2020 Service Menu (Entering our third year)
As we’re entering the final season of the decade, as well as the beginning of the shop’s third year, I could summarize 2019, overall, as my year of market research.
As a shop owner, I take great pride in knowing that I have created a place where everyone feels welcome. I’ve tried to stay connected to the community that has fueled the growth of the shop following a second consecutive year with a "Best of Boise” nomination.
As a barber, I spent the summer visiting other barbershops throughout Seattle, Salt Lake, Portland, even spending time cutting hair in Boulder, CO to see how similar shops operate and what the going costs were in markets that Boise is slowly evolving towards.
As a businessman, I’ve paid attention to the market saturation of other barbershops in Boise, as well as the explosion of families moving into the treasure valley. I want to ensure that quality workmanship can remain both recognizable, and also easily attainable.
Here’s the main part of this story, I am blown away that things ever got to this point. We just wanted to have a fun place to go to work, and the community of Boise has loved what we’ve been putting together. After months of research and decision making, our shop’s service menu is undergoing a price overhaul.
All services received at The Barber Story occurring on or after 01/01/2020, will be charged to the new pricing model.
I am also announcing that at that time, both Jimbo Davis and Chase Hoskins will join me with taking on the title of Sr. Barber within the shop.
Now let me explain how this pricing model came to be.
First and foremost. All barbers working at The Barber Story are independent contractors and will continue to be paid directly by their clients, as it always has. I do not see any of their financial dealngs, and any additional costs of services will go directly to the barber performing your service.
The cost of their booth space has not increased due to this restructuring. This is completely a move that I find to be necessary to ensure quality workers will have the ability to afford health care, groceries, a mortgage, and provide for their families while continuing to live in the community they love.
I believe that a responsible business owner is capable of creating a business model that acknowledges the true cost of living for the people trying to make a living under his roof. I also think the owner should help guide a path towards sustainable living through fair compensation and recognizing the individual’s efforts in the dedication to their chosen craft.
When I first began barber school, homes could easily be found starting in the $170,000 range, now it is next to impossible to find anything less than $250,000 for something on the bench. The final straw for me was when all the barbers got our emails from our point of sale system and we found out that our costs per transaction would be increasing. The reality is that the cost of living and our cost of operations have gone up around us, and I want to ensure talented individuals have the opportunity to continue being a staple in the community they love to serve.
Invest in confidence. The most common complaint we get in the shop is that our schedules are too booked out. We have clients driving from as far out as eastern Oregon, and I have been interviewing for a 5th barber to share my chair with because Liz’s schedule has already been filling up consistently in the few months she’s been at the shop. The feedback I keep hearing from people is this, “If you’re this busy, you’re too cheap.”
This new pricing structure is designed to help the public immediately identify demonstrated talent in the craft. All Sr. Barbers have completed a minimum of a 2-year working relationship with The Barber Story, and their efforts resulted in “Best of Boise” awards in our first two years being open.
Since I left barber school, I have been fortunate to watch many of my friends succeed in this industry, but I have also seen many others fail. I have seen talented barbers who were unable to pay their rent by chasing their passion, so they had to take a second job just to keep themselves afloat. I truly do believe this is an industry where the good will continue to get better if they are given an opportunity to grow.
I believe that this creative freedom is what our team thrives on, and is what drives an environment that consistently produces top notch results, time and time again.
I really do believe that I have one of the best teams in the Treasure Valley. If you haven’t experienced the difference yet, book your next appointment before the holidays are over!
-Chris