Well I decided to go back to the drawing board and I left the shop I was working at.  The owner pretty much had made it obvious that she didnt care if I was there or not.  I wasnt making hardly any money.  I was having to borrow just to get to work and then it would be a struggle to get home from my friends house.  My instability at that job was not paying off the way I needed it to and I wasnt feeling appreciated.  So Im back to square one.  I will continue to cut hair and follow my dreams of owning my own shop.  But for now I will try to find a regular 9 to 5 where the money is more stable.  I learned a lot at this stint but its not over for me!

  Saturday I had the best day in the shop since I started I cut six peoples hair an my co worker was also cutting most of the day.  I knew once I got my business cards an had a chance to give them out business would pick up.  Its has been a week and I saw the payoff on Saturday.  The owner of the shop was happy as well at the end of the day she was smiling an she said I told you it was coming.  It's funny how one good day of business can change everyone's outlook.  Now its time to build off of that.

  Well day two of this week and I cut a new client.  He owns a store right up the street from where the shop is.  He liked his haircut and said that he would send a friend of his in tomorrow.  Today was a rainy day an my co worker said he didnt feel like going in.  Im glad we did because I believe he will be a good customer.  In my business you cant make money if your not there.

  Things are starting to look more promising.  I got my business cards and Ive been giving them out the past couple of days.  Today on a Monday I cut three peoples head which is unusal and I talked to about five different people today who said there going to come to the shop an give me a try.  I've been paying the shop owner after every cut and I think she is starting to see that things are going to work out for me.  My tip for the day to myself is that advertising dosent ever stop especially in the first year and also communication.  I have to always remember to communicate with my clients with my co workers and also the owner.

  My business cards should be here tomorrow.  Im excited because I know thats going to bring more business my way.  We are in a bad area there isnt hardly any walk in traffic.  But there is a store that is on the corner.  Everyone will be getting a business card.  That's another thing with having your own business you can never stop advertising.

  Well me an the owner of the shop, my co worker an the guy who introduced us to her sat down an had a meeting because basicall the owner is saying that weve been here long enough an she wants a certain amount of money every week.  Well like I told her she definitely has been more than fair and I agree that she should be getting something but the price that she is asking for is barely what we are making a week.  So she pretty much told me in so many words that I could leave if I wanted to.  And then she gave us a month and a half to see if we could get the business to improve.  I have to keep my options open but at the same time try even harder to get business to come my way cause I would hate for the three an a half months that I spent in this shop go to waste.  But hey she even said sometimes it works an sometimes it dosent.  I definitely have things to think about.

Well its the beginning of the week an I decided not to go into work today.  It's the first day Ive missed since I started.  Im broke and I dont have the money to make it to work today even if I wanted to.  Starting to wonder if barbering is worth it right now because bills are still accumulating daily.  I cant even take care of myself not to mention I have two kids who need me.  I knew it was going to be rough but I never would have dreamed it would be this bad.  These are a few of the challenges of building a business.

  Saturday I had a interesting talk with the owner.  She put an exact number on what she wants at the end of the week.  The thing is she told the other barber but did not discuss it wth me.  What she says she wants is barely what we are making for the week.  So when saturday came me or my co worker didnt even have half of what she was asking for.  Before I left I went to her to see how she wanted to go about the situation.  Her response was kind of a smack in the face to me.  Im feelin underappreciated and I dont know if she's still understanding the struggle were going threw to bet this business going.  It's been over three months and I barely make $70 a week if that.  I dont know to many people who go to work everyday and at the end of the day or week have nothing to show for it.  Im starting to re-evaluate my options.  In business it's hard if the person your in business with could care less if you suceed or not.

  Yesterday I got two new clients.  One knows the owner but it was his first time coming to the shop since its been opened.  I hooked him up with a nice haircut and also got his beard together.  It just so happened he came back in today to talk to the owner and he reaffirmed that he liked his cut and will be back.  When your in the business I'm in you have to pick up your customers tendencies, how often they get a haircut and exactly how they like there hair.

  When your building a business but your still renting fron someone communication is key.  The owner of the shop Im working in has just brought a new shop, which is none of my business but there are some things that could be done to the shop I work at.  We have a tv but no cable or local channels.  She has said that she will get cable and she's been saying that since I started but she obviously has the money to purchase a new shop.  With the new shop she called someone who started at this shop but quit because there was no business, but she calls him to see if he wanted to work at the new shop which is in a better area.  She still hasnt told me ormy co worker about the other shop.

  Another challenge I'm coming across is making sure me an the owne stay on the same page.  With the barber shop being as slow as it is I have to make sure she knows that I am still giving it 110%.  The bills still come an she is being more than reasonable with her fee that she is charging for booth rent.  Today is friday and I hope some business comes threw the door because I havent cut any hair all week.  When your a owner of any kind of business and the money that you are giving out is more than your making you definitely have to make a change.  So the shop has been open three months an she is taking more risks than profits.  I hope she still stays paitent.

  This past couple of weeks I've seen that we are starting to get a rise in business on Friday's an Saturday's.  It's not enough to pay bills but I've noticed a slight increase.  The past week I cut hair five out of six days which is encouraging' because their were weeks where I would go four or five days without cutting.  I know patience is a virtue but things definitely have to change.  I'm learning that a lot of business is mental, you have to keep the right mental attitude.

  Today is Columbus Day.  All state and government offices are closed.  It's supposed to be 85 degrees today so even though there is potential for business, I am taking the day off.  My school is closed today so it gives me time to catch up on some needed school work.  At the time its a good move for me but when you have your own business there is no room for any days off let alone on Monday the start of the week when there is potential for business.

  The person I rent my chair from in the barber shop told me that her electric bill is more than double what she is used to paying and for that reason she's replacing the lights she has around our station.  Light is very important when you cut hair because you see things in certain angles an light that you might not see with just a blind eye.  I tried to be respectful by telling her the importance and she tells me that the barber shop is not making money right now so there has to be some cuts made some where.  The owner is a good person and I believe she wants to see me suceed, so more pressure!  I have to get people in the shop.

work

  I've been working at a barbershop since July 23rd.  It's a brand new shop so not to many people know about it.  There is alot more marketing and advertising that needs to be done because 10 weeks later there are often days when I leave without cutting any hair.  There is only so much advertising you can do without any money.  And it is smart to be at work everyday in case someone does come.  I should have my personalized business cards by the weekend and that definitely will benefit me.  But I am going to have to go back to the drawing board an reevaluate things.  I am always open to suggestions.

challenges of building a business/barber shop

  My name is A.B. I will be examining the challenges of building a business.  I am a barber/stylist so most notably I will be looking at the challenges of starting a barber business from the ground up.  I know that a barber's job is to make a customer look and feel good once they leave your chair, and I know it is also a barber's job to market themself and bring business to the shop.  What I dont know is alot of the ways some people got their chance , what it took for them to get their own and also some of the available options (resources) out there to help you get started.  What I hope to learn is what are some of the way successful barbers got an maintained clientel and some other ways they maintained when business was slow.  I would also like to learn some tips that got them better in their profession.  I received my barbers license on November 23 2009.  Before I started barber school I had never cut anyone's hair.  The barbering profession in early times was as well respected as doctors.http://www.barberzone.org/