New Life for an old Barber

Life around the world has been a swift kick in the butt this year. So many changes have forced us to adopt a very different approach to daily life. So much of what was an absolute must, is now so unimportant. I own a barber shop in the downtown Kansas City. That was my dream and I had set high hopes for the future for this establishment. Then the world went crazy.

As many Americans my industry was deamed unessential. And soon found myself on the couch watching the news, not the type of thing I would ever be caught doing in the "normal" world. But this was not the normal world, that world may never return again. at least not exactly as we knew it. There my wife and I sat in wonder about so many things, especially our children's wellbeing. It was the uncertainty of the quarintine we found most upseting about the situation we had been forced into. How do we deal with not seeing an end. Being that we had stored away a little cash on the side, we were able to push through.

Six weeks later the decision was made to allow barber shops and salons to reopen. I was relieved, even with strict protocal in place I thought " people will be in serious need of a haircut." and that was the case at first but not for long. Soon afeter I had reopened the shop, people began to fill the streets with protest and riots to combat injustice. This was not good, people I knew all around me where taking sides. And if you did not agree with them they would never patron your establishment again. What is a small business owner to do? This how I feed my kids, Im no politician. Nor, do I have any solid anwsers. I felt this at the shop more than the pandemic. How do I make my clients feel safe from an unseen threat of Covid 19 and avoid political arguments in the shop at the same time. This would take a unique plan, maybe a new kind of barber company.

I was eating breakfast when the solution hit me like a lighting bolt," Uber for barbers". I will build an app to connect clients with barbers. These barbers will come into your home, office, hotel, gym, small business well you get the picture. What a surprise was I in for, this takes a whole new skill set that I am not experienced or training in at all. I will need to build a team, read plenty on the industry, attend meetings, learn how to market, learn social media, goole business, and so much more. How will I get this great idea off the ground and be in the shop at the same time. I will need to hire a barber to work the shop while i become a tech genius. I learned then what it was like to work from home, no fancy hip tech office, no meetings in a trendy coffee shops, only the screen of my Mac as I attended many zoom meetings. Most of those Zoom meetings left me confused and tired. But over time I built a strong tech team and legal team. I can mow focus on building the business side of my company. And the two year ld that wants to me tickled and hugged while begging to be outside in the yard. I would say that my children keep me grounded while working from home. Reminding me that through all the caos they motivate me. And most importantly that although my house is my office that my family will always make it my home. So while I sort out the repercussions of the quartile and find my place in this mixed up world my family is the anchor.

That barber company is CutterFleet.com