"If you're too busy, you're too cheap." These words from Booksy Ambassador Ivan Zoot might sting, but they are the wake-up call the industry needs. In an era where inflation and the cost of living outpace haircut prices, staying "affordable" is actually a recipe for burnout. Whether you’re a solo barber or a salon owner, learning to price your artistry based on supply and demand isn't just business—it's survival.
For Ivan Zoot—motivational speaker, widely read author, and founder of the $100,000 Hair Cuttery Academy—the mission is clear: professionalizing the trade through strategic pricing. His career centers on a hard truth about raising haircut prices: while the costs of gas, housing, and tuition have skyrocketed, haircut prices in America have historically lagged behind. By failing to adjust your rates, you aren't just staying "competitive"—you are effectively taking a pay cut every single year.
Instead of continuing the tired narrative of charging the same year after year, it’s time to leverage fundamental economic principles to value your craft. Continue reading to learn from a bonafide expert on how to transform your chair into a successful, six-figure business without losing your loyal client base.
It’s impossible to deny the artistry in cutting and styling hair. There’s creativity and self-expression in every cut, style, or grooming treatment. But the business side of the industry is just as important. And that’s especially true when it comes to raising haircut prices.
“Industry professionals view themselves as artists, not sales people or business people. And artists have a very difficult time putting value on their art. I think that mindset starts people out from a really challenging position, because we don't learn most of this stuff in most beauty schools—they simply don't teach enough when it comes to pricing,” he said.
Ivan continued by stating that many industry professionals speak highly about themselves when it comes to their busy schedules. It’s almost a badge of honor to be booked as far out as possible. But Ivan said this is the first mindset that needs to change.
“Busy haircutters love to brag about how far out they are booked. And of course, when I hear that I shake my head, because these are individuals who, as I like to put it, are leaving money on the table. If you're too busy, you're too cheap. You are failing to accept, acknowledge, and leverage a valuable economic principle: the law of supply and demand,” Ivan said.
Simply put, part of the law of supply and demand states that if less of a product or service than the public wants is being produced, the law of supply and demand states that more money can be charged for that product or service.
Ivan applies this widely accepted economic theory to the world of grooming and styling hair. And he shares his research with the students who enroll in his courses and the combined total of 40,000 Instagram followers and YouTube subscribers, who regularly seek his advice.
The law of supply and demand states that if you are fully booked and busy and you raise your prices by 10%, then 10% of your customers will leave you. But at that point, you will be earning the same amount of money with more padding in your schedule and with additional room in your book for opportunities from your top 90% customers, said Ivan.
“The people who don’t object to your pricing and the people who are happy to pay you what you're asking are birds of a feather who will flock together. And those top 90% customers have what we call top 90% friends, which means they will refer their friends and family, and your business will continue to grow,” said Ivan.
Calculate your exact costs and set prices that actually make you money.
Try Salon Pricing CalculatorOne of the most important tips that Ivan offers, when it comes to raising haircut prices, involves choosing the best date to implement the price increase. In fact, about 12 years ago Ivan created a holiday to commemorate the date that he believes is the best for raising haircut prices.
Raise Your Haircut Prices Day in the USA is July 1st. To prepare for that holiday, Ivan spends weeks engaging both industry newcomers and experienced professionals. The reason he believes that July 1st is the best day for raising haircut prices involves a number of factors.
In short, Ivan believes it’s best to avoid raising haircut prices just before or during the holidays. And that means anytime between October 1st to January 1st is a poor time for raising haircut prices. It gives clients the impression that you’re “gouging” them or taking advantage of their loyalty, when they want to look their best but money is tight, he said.
That said, April is another poor time period for raising prices. And that’s because April 15th is traditionally the last day to file taxes in America. Naturally, during that time, clients are focused on their money. So, it’s also a bad time period to ask them to spend more on a haircut.
However, July 1st is the peak of the summer. People are busy, active, and most importantly they’re spending more time outdoors. Many clients choose this time for vacations. And that makes July 1st the ideal day to raise prices.
Too much time after July 1st runs into the back to school season. Raising prices is tough during that time. Customers are planning to spend money on all kinds of academic related necessities. And that could include anything from back to school clothes, books, or college dormitory items.
Even though Ivan has set aside a specific date that he recommends for raising haircut prices, he still firmly believes the holiday is more about spreading awareness within the industry.
“The real purpose of Raise Your Haircut Prices Day in the USA is about fostering a conversation. It’s about having discussions to make people aware of the principles and the concepts behind raising their prices. And it helps to get people educated on how to raise prices. And that's because raising prices any day of the year is still better than failing to do so,” said Ivan.
Ivan Zoot welcomes professional consultations, and he may be reached via email at ivanzoot@yahoo.com.
Ivan Zoot recommends an annual increase. By the third year, clients will expect and anticipate the change, making the conversation seamless.
If your chair is 80% full, a 10% increase might cause 10% of clients to leave, but they are typically the most price-sensitive. Your "Top 90%" loyalists will stay and refer like-minded high-value clients.
No. "Tell, don't ask." Raising prices for everyone simultaneously avoids administrative headaches and maintains the professional value of your brand.
