Ivan Zoot
Ivan Zoot

July 1 every year is “Raise your haircut prices day in the USA”. I started this campaign four or five years ago. I promote and discuss this campaign every year during May and June. You have just a short time left to put your plans in place for your price increase this year.

Here are my top five ideas to help you to get behind this program and raise your haircut prices on July 1 this year… and every year.

1. Everything goes up – Why are you sitting on the sidelines watching gas get more expensive? Why are you paying more for milk and bread and not expecting your product or service to go up along with these other consumables? Friends and family get raises at work. You should, too. They way to get a raise in the haircut business is to raise the price.

2. The formula works – How much should you go up? The formula is 80% + 80% = 10%. If you are 80% occupied with 80% repeat clients you can raise your prices 10%. This represents a healthy book that can sustain the increase. If your numbers are softer, just go up $1.

3. You are overdue – Most haircutters do not raise their prices every year… or any year for that matter. I speak with many haircutters who have not had a price increase in years. Haircut prices have not kept pace with the economy. Your commission dollars are with less than they were a few years ago. You need more dollars and increases commission percentages will not get you there. The price MUST go up.

4. Clients will happily pay it – Very few haircutters are selling on price. Clients love you. They love your haircuts. They will find the dollars and find the way to pay you. People have priorities and make choices. Odds are high that if you take good care of people, people will make the choice to find the $. Some will not. These are bottom feeder clients. They do not buy take-home hair care product. They do not tip well. They do not send referrals. Lose these low value clients and the open space in your book will fill with referrals from remaining high value clients. Onward and upward. It just takes confidence.

5. Do it 2 years in a row and clients will come to expect it – Raise your prices on July 1 two years in a row and the 3rd year clients will be asking for the “new price” during June. You will have trained them and created the expectation.

Raise your prices. Make more money. Enjoy your work. Get on board with this ideas and encourage your haircutter friends to do so as well. It is not all hat complicated. I am happy to help you with your price increase. Send me an email with questions you may have.

Happy clippering.

Ivan

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.

Read more about