As the pandemic slowly comes to a close and businesses across the country begin to relax their COVID-19 healthy and safety related policies, many clients are still requesting mobile barber services to continue enjoying grooming treatments from the comfort of their homes or offices.
For industry experts who have been performing mobile services for some time or newcomers to the idea of traveling to their clients, take a moment to learn from two grooming professionals who quickly transferred their skills in the shop into the world of mobile barbering.
Ron the CuttBoss has invested roughly two decades into the trade. His cuts have been worn by professional athletes and popular musicians. And his own line of hair products, along with his mobile barber business, are producing the kind of results that he described as “boss moves.”
Keino Valley is a JRL educator and a platform artist who’s better known as humblythegreatest. To reach his modest goal of opening barbershop franchises to enrich the lives of his family, Keino has absolutely mastered the art of using Booksy to market himself as a mobile barber.
Learn detailed information on how to provide mobile services from these two skilled businessmen with almost 50 years of combined experience. Invest the time into learning about their master level skills with the tools of the trade to enhance your business, during a time when industry experts are saying that the demand for a mobile barber is higher than ever.
Ron the CuttBoss started the interview by stating that even as a mobile barber, showcasing professionalism is everything. And that means arriving at the home or office of every client in a timely manner. Professionalism also means that his demeanor is always respectful, even though he is oftentimes performing services in a home, which may seem like a more laid-back space.
Being a mobile barber can also open the door to working with celebrity clients or well-known business people. Although it may take time to build those relationships, always treat a client with the utmost respect by being more mindful of your comments and demeanor than inside a shop.
“I would say to every mobile barber, just be discreet. Make sure you’re mindful but memorable, when you're dealing with some of these people. Because if you're cutting a celebrity, you can walk into a room, and it could be your favorite rapper, your favorite singer, your favorite actor, or whatever. But you have to maintain that professionalism,” said Ron.
The next tip that Ron offered to professionals who may want to become a mobile barber is to always be prepared. Being a mobile barber means encountering a host of different obstacles and hurdles that will be new to a first time mobile service provider. To make sure everything runs smoothly, Ron recommends thoroughly planning the service ahead of time.
In particular, he said to view the space that you’re going to visit before the appointment. This seemingly small step will help a mobile barber better anticipate problems that may occur.
At times the lighting may be poor, clients rarely have chairs that spin, and the amount of space that a mobile barber has to perform services will be more confined than inside a shop.
“You have to kind of be a chameleon. You have to be able to adapt to your surroundings in any situation. Because the one thing that every client expects when you're going into them—they're expecting the whole barbershop, because you can’t cut corners with any service,” he said.
To piggy-back off the idea of always staying prepared, Ron said every mobile barber should spend considerable time checking and re-checking their equipment. Specifically, a mobile barber should carry at least two of every tool or product that they use in the shop. The quality of the mobile service should always be on the same level as a barbershop experience, he said.
“You have to have the exact same thing that's in your mobile kit that’s in the shop and then some. The goal is to make sure that the equipment that you're accustomed to using every day in the shop matches the equipment in your mobile kit. That's number one, because it helps with your consistency,” he said.
In addition to having doubles of every tool or product, a mobile barber also needs a host of tools unique to that experience. In particular, Ron recommends using a rechargeable headlamp and a portable barber chair that moves. He added that ring lights can be very cumbersome, while performing an on-site haircut or grooming service.
According to Ron, listing pricing services as a mobile barber can be challenging. And that’s because mobile pricing has to be in tune with the prices a client would expect in the shop. But mobile services need to “make sense to the person in your chair,” said Ron.
While creating a price list, remember to charge for services based on the market and the demographics of the clients that you’re trying to reach. But also make sure to take into consideration your experience, talent, time, and the travel distance.
It may or may not be necessary to charge additional fees for travel. Remember that an alternative to taking on extra fees is to add traveling fees into your pricing. But also keep in mind that since many clients are paying over $100 for a service from a mobile barber, it may be necessary to factor in a tip, since some clients will assume that’s included in the mobile service.
In order to set yourself up for success as a mobile barber, it’s important to work with other industry experts to attract a variety of different clients. By setting up a network with other beauty professionals, it’s easier to gain additional clientele through recommendations, said Ron.
“Once a client sees how easily a service can be brought to them, they often ask, ‘hey, do you know someone that does this or does that?’ So, it would actually be very advantageous for any mobile barber to have a list of people they could recommend for other services—maybe a stylist who works on hair or nails. And those same people can recommend that barber,” said Ron.
Ron concluded by stating that collaborating with other professionals will always help someone who is starting out as a mobile provider. It opens the door to clients they otherwise wouldn’t have met. And that’s because you’re not competing with other industry experts. Instead, you’re simply working on the same client who wants a variety of at-home services or treatments.
When it comes to the subject of succeeding as a mobile barber, Keino Valley had just as many useful tips. He began by stating that time management is a top priority for anyone who is ready to offer mobile services. And he added that Booksy can help with scheduling in a huge way.
Keino added that many barbers may want to spend three or four days in the shop and only one or two on the road providing services, as a mobile barber. Booksy makes it easy to balance and manage a schedule, while still meeting the needs of different clients.
“Within the Booksy app, I’m able to control the times and dates that I’m able to leave myself available. And that’s for in-shop services versus mobile services. So, that gives me the ability to dissect my schedule. I know the services that I’m able to provide. And clients know that on these particular days I am available inside the shop or on-site,” Keino said.
For any serious business change, it’s important to communicate valuable information to clients, said Keino. And that’s especially true for anyone who wants to be a mobile barber. Communicate valuable details about pricing. Share your list of services. And explain protocols that clients should follow to make sure the appointment runs smoothly, said Keino.
Once a client has booked an appointment, it may be a good practice to provide additional information. For instance, let them know about putting their pets away, practicing COVID-19 precautions, and making sure the space where you may be working is ready when you arrive. And in that area, Booksy can again help.
Another important way that Booksy helps Keino provide services as a mobile barber is through marketing. Within the Booksy software there’s a host of marketing tools. Those features are designed to help a mobile barber let clients know that on-site services are now available.
By sending out Message Blasts, a mobile barber can send out a message informing hundreds of clients at once. Sending out a Message Blast lets clients know how and when to book a mobile appointment. A Message Blast can also help minimize the number of empty slots that professionals have while providing on-site services.
“Not all of us are great communicators. Having the ability to send a message that’s already prearranged for you, or a message you can tweak, I think that gives you an advantage and also a level of professionalism with your clients, especially when you’re tapping into something new like mobile services,” said Keino.
When it comes to providing services as a mobile barber, Keino said industry professionals need to remember that there won’t be a sign on the wall advertising prices. Any price increase, for example, needs to be stated upfront to avoid an unprofessional moment with a client.
Every mobile provider can avoid long discussions about costs and the details of every treatment. All that mobile provider needs to do is regularly update their services on Booksy. Those details can be professionally displayed to customers who book via a Booksy profile page, he said.
All that service providers need to remember is to regularly update their profiles. Make those updates to help make sure that everything is “right there in black and white,” said Keino. He added that Booksy made it much easier and more advantageous for him to transition into providing mobile services.
Keino wrapped up his tips on providing mobile services by focusing on health and safety. The pandemic may be coming to a close. But it’s still important to be conscious of your safety and the safety of your client. So, make sure to discuss any concerns before the appointment.
If you’re not already aware, there’s a number of COVID-19 tools within the Booksy app. These COVID-19 features could be useful to industry experts and their clients. In particular, Kenio uses the Health & Safety Rules feature to share a checklist with clients to let them know the specific cleaning and disinfecting procedures that he follows before every mobile barber appointment.
During months of stricter limitations, Keino also took advantage of the COVID-19 Disclaimer Forms. Clients can complete these forms, while booking appointments. Use these forms to ask clients if they have COVID-19 symptoms. Most importantly, providers can confirm that information before arriving at the home or office of any client.
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