This was posted to FB by a Belmont Barber shop in Chicago. I like this list. You see lists like this all the time. I try to adhere to much of it. I can not say I make all the marks all of the time. I am still trying. There is a lot of good here to be learned and lived by so as to be an adult male of a reasonable level of style, culture and distinction. Link HERE. Which ones are you hitting? Which ones are you missing? Which ones do you NOT agree with? Which ones do you think should be printed in RED and BOLD? Must read of rall guys, all barber guys and all women who provide direction to the guys in their life... Isn't that ALL women?

Adam at Slim's in Crystal Lake, IL got the pole added to an already nice Andis Master tattoo.
Nice support for hsi passion for the Andis brand.
Do not forget to plug it in!

I was in the area for a school class and paid a visit to my buddy, Slim the Barber at Slim's shop in Crystal lake, IL
I got a great hair cut. I look taller, slimmer and a bit smarter. Thank you Slim. Great shop. @x as big as it was last time I visited. Adam commands the chair in back. barbering the way it should be. Worth the trip and the visit. tell Slim I sent you.

Cutting hair is not enough. Taking good care of the client in your chair is not enough.
There is a lot of competition today. There are a lot of barbers out there.
Today you need to be a solid marketeer to build a business. You need to have strong selling skills to get them in the chair... and strong selling skills to get them BACK in the chair.
marketing for a barber is about a lot of small things done well.
Here are just a few items to think about and ask yourself... am I doing that well?
Your business card... Is is complete? All information present? Zip code, too?
Do you have a logo?... And not the stock barber pole clip art from the business card printer.
Does the shop have a good, visible sign?
Is the shop super clean (this is marketing, too)?
There are so many, I could write a book.
That is right, I did right a book. :)
I will share more in an additional post.
mean time... What are YOU doing to market your barber business?
Please share with us so we all can raise the bar.

The pre-paid hair cut card from Great Clips. They announce a Great new idea. Buy haircuts in advance (you know you will need one) at a lower price. Debit them off of the card as you use them. They never expire, never go up in price. Good at nearly 3K salons in U.S.A.

Article here with full details

Client saves $. Salon locks in client loyalty. Love 'em or hate 'em it is a workable plan for the chain and the client. How can other salons learn from this offer? What can YOU offer to compete? Competition makes everyone better. I like it.

Here is another of those stories of an old barber hanging up the clipper for the last time. I see these all the time. Every small town has an old barber... and eventually he gets to the end of the road. Like the others this old man has 50+ years in his shop behind that chair. Times change, classic barbering is just that. A few weeks back I visited a number fo shops in Chicago. it was nice to meet and speak with many young barbers, guys in their late 20's and early 30"s... Insures that there will be more of the "old barber retires" stories for many, many years to come. Enjoy reading this one. Link here.

I was recently provided a sample of the new Clipper Keeper DX2 to try out and offer up a review.
The case is well made and appears to be durable. It should stand up well to the rigors of daily use. Time will tell.

It is well appointed, compartments for combs and blades and a big area for up to 6 clippers.
The top hinges release so the cover can be removed when working. The removable foam pad keeps things from rocking and rolling when in transport, thought this costs some useable carrying space if you have it in.

I like the idea and the unit is well done. It is too small for me to use when traveling as I have to carry so much more stuff... remember I am not cutting clients , but demonstrating at a show. I am not so sure of how it will hold up through the airport... might be better for local transport than by air.

Oil and clipper spray overspray... not sure what these liquids will do to the unit over time, too. We shall see.

I do like the idea that when in a shop... and you go off to lunch you can lock down the lid and no one will mess w your stuff.

Stay tuned. As I use the Keeper I will share more feedback.

Go here to get your own clipper Keeper. LINK.

I visited the salon and classroom/education center of Nieves Almaraz and howtofadehair.com this week. Nice, clean, contemporary shop with a great little classroom attached for up-close training.
A great example of a sharp business doing more than just cutting hair, sharing with the industry.
Nieves is working on volume #3 in his video series. Volumes 1 and 2 are out there for your benefit.
Have a look at his web site. LINK HERE. he can help you be a better clipper cutter.

1 guy = 2 arms = 1 clipper, 1 trimmer and 1 pretty serious andis fan.
I got these in the email last week. Pretty impressive!