By Bizna Brand Analyst

Are you looking for a business you can start with little money? Do you have good hair cutting skills? Then below is a guide on how to start a kinyozi.

The barbering business is recession-proof. Everyone needs a haircut, and hair will never stop growing no matter what situation the economy is in. If you are very good at barbering or giving nice haircuts, and would love to start a business of your own, then you should consider starting your own barbering business. This might be a big decision, and setting up the business might be somewhat hectic. However, with excellent skills and a good business sense, you will be able to maintain the business easily and grow it to the point of success.

So does the idea of starting a barbering shop sound great to you? And do you have the skills required? Then follow these steps to start your own barbering business:

(1) Obtain the necessary licenses

Before taking a plunge into the barbering business, you must obtain all the licensing required to operate the business in your county. Depending on your location, you might also need to obtain a barbershop permit before you start business. Fulfill all the law requirements to avoid running into problems in future.

(2) Calculate needed costs

You need to figure out how much you will need to start and run your business successfully. Factor in the costs of renting shop space, purchasing equipment and facilities, supplies and wages, and marketing. Also, it is important that you set aside an emergency budget in case things go wrong. Calculate the total budget that you will need to get your business up and running. You might want to add 20 percent of the estimated figure to your budget to cover for any hidden costs that might surface later.

(3) Write your business plan

I can hear you saying “business plan tena?”. Yes. You will need to develop a business plan for your kinyozi if you want it to stand out from the rest. The business plan will detail your estimated startup costs, operating costs, staff requirements, advertising costs, target market, competition, and exit plan. It will also include how much you can afford to spend on rent, how much you expect to earn in monthly profits, and how you will charge for each of the services you will render. However, you must stick to your business plan throughout the whole setup process to keep your barbershop on track.

Your business plan will also come in handy in case you need funding from third parties, such as banks and other loan-issuing institutions.

(4) Find a good location

I can’t emphasize this enough. You will need to find a location near a shopping center or any other place frequented by your potential clients. A location that has already been zoned for barbering will significantly reduce your workload.
You can ontact a broker that understands your business needs to find out about vacancies.

(5) Purchase the necessary equipment

You will need to equip your barbershop with all the necessary facilities and supplies. Your equipment would include workstations for each barber, styling chairs, booster seats for kids, dryers and hood dryers, cabinet for supplies, chairs for the waiting area, containers for disinfectant,  floor mats, receptacle for towels etc

(6) Hire more hands (if necessary)

If you would be starting out all alone, you might delay this step until your business has grown. However, if your plan is to start on a bigger scale, you will need to hire other barbers to work with you. However, you must ensure that you hire only well-groomed, good barbers.

(7) Find ways to stand out

Before setting up shop, it is important that you research other barbershops in your location—to get a good idea of how much you should charge and what services you should provide in order to get a competitive advantage.

This step is more than necessary, since chances are that you will be competing with already established barbershops. So, you will need to give customers a strong reason to prefer your shop to others. My advice would be, hire a really beautiful woman to give clients a massage after a shave. Trust me, it works so well.

(8) Market your business and start operations

It goes without saying that you will need to do some on-ground marketing to create awareness about your barber shop. You can create things like Whatsapp groups or Facebook pages. Be sure to have a conspicuous sign outside your shop that anyone can see from a distance.

So yes, put your business plan into action and open your doors for business. When followed, these steps will help you run a succesful barbershop.