Setting up a barbing salon is what you do after learning to barb people’s hair. Skills like barbing are very important in Nigeria these days.
Why?
Because lucrative white collar jobs are far and in between. And many young people have realised that they can still earn a living without them.
You don’t have to have a fancy job title to succeed anymore. All that is needed is hard work, some passion and a skill.
Barbing is one of such skills.
If you are interested in setting up a barbing salon in the future or you already have one but want to know if you have done it right, then this article is for you.
In this article, I will go over what barbing is, how to learn it, and what it takes to set up a standard barbing salon including steps to take when doing this.
What barbing is all about?
Barbing is the art of grooming, styling, or cutting someone’s hair to improve their appearance. It goes beyond just giving someone a haircut. A good barber makes someone feel good about their appearance by employing creativity and competence.
Anyone can barb their hair. Whether male or female, young or old. In the same way, anyone can be a barber.
Yes, I know that in Nigeria, the vast majority of people who get a haircut are males and they get their haircut from male barbers most of the time but that doesn’t mean barbing is a job for males only.
What makes a barbing salon standard?
The criteria for labeling a salon as ‘standard’ are not set in stone but there are a few things any customer must see to consider you a professional.
I will go over them below;
Sound personal hygiene
If you are going to make other people look neat it is only right that you look neat yourself. Have a nice haircut that reflects the quality of the service you offer.
Avoid giving off a bad odor or wearing a perfume with an offensive smell. You want your customers to feel comfortable while you work on their hair.
Equipment in good condition
You don’t want to keep adjusting a faulty clipper while working on someone’s hair or worse get someone wounded in the process. Ensure everything you use is clean and in good working condition.
That is one way to come off as a reliable barbing salon
It is also important to have the equipment in the first place. The generator, clippers, brush, sterilizers, towel, cloth, and hair products should be available and ready for use.
A good salon design
If you want to be a standard salon, you have to have a good working environment.
Tie in some elements of your salon’s brand into how it looks but ensure it looks beautiful and spacious. Don’t forget to use comfy chairs so your customers can sit comfortably while you work on their hair.
Provide room to work on several customers at a time. Customers may lose patience if they have to wait in a very long queue before they can be attended to. Have a place where they can sit and wait all the same.
In Nigeria, some degree of entertainment is expected in a barbing salon. In fact, it is often used as a means of attracting potential customers. This is something you should consider as well.
Skilled barbers
Nobody wants to be served by the rookie. So, you have to give them what they came for by ensuring they get a good haircut from the pros. If a rookie damages a client’s hair, it could be a disaster. Work with skilled barbers and ensure they look the part.
How to learn Barbing
Barbing is one of the easiest vocations to learn. On average it takes about 3 to 6 months to become a skilled barber. During this period you should expose yourself to a sufficient number of hair styles and get hands-on experience cutting hair.
There are various ways to learn barbing. They include
Apprenticeship
This is the oldest method. Working as a subordinate of a more successful barber would give you both the training and experience to set up your own shop.
The reason I like this particular method the most is that it allows you to see firsthand how the barbing business works. If you want to learn to barb, by all means, get an apprenticeship if you.
Vocational schools
You can learn how to barb by attending a vocational school. Such training is usually hands-on and practical in nature. Vocational schools would charge you a fee to participate in classes.
One advantage of this method is that more emphasis is placed on learning the skill. This is unlike an apprenticeship where you have to work to earn the skill.
Self-teaching
Some people teach themselves to barb by watching YouTube Videos and observation. It is possible to teach yourself to barb. You can start by watching these videos then if you have a friend in the business you can frequent his salon to watch how the business is done.
This method is suitable for people who aren’t new to the trade. If you are a total novice it might take a longer time for you to gain mastery using this method.
Equipment needed to set up a standard barbing salon and their cost
Various factors affect how much capital you would need to start your salon. One such factor is location.
However, since this article is about setting up a standard salon, I would assume that you would be using a decent brick-and-mortar shop as your salon.
That being said, I would break down the costs below for setting up your salon in 2024
S/N | Cost Item | Amount (N) |
1 | Clippers (3) | 49,800 |
2 | Wall mirror (2) | 40,000 |
3 | Customer chairs (2) | 30,000 |
4 | TV and Speakers (fairly used) | 40,000 |
5 | Tv and Speakers (fairly used) | 58,000 |
6 | Hair products, sterilizers, and cosmetics | 15,000 |
7 | Cover cloths (3) | 3,000 |
8 | Brushes (2) | 4,000 |
9 | Stand by Generator | 120,000 |
10 | Standing fan | 40,000 |
11 | Rent | 100,000- 600,000 (varies) |
In total, you need at least N499, 800. The rent for a standard shop varies widely in Nigeria. I have given an estimate.
It is also important to join the association of barbers in your local community. You would have to pay their registration fees and annual dues which can vary depending on your location.
Steps to set up your barbing salon
There are a few steps you can take to set up a standard barbing salon.
Learn the skill
Before investing in setting up a salon, you would have to equip yourself to deliver the service. Whether you do an apprenticeship or learn the skill at a vocational school, what is important is ensuring you are competent no matter how long it takes you.
Register your business
You should register your business with the Corporate Affairs Commission and ensure you are registered with relevant associations.
Once this is done, you can also make your salon visible by using banners, and a prominent sign on your building or door just to get the word out.
Plan your salon
How do you want your salon’s interior to look? Come up with a plan for this. You can visit other shops for inspiration. Discuss what you want with the skilled people who are working with you to set up the salon like your painter.
Build a team
To serve customers effectively, especially in a busy location, you might need to build a team. You can partner with another barber or get apprentices of your own to work with you.
How to market your services
There are so many ways barbers can market their services. I will outline some of them below;
- Get referrals from other customers. This is probably the most popular way that barbers get customers. Word of mouth is still effective and potent even in this field
- Create a Google business profile so that people can find your salon if they are in your location.
- Use out-of-home strategies like sharing flyers and putting up a banner in your location.
How profitable is a barbing salon business?
One thing that makes the barbing salon business attractive is that you can earn money daily. If you pick a good location and work hard, you can make as much as N5,000 in profits daily.
This amounts to about N150,000. And this does not include money made from home service. So, the business is quite lucrative.
Conclusion
Setting up a standard barbing salon would enable you to provide excellent services to your customers.
One important step you must take to do this is mastering the skill. There are various ways to do this including getting an apprenticeship, learning at a vocational school, and teaching yourself.
I have also gone over the various equipment and cost items needed to start such a salon. It is important to understand the cost implications of setting up this business and ensure that you can remain profitable after spending this set up capital.
14 comments
This make me know more about barbing shop 👍🤝
Thanks you I really appreciate, you are highly welcome
You are welcome
🤝🤝🤝🤝
Wow nice one really interesting
Thank you.
Nice article, Bro. Stay blessed up.
Thanks for your kind words
Hello Mr Ugo
Thanks so much for this article, i must confess this has open my mind to alot of things
You know i use to belittle myself and my skills sometimes, bur after through this article….never would i do that again.
THANKS ONCE AGAIN SIR
Good one. Although what I find unbelievable is the cost of a generator that you listed. In this economy I don’t think 120k can get even a used generator. In short almost every equipment cost you highlited should be doubled in other to have a good start in this economy we are right now. Stay blessed
Absolutely!
Pls can we chat on Whatsapp…cus I need ur help ..09128925153
feel free to use our forum
Thanks for the information, I appreciate. I’m a coming up barbar.