One of the hardest questions to answer in barbering…
Just how much is “right” to charge your customers? The answer isn’t quite as simple as giving you a number and setting you on your way is it? There’s a lot of different factors involved. So, here is Dark Stag’s breakdown of factors:
Location – Where you are in the country is one of the best indicators of how much you should charge. If you’ve set up your cozy shop in a village in Cornwall, you probably won’t be charging as much as the barbershop closest to Parliament. Try to bear this in mind, but don’t put your quality service below what it should be.
Skills and training – If you’ve spent 10 or 20 years barbering it’s entirely natural that your services are going to cost more! If you’ve updated your skills, have great creative horizons, are a competition winner or are barber educator your services will also cost more.
Environment – Is your shop sleek and minimalist? Cool and sophisticated? Grungy and dark? All of these have their market, and to the right person are worth a lot. Beautiful premium barber chairs and a stunning, spotless interior can add a lot. Combine it with amazing branding and a comfortable waiting area and you’re golden.
Range of services – From dry cuts to wet shaving, there’s a lot of different services you can offer, and each ones is extra scope for increased price and increases your value. Remember there’s a customer for everything.
Inflation – If goods and services increase in price, why not your goods and services? Be prepared to increase your prices and keep a close eye on what everyone else is charging.
So, what should you charge?
Taking all this into account, maybe it would be useful to get some general stats from across the country!
In the UK, the average price for a haircut and beard trim is £19, according to the consumer data platform Statista.
What you choose is unique to you as a barber, of course, but we hope this general guide will help out those who really can’t decide!
Things have improved a bit though, check out a price list from 1911 below!
Until next time.
Dark Stag Team
All images displayed in this article are used from Wikimedia commons or taken by the Dark Stag team.
