Adam Gore, Founder and Director, Barberology talks standing out in the dense barbering market.
The hair service industry is rapidly expanding: in fact, barbershops were amongst the top ten most popular independent start-ups last year. While being a part of such a rapidly expanding industry is exciting we are increasingly getting to a point where the industry is becoming saturated and incredibly competitive. My advice, to both barbershop and salon owners, as well as to hairdressers and barbers, is that if you want to stand out in this dense market, then you need to identify a niche you can fill, and plug that gap.
This growth in demand for salons and barbershops has led to greater demand for diversity, so start by considering what type of salon is missing from your area. Once you’ve identified a gap in the market, you need to question why that gap exists. It may well be that there simply isn’t the local demand, in which case you need to then consider whether your idea and niche is likely to pull in a clientele from further afield.
You don’t need to open a new salon from scratch in order to fill a gap in the market. Extending your service menu, overhauling your décor, employing staff with an unique skillset and changing your opening times are all simple ways of filling a gap in the market by adding to, or amending, your existing salon or barbershop business. Looking for a gap in the market to fill needn’t be limited to salon and barbershop owners, either. As a barber or hairdresser, look at how you can expand your skillset and add to your CV, to stand out as different and employable in an increasingly saturated workplace.
It’s good to think outside the box when trying to identify a niche in the market, but spotting a gap needn’t always require looking for something new, unusual or quirky. Sometimes it just means identifying a demand where others have failed to spot one.
