THE BARBER Blended

from The Cutthroat Journal Issue #20

Barbageddon!

BARBERS ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. YOU’VE CARVED OUT YOUR OWN NICHE IN THE HAIR INDUSTRY – CREATING SUCCESSFUL MODERN-DAY BARBERSHOPS BUILT ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF TRADITION AND HEROING ONE OF THE LONGEST STANDING TRADES.

With the prevalence of walk-ins being one of the most distinctive aspects in the barber industry, as a homage to their roots, most barbers until recently haven’t entertained the notion of bookings. This is like chalk and cheese to other businesses in the self-care industry, such as salons and clinics – which rely on appointments to run their business. Walk-ins are just a bonus for them! For barbers, walk-ins are the bread and butter of the biz.

The Blended Model

Since 2020, we’ve seen many barbers adapting to take appointments, and change-up their overall client experience approach. At Shortcuts, we like to call this the blended model – where walk-ins and bookings can be handled in harmony.

For Shortcuts, our focus has really centralised around the blended model and creating a more userfriendly experience for barbershops and guests alike. Technology has been ingrained in our society for a few decades now, which means younger generations – the digital natives – are becoming a bigger part of our audience than ever before. Integrating tech with a bricks and mortar experience is becoming more commonplace and anticipated.

We’ve seen that and have given our software a spruce-up to facilitate those changes. When it comes to the walk-in side of the blended model, Shortcuts have made it so much easier for you to manage last minute appointments and walk-ins with intuitive design changes, scheduling improvements and improved visibility.

Manage Guest Expectations

Keeping guest expectations in check is crucial when you run a walk-in based business. If there’s a queue, busy clients need to know how long they may have to wait.

Along with some user experience updates to make using the Walk-in Manager so much simpler, there’s also been some significant updates to visibility over guest wait and service times functionality.

One of the user experience updates to the Walk-in Manager is a quoted start time, which is now displayed below the estimated start time for any guests waiting in the queue. This will help your staff manage guest expectations, with clear visibility of when the guest is expecting their service to begin.

Another revamp is an estimated finish time, which now displays both the time the service is due to finish and the amount of time remaining until the end of the service, all in the one column for easy viewing.

You’ll also be able to see the current service status, such as in progress, finished, or running over, more clearly in text for in-service visits.

When you can see exactly where all your guests are in the queue and how your staff are handling the services, you are much better equipped for managing guest expectations.

Visualise Your Day

Part of the blended model experience is giving you complete visibility over both your walk-in business and appointments all from the one place. In your Shortcuts Appointment Book, there’s now a single view of both pre-booked appointments and walkin visits to help give you an overview of what your whole day looks like from all angles.

The Walk-in Manager estimated start times are updated frequently, with the visits automatically reflected in your Appointment Book, making guest management that much easier.

QUICK GUEST CHECK-INS

For guests who wish to have a lightning quick visit or don’t want their details to be kept on file, they can now check-in with just a name. No other details needed! What this means is if they revisit, they won’t have a history record to draw upon at their visit, but they will have a quicker check-in experience – which is perfect for clients in a rush.

The name your guest provides will display on the Wallboard and your team will call out that name when they’re ready for your once-off guest which is why the only detail they need to give at check-in is a name. It’s a win-win situation for those who value their privacy or are just after a super quick in-and-out cut.

The Walk-in Manager has always been well loved by Shortcuts barbers – helping them streamline their businesses and deliver a zero-fuss experience. As the industry adapts and changes to facilitate a more blended model and client booking experience, Shortcuts are here to support that.

To learn more about Shortcuts Walk-in Manager and the blended model, visit www.shortcuts.com.au/features/ walk-in-management/ and personal affordable price. Made ingredients so your feel their best in

Premium quality men’s haircare and personal grooming products at an affordable price. Made with the finest high end ingredients so your customers can always look and feel their best in today’s rush-hour world.

Available to approved stockists only. To apply to have Dastaan products available at your salon, get in touch with us today.

The business started humbly when cofounders, tattoo enthusiasts and above all, brothers Luke and Xenon Soden noticed that due to a lack of an alternative, people with fresh tattoos were applying nappy rash cream, or petroleum jelly filled ‘paw paw’ ointments (which contained less than 2% papaya) to treat their fresh artwork. With neither product being tailored to healing a delicate fresh tattoo, Xenon and Luke started researching the best way to heal a fresh tattoo. After having tried every product on the market, the team at Dr Pickles was established and started researching ways to take the best assets of all of these products and create something unique for the tattoo lovers.

Fueled by the passion to deliver a high-quality Australian made product to their community, Dr Pickles worked hard to create its first signature product the Original Formula Tattoo Balm. This revolutionary product contains both the active ingredient from the nappy rash cream (D-Panthenol), coupled with real, Australian papaya and was an instant hit with customers.

This innovative thinking positioned Dr Pickles as industry trailblazer and paved the way for the business to grow from selling in small boutiques and tattoo studios, to distributing multiple products from their range world-wide and selling in Woolworths.

Using the same principles and integrity, Dr Pickles rebranded and developed its 3 in 1 Body Wash, creating a product that was able to be used every day for all ages, skin and hair types.

Dr Pickles now has several products, including an apparel range, and will continue to pioneer through the market creating both innovative solutions for tattoo after care together with body care for the whole family.

Dr Pickles-3 in 1 Body Wash

Dr Pickles have formulated its 3in1 Wash with the same principles it has for its high quality tattoo aftercare – all natural, all Australian, only made with high quality products and no hidden nasties.

Designed to be used in hair, on the face, beard and as a body wash, Dr Pickles’ 3in1 Wash offers a minimalistic approach to self-care that replaces four products with one handy pump bottle. With an ingredient list that reads like a grocery list, here are a few of the key ingredients that make the recipe for our 3in1 Wash extra special:

• Sweet Almond Oil – Derived from high quality, Australian, edible almonds. Sweet Almond Oil is a gentle hypoallergic oil that is rich in vitamin E and perfect for skin hydration and protection

• Hemp Oil – Known for its properties to hydrate the skin, hemp oil moisturises the body and strengthens hair to prevent breakage

• Citrus Oil – Protects and heals the skin. Famous for its ability to both brighten and create a barrier for the skin

• Peppermint Oil – Provides a refreshing scent that cools the skin and supports blood circulation.

Both 3in1 Wash options are vegan friendly, cruelty free, paraben and sulfate free, suitable for use on the hair, body and face, and are proudly Australian-made with a hypoallergenic formula. And of course, they feel and smell great!

T o f i n d o u t m o r e a b o u t s t o c k i n g D e p o t C o n t a c t B r a n d M a n a g e r , P a u l V a l e n t i n e o n ;

@ d e p o t m a l e t o o l s a u

A FAMILY OPERATED SALES AGENCY AND DISTRIBUTION BUSINESS THAT FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON AUSTRALIAN MEN’S GROOMING BRANDS FOR THE BARBER AND HAIRDRESSING MARKET. With international brands skyrocketing in costs, supporting local brands has never been more important, making amazing, inspired, professional products affordable with great returns to your business of course!

We aim to bring you the best local brands across the different retail categories, including style, shave, fragrance, beard, body, skin, and tattoo, enabling you to maximise retail sales and services for your business.

Each brand offers you an exciting proposition for your staff and customers, showing support to your business like no other.

We do also have a selection of high quality international brands that we feel superbly fits the market too, so please browse our brand offering online by scanning the QR code below to see what appeals to you. We have extensive knowledge of the Australian market as well as the products available so feel confident in our ability to provide you the best brands for your business.

FOR BARBERS, BY BARBERSLAYRITE DELUXE HAVE PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS, AND IT IS A DELIGHT TO ANNOUNCE THIS ICONIC BRAND AS THE OFFICIAL SPONSOR FOR THE LAYRITE

LAYRITE DELUXE IS A NAME THAT’S SYNONYMOUS WITH THE BARBERING WORLD. SINCE 1999, LAYRITE HAS DOMINATED THE INDUSTRY AS THE ORIGINAL BARBER SHOP POMADE.

As the brainchild of Donnie Hawley, a barber himself still to this day, Layrite’s products were created specifically for barbers seeking quality, originality, and functionality, with a product that holds like a wax and washes out like a gel. These products have been embraced by barbers and consumers worldwide due to their water-soluble nature. A barber’s hands are their life and there’s nothing worse than having dry, sore, and cracked hands from constantly washing petroleum-based products off. Layrite products are a dream to work with and help to keep a barber’s hands in good shape, so you can do what you do best.

We have been extremely excited to see the Layrite Deluxe brand grow this year with the introduction to their new shave range that includes a Liquid Cream Shave and After Shave Balm. These additions have been warmly received and are now being put to work across the country.

Layrite Deluxe continues to prove their place and stand the test of time with creativity and continual innovation. 2022 also saw Layrite release the much anticipated and revolutionary Dual Chamber! This 2-in-1 styling product has taken the concept of barber cocktailing to a new level.

Like any incredible drink, a variety of ingredients are needed to create an amazing head of hair. Donnie has become our own mixologist by cocktailing his Supershine Cream and Natural Matte Cream, as well as pairing Layrite’s Original Pomade and Cement Clay, in order to achieve truly unique and creative hair styles.

For Barbers, By Barbers - Layrite Deluxe have put their money where their mouth is, and it is a delight to announce this iconic brand as the official sponsor for the Layrite Deluxe Barber of the Year competition at the 2023 Wahl Barber Expo. Layrite has generously provided some outstanding prizes that will be sure to attract the best barbers this country has on offer. In previous years, Layrite has been the chosen brand to provide grooming products to the competitors, so already has a longstanding relationship with this particular competition. Due to the absence of The Barber Expo over the past couple of years, we are keen to see it back bigger and better than ever and are pumped to see the competitors put their barbering skills to the test in the battle for the prestigious title of Barber of the Year. 2023 will see three competition categories: Open, 1st and 2nd Year Apprentices, and Creative. Sign up now to enter via The Barber Expo website!

With the growth of Layrite Deluxe and how the products have been embraced worldwide over the last 23 years, we are proud to be the Australian distributor for such an outstanding brand and to offer it to our incredible customers Down Under. Layrite is the first brand that was created by a barber, and it is because of Donnie’s understanding of a barber’s role and needs that his empire goes from strength to strength. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with Barber Brands International to become a stockist or to learn more about the famous brand, Layrite Deluxe.