I don't cut hair but I know dudes who do and know dudes who have gone in and opened up their own shops. The money these guys make varies wildly, if your just having your own chair and taking clients then you hustle just like any other independent contractor in making sure you got enough business during the week to make money.
The other side is going in and opening your own shop, which is very easy to do for the most part depending on how rigid the city/county you are in is in regards to licenses and permits. Every shop has its own set up, but you can either just rent out chairs or convince your good barbers into a profit share where you give them a bigger cut/small equity share as incentive for them to get in more business to the shop. My homie opened a shop but turned into a hustler as he was chasing away his HS friends who were not getting that much business.
When your doing things on you own I would just get your skills up to the point you can host people in your home, or you make house calls. As dudes will know, you will travel and take time for a quality hair cut, and this can be especially lucrative if you can tailor it to a high-end group of dudes (this is the only way to truly get ahead IMO in any type of personal independent service gig.. personal chef.. personal assistant.. personal trainer.. personal barber .. all while charging rich people a hefty premium for your skills).
Depending on where you end up there may be a surplus of shoppes. Its the cool thing to do right now, barber shops are opening up all over the place. Its all just a millennial bubble as young people are splurging on shit since money is cheap right now, it won't last. But quality barbers will never go away, there is a reason you see old Jewish, Jamaican, and Dominican guys cutting hair until they are 60, the work is relaxing and you build up a loyal base that will never leave you.
Make sure you have skills or a niche to give you staying power, you are right that hair grows no matter what but the truth is when I am broke I get a hair cut once a month, versus 2-3 when I got my money up. People cut back. The only recession proof industries are liquor and tabacco which increase due to the stress of a recession.
In a perfect world you could probably get away with opening a live/work space where you life in a loft/studio, build your furniture there in a work space, and cut hair in chair out front. You could have enough space to throw parties and shit too:
![[Image: Front-of-building-300x200.jpg]](http://www.livingroomrealty.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Front-of-building-300x200.jpg)
![[Image: unit-6-east-view2-300x225.jpg]](http://www.livingroomrealty.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/unit-6-east-view2-300x225.jpg)
![[Image: studio-space-1-300x200.jpg]](http://www.livingroomrealty.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/studio-space-1-300x200.jpg)
Basement:
![[Image: basement-300x200.jpg]](http://www.livingroomrealty.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/basement-300x200.jpg)
The other side is going in and opening your own shop, which is very easy to do for the most part depending on how rigid the city/county you are in is in regards to licenses and permits. Every shop has its own set up, but you can either just rent out chairs or convince your good barbers into a profit share where you give them a bigger cut/small equity share as incentive for them to get in more business to the shop. My homie opened a shop but turned into a hustler as he was chasing away his HS friends who were not getting that much business.
When your doing things on you own I would just get your skills up to the point you can host people in your home, or you make house calls. As dudes will know, you will travel and take time for a quality hair cut, and this can be especially lucrative if you can tailor it to a high-end group of dudes (this is the only way to truly get ahead IMO in any type of personal independent service gig.. personal chef.. personal assistant.. personal trainer.. personal barber .. all while charging rich people a hefty premium for your skills).
Depending on where you end up there may be a surplus of shoppes. Its the cool thing to do right now, barber shops are opening up all over the place. Its all just a millennial bubble as young people are splurging on shit since money is cheap right now, it won't last. But quality barbers will never go away, there is a reason you see old Jewish, Jamaican, and Dominican guys cutting hair until they are 60, the work is relaxing and you build up a loyal base that will never leave you.
Make sure you have skills or a niche to give you staying power, you are right that hair grows no matter what but the truth is when I am broke I get a hair cut once a month, versus 2-3 when I got my money up. People cut back. The only recession proof industries are liquor and tabacco which increase due to the stress of a recession.
In a perfect world you could probably get away with opening a live/work space where you life in a loft/studio, build your furniture there in a work space, and cut hair in chair out front. You could have enough space to throw parties and shit too:
Basement: