and risk recognition and the processes around creating a safer workplace. I also love seeing smart businesses incorporate procedures with their customer relationship management. Look at how policies can help with employee welfare regarding issues of mental health which have been brought on by the effects of Covid.

To summarise this article, it is a great time to start building business models again. There are some huge opportunities to put better workplace practices in place. There is also the factor of more reasonable sites available from abandoned businesses in key locations. It’s always fun to build, so put a smile on your face and enjoy this new era of recovery.