Fudge Professional Education Specialist, Sue Lever on Colour Services in Barbershops

“Adding colour services to existing barbershop menus creates a full, one-stop service destination for customers, resulting in a possible increased spend per client. It also provides more scope to build client loyalty, resulting in the ultimate in added value: returning customers.

Of course an initial investment will be needed to train and qualify staff members in colour techniques, although training can be found to suit different timescales and budgets. For example, part-time courses can be taken with training providers such as colleges or at private facilities like the London School of Barbering, whilst companies such as Alan Howard and Salon Concepts offer day courses and even half-day product training to support understanding of how to use colours.

Fudge options for barbershop colour services include the dual-system Headpaint range, which enables colourists to create both permanent and demi-permanent results – great for a subtle colour introduction, or total coverage of grey hair.

Ultimately adding colour services can be a great way to stimulate your staff and it really helps to motivate barbers when they’re required to create a full complimentary colour to a cut. Add in the possibility of offering a full range of bespoke colour services and fashion-focused trends, from lighteners and toners, freehand techniques and blending, and your team’s creative juices will be flowing.

Tracy Hayes, Fudge Professional Global Head of Fudge Professional Technical Training continues:

“When introducing colour to barber shop customers for the first time, I would suggest to keep it simple, and a technique that requires low maintenance upkeep. For more fashion placement, add for example colour through the parting or through heavier layers or front hairlines, not an all over colour change that would result in a re-growth.  For the more mature client, suggest subtle combing through of the natural colour to minimise the white hair.

When selling in colour to your clients, think about the language you’re using. Generally, the older male client will be having colour to tone down the white hair, so terms to use would be colour to ‘blend’, to finely comb through natural colour tones. Whereas, the younger client, you can be more radical with the terminology as they are probably going for a stronger change, pre-lightener is well understood, and comes across more premium than bleaching. Make the colour bespoke to each client and individual look, avoid the traditional techniques such as highlights/ balayage that are more associated to the girls. Talk about depth and tone, without been complicated. The simpler the description the more attractive it will sound.

Ultimately, with colour just keep it simple and don’t get too descriptive in the shades and techniques. It’ll sound too complicated and put customers off, be subtle and avoid strong colours.

The doors to your barbershop are always swinging open and you know the true meaning of a lack of time. When you have customers waiting in line for the perfect fade or beard trim, you don’t have the time to check your stock levels, summarize cash reports and look into employee activity. And definitely no time to promote your clean cuts, warm towel treatments, or build lasting relations with your customers.

Make these boring tasks automatic with the latest tech made just for you.

See what benefits an easy to use and well-developed barbershop software can bring into your barbershop.

The Barber’s rule – clients are family!

Your customers are more friends than just meal tickets. They come in not only for your great services, but because they enjoy being treated as mates in your barbershop. And when your shop is full of clients waiting for your services, you check their appointment history and the most recent before-and-after pictures in individual electronic records. Keep tabs on your customers’ needs – offer great styles based on previous ones they’ve had, having them leave your barbershop pleased and looking fresh.

Like most days, you’re busy tending to customers or cleaning clippers and you don’t have enough time to spend on the communication aspects of your barbershop. But the right barbershop management system can take the load off your hands. Send automatic appointment reminders or quick thank you messages to clients that came in for a service. When you’re low on time, this system will help you stay in touch with your customers.

Let your clients do the talking

There’s no one better than your customers when it comes to promoting your brand. They are your ambassadors, and they recommend your services, no charge. So let their voices be heard and help them reach out to others. Your barbershop is in good hands – your system will automatically send an email to customers, asking for feedback on a service they’ve just had. Share your latest positive feedback on Twitter and Facebook and show what customers think about your barbershop. Post pictures of your most recent fades and beard trims onto your social media feeds and show off your excellent services.

No mess behind the counter

When you’re rushing from one chair to the next and your razors are getting dull, nothing is more important than time. Checking out appointments, noting services provided, products sold and adding pictures onto the customer record – everything needs to be done lightning fast and problems should be avoided. That’s why a reliable system should be in charge of all of the behind-the-scenes activities, such as calculating daily revenue and tracking employee sales, provided services and sold products. Everything you need is fast and easy to check, verify, and correct at the end of the day, all under one roof.

Versum is ideal for your barbershop, allowing for fast and easy calculations, effective marketing campaigns, automatic communication, organized customer feedback, an elaborate loyalty program, well-developed inventory management, as well as reports and statistics.

This virtual employee is essential for the modern-day barber.

See what Versum has to offer you: www.versum.com

Artisan Leather Aprons for Barbers.

Handcrafted in the UK.

Your Apron for a Lifetime!

Are you looking to give your business an edge over your competitors?

Here’s an opportunity I’m convinced your customers will appreciate.

It’s a range of hand-crafted multi-purpose Leather aprons unlike any others you will have seen.

Stylish, comfortable and ready for action!

We carefully select the hides to ensure your apron looks good, year after year of wear.

Weighing just 700 grams they’re also light and flexible, and finished with a coating which makes them suitable for daily use.

As you are probably new to this product, we’ve put down some key benefits of owning one of our aprons, which are sure to make you consider investing in our durable leather aprons:

•    This is a short term investment that will save you serious money in the longterm

•    This is a onetime purchase that will last a lifetime

•    Just one apron per staff member

•    Protective coating against stains

•    Easy to clean with a damp cloth

•    No washing costs

•    Very flexible ensuring it is comfortable to wear

•    Standard apron weighs just 700 gr

•    Looks better wear after wear

•    The leather will mould to the shape of your body

www.artisan-aprons.co.uk

Salon Services is excited to announce the launch of Basin St professional barber supplies in selected trade stores across the UK, giving trade customers access to acclaimed barbering brands.

Basin St brings you the best in barbering, with a selection of the finest professional barbering products from leading brands including American Crew, Bluebeard’s Revenge, Glam Tech and WAHL, to name a few.

Products range from quality trimmers, razors, shaving bowls and brushes to BBA acclaimed pomades and soaps.

The range is available online or over the phone for delivery to your barbershop or click & collect to a Salon Services store near you.

Warren Scarr, Managing Director, Salon Services UK & Ireland said: “We’re so pleased to be able to offer our customers these market-leading barbering ranges – a fantastic addition to our extensive product offering”

In order to access Sally Salon Services’ unrivalled product collection, professionals simply need to sign-up for a trade card, which they can do in-store, allowing them to walk away with great products at fantastic prices that very same day.

With Valentine’s on the horizon, men all over the world will be preparing for a day of wining, dining and dates. Whether you’re a sharp dressed dapper chap, a clean shaven fellow or a rugged guy with tussled hair and a full bushy beard, grooming is essential no matter what. Win their heart by putting in the effort. Pall Mall Barbers’ Master Barber, Erin Wentworth, has shared her top tips to help you through unscathed. She’s also handpicked the products you’ll need or might want to receive as a gift, so start hinting now.

Pall Mall Barbers Fitzrovia Safety Razor Steamed Ash Shaving Set
If there’s one day when grooming should be your number one priority, Valentine’s is it! Your date will expect you to make an effort, and a clean shave is ideal. What better way to do this than with this beautifully designed classic shaving set? The opulently detailed, Fitzrovia Safety Razor Shaving Set, gives you a little snippet of Pall Mall Barbers London in the comfort of your own home with its chrome plated stand, handmade badger bristle shaving brush and fine steamed ash covering. The safety razor is a professional inspired tool made easy for home use, to help you along the way to a professional-esque shave.

RRP £127.00

Erin’s top tip: ‘Use the Pall Mall Barbers Sandalwood and Clove Shave Oil prior to shaving. This creates a barrier between your skin and the blade to prevent any nicks to the skin.’

Pall Mall Barbers Sandalwood and Clove Beard Oil
Beards are still very much in vogue so you might not want to shave it off in haste. Keep your beard super soft and remove the inevitability of beard rash from your other half with the luxuriously lavish Pall Mall Barbers Beard Oil. Formulated with three different oils; sweet almond, jojoba and vitamin E, it leaves both your beard and skin soft for a protected, moisturised and smooth finish.

RRP £27.00

Erin’s top tip: ‘Make sure you’re applying beard oil to a clean beard to increase absorption. Any excess can be slicked across brows to keep them in place too.’

Pall Mall Barbers Sandalwood & Clove Cologne
The Pall Mall Barbers classic signature cologne is specially designed for men. It’s the perfect finishing touch for the skin after grooming, and perfect for both a day and evening date. A subtle hit of spicy cloves and rose, is combined with lively, woody hints of cardamom and almond. This clean, energising scent is further enriched with sandalwood tones, and base notes of sweet vanilla and tobacco. It is perfect for keeping skin fragranced all day long. Top Notes: Lemon, Black Pepper, Cardamom. Mid Notes: Lavender, Rose, Clove, Almond. Base Notes: Sandalwood, Tobacco, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Musk, Amber.

RRP £40.00
Erin’s top tip: ‘Be sure not to rub the skin after you spray or dab on your cologne. This is said to alter the scent and the Pall Mall Barbers Sandalwood and Clove Cologne is too good to be altered.’
Pall Mall Barbers shops are located in Trafalgar Square, Fitzrovia, Westminster and Bishopsgate
For wholesale enquiries, please call 020 7387 8887 www.pallmallbarbers.com

The 5 Star Traditional Shaving Range has been specifically designed to add luxury to your wet shave service. Featuring 10 products across the range, Wahl combines the spirit of the traditional barbershop experience with a modern approach to style and ingredients.

Wahl’s rich heritage for providing the finest barbering tools is evident in this new range as we have sourced only the finest ingredients for the wet goods. Our brushes and shaving tools are traditionally hand-made from premium materials to ensure the best results for you and your customers.

TBC // www.wahl.co.uk

Uppercut Deluxe has launched the Barbers Collection, a range of high quality professional-use products available exclusively to Uppercut Deluxe’s network of barbers.

The new collection’s purpose is simple: to make day-to-day operation easier in the barbershop and create greater value for barbers. By doing so, Uppercut Deluxe aims to enhance customers’ satisfaction and retention by taking them on an unforgettable journey.

The collection includes three hair styling products; Deluxe Pomade, Featherweight and the newly released Matt Pomade. This time however, the water soluble based products are available in barber sized tins of 300 grams. This will ensure better value for money and increased convenience for Barbers, inevitably leading to less repeat orders.

A unique feature of the Barbers Collection is the Barber Scrub, a true game changer within the barbering industry that no other male grooming brand offers. This innovative product packaged in a 1L bottle is designed specifically to assist barbers with the removal of any day to day styling products.
The scrub’s natural agri-shell exfoliator dissolves layers of styling products left on barber’s hands and makes washing simpler and more efficient.

The shampoo and conditioner are another essential part of the professional collection by Uppercut Deluxe. Gentle enough to be used daily on all hair types, but strong enough to remove product build up with no fuss, the shampoo moisturises and reduces oiliness with anti-irritant complex of Liquorice and Camomile, as well as Panthenol. The conditioner compliments the shampoo flawlessly making the collection perfect for every tape of hair.

Alice Porritt, Trade Marketing Manager at Uppercut UK, said: “We’re really excited about our new Barbers Collection at Uppercut Deluxe. It’s an opportunity for us to work with our network of Uppercut Deluxe professionals, ensuring they are offering their customers the best service possible, while also ensuring it is of benefit to them and their business.

For more information, visit: http://www.uppercutdeluxe.com/uk