Massive career change - becoming a barber
Discussion
Petrus1983 said:
Monkeylegend said:
As an aside remember you will be dealing with quite a number of the great unwashed, complete with dandruff and loads of grease 
Make sure you wash your hands before eating your lunchtime sandwich.
Nah - they're banned - they'll be a sign on the door Make sure you wash your hands before eating your lunchtime sandwich.
BoRED S2upid said:
Alickadoo said:
BoRED S2upid said:
Monkeylegend said:
Countdown said:
I shave my head so haven't needed a barber for 5-8 years 
However there are two local to me; one is an asian guy who started off charging £5 a cut until he'd built up a customer base and now charges £8, the other one is much more "trendy/fashionable" type place which charges £25.
I'd be surprised if the £8 guy is making less than £150 a day. There are always 4/5 people in his shop waiting for a cut.
At £150 a day with all his running costs he would find it very hard , if not impossible, to survive and make a decent living.However there are two local to me; one is an asian guy who started off charging £5 a cut until he'd built up a customer base and now charges £8, the other one is much more "trendy/fashionable" type place which charges £25.
I'd be surprised if the £8 guy is making less than £150 a day. There are always 4/5 people in his shop waiting for a cut.
t. That’s like £4000 a week £200,000 a year for what is probably a tiny shop a pair of scissors and a shaver! £150 x 6 = er £900. Have I not been paying attention - again?
The money part may not be relevant to the OP but it sounds like a tough way to make a living to me.
Steve H said:
At £8 a head he would need to do 3 every hour for the day to probably take a bit over £100 after costs, but before tax. That’s effectively £25k pa and never off your feet.
The money part may not be relevant to the OP but it sounds like a tough way to make a living to me.
Physically it can be if you're not suited to it. A lot suffer with back problems naturally RSI is quite widespread and CPS even more although more so in older members of staff. The girl who cuts my hair now complains of her back and her posture is awful (her words), she's late thirties I think and has been doing it since she was sixteen. It isn't working down an Edwardian coal mine but it takes it's toll.The money part may not be relevant to the OP but it sounds like a tough way to make a living to me.
Being on your feet isn't for everyone, it isn't like an enjoyable 7 mile hike every day. It's being on your feet in a hot, sweaty (all my salons were air conditioned but it really only fights against it once it gets busy with bodies and equipment) and congested environment. On a busy Saturday morning we could probably have five or six stylists, a couple of juniors and around ten customers in chairs and another few waiting.
I used to build in a 1200mm gap between sections but in reality that means four people within a few cubic metres of each other, all being blown around by hairdryers every ten minutes or so.
As for personal hygiene it's more usual to be the staff than the customers-working in close proximity with the general public and on top of each other in an enclosed shop does get to you. Stinky staff can be a nightmare especially when they're women and the subject is difficult to bring up let alone solve.
You do obviously get stinky customers as well though. My gaffs were always in the £30+ gents trim that included a cappuccino, two pre washes and a post wash menthol rinse to get rid of the hairs with a head massage by one of the juniors. Different business model.
It'd get rid of the dandruff and sweat, though not the psoriasis. That's a different beast and quite common. A sweet, rancid smelling condition that blocks up the teeth in your comb-babacide is your friend.
One thing that irrationally did my head in was your pockets filling with other peoples hair, it's like the coin pocket in jeans was specially made for it.
The general public are the general public though, we used to price out most of the bampots and luckily we were never targeted by our travelling friends who like to try and get out of paying.
We did every few years get the local "celebrity" family who tried the same who got short shrift.
An ex used to be the in girl at our cities most popular barbours and she used to get the utter dregs. Way too many stories to mention-I would never entertain that market but there was serious coin to be made if you were A/good and B/quick.
Speaking of which, as i've previously mentioned the money laundering I won't go into that again but ALL of the cheap and quick barbers I knew all fiddled the books for cash. ALL.
So to make good money you're going to need to do the same or be priced out of the local market.
You'd think it would be easy to spot for HMRC
the locally owned spots seem to take no cash and mostly card transactions and the "Turkish" lot seem to take no card payments and a st ton of cash! Go figure!There are far better ways to have a stress free life and earn a reasonable crust - if minimum wage fits that definition for you.
Personally, I deliver and collect cars. I get paid from when I clock on in the morning (either arriving at the depot or leaving home) until I clock off in the evening (again, either arriving back at the depot or arriving home). All of my expenses are paid using a company supplied card, so no using my own money and claiming it back. As I get paid for all downtime during the day, 220 hours / month is not an unreasonable expectation. This pays approx £2,900 before tax (because it's minimum wage you get holiday pay added to your hourly rate)
Personally, I deliver and collect cars. I get paid from when I clock on in the morning (either arriving at the depot or leaving home) until I clock off in the evening (again, either arriving back at the depot or arriving home). All of my expenses are paid using a company supplied card, so no using my own money and claiming it back. As I get paid for all downtime during the day, 220 hours / month is not an unreasonable expectation. This pays approx £2,900 before tax (because it's minimum wage you get holiday pay added to your hourly rate)
omniflow said:
There are far better ways to have a stress free life and earn a reasonable crust - if minimum wage fits that definition for you.
Personally, I deliver and collect cars. I get paid from when I clock on in the morning (either arriving at the depot or leaving home) until I clock off in the evening (again, either arriving back at the depot or arriving home). All of my expenses are paid using a company supplied card, so no using my own money and claiming it back. As I get paid for all downtime during the day, 220 hours / month is not an unreasonable expectation. This pays approx £2,900 before tax (because it's minimum wage you get holiday pay added to your hourly rate)
I know quite a few lads doing this, most are ex cops that just enjoy driving and getting out and about and meeting different people/going different places Personally, I deliver and collect cars. I get paid from when I clock on in the morning (either arriving at the depot or leaving home) until I clock off in the evening (again, either arriving back at the depot or arriving home). All of my expenses are paid using a company supplied card, so no using my own money and claiming it back. As I get paid for all downtime during the day, 220 hours / month is not an unreasonable expectation. This pays approx £2,900 before tax (because it's minimum wage you get holiday pay added to your hourly rate)
One lad I know works for a company specialising in medical repatriations of vehicles from across Europe back to the U.K.
It surprisingly more common than you’d think .. fly out to Spain and drive someone’s car/motorhome back
I do some myself but events/vip stuff mostly on an ad-hoc basis
omniflow said:
There are far better ways to have a stress free life and earn a reasonable crust - if minimum wage fits that definition for you.
Personally, I deliver and collect cars. I get paid from when I clock on in the morning (either arriving at the depot or leaving home) until I clock off in the evening (again, either arriving back at the depot or arriving home). All of my expenses are paid using a company supplied card, so no using my own money and claiming it back. As I get paid for all downtime during the day, 220 hours / month is not an unreasonable expectation. This pays approx £2,900 before tax (because it's minimum wage you get holiday pay added to your hourly rate)
Ironically I've done similar but a long time ago. The lack of human interaction would prevent it now though. And I've now paid for the course! Personally, I deliver and collect cars. I get paid from when I clock on in the morning (either arriving at the depot or leaving home) until I clock off in the evening (again, either arriving back at the depot or arriving home). All of my expenses are paid using a company supplied card, so no using my own money and claiming it back. As I get paid for all downtime during the day, 220 hours / month is not an unreasonable expectation. This pays approx £2,900 before tax (because it's minimum wage you get holiday pay added to your hourly rate)
PRO5T said:
Speaking of which, as i've previously mentioned the money laundering I won't go into that again but ALL of the cheap and quick barbers I knew all fiddled the books for cash. ALL.
!
Apologies for going O/T but whose money is being laundered?!
Are the barbers shops, car washes, nail salons etc OVER INFLATING their earnings (by pretending drugs money is legitimate trading income, processing it via their books, paying tax and NI on it and then passing it back to the criminals)?
if that's the case surely they wouldn't actually need or want actual paying customers? That would just be more money to launder, wouldn't it?
Let's say a carwash does 50 valets at £10 each, that's £3k a week, £150k a year. If they're fronting as a money laundering operation why bother with the carwash?
Countdown said:
Apologies for going O/T but whose money is being laundered?
Are the barbers shops, car washes, nail salons etc OVER INFLATING their earnings (by pretending drugs money is legitimate trading income, processing it via their books, paying tax and NI on it and then passing it back to the criminals)?
if that's the case surely they wouldn't actually need or want actual paying customers? That would just be more money to launder, wouldn't it?
Let's say a carwash does 50 valets at £10 each, that's £3k a week, £150k a year. If they're fronting as a money laundering operation why bother with the carwash?
PRO5T will know more - but Turkey is the 2nd largest heroin producer in the world. Now we've got Turkish barbers and car washes. Maybe they're linked??Are the barbers shops, car washes, nail salons etc OVER INFLATING their earnings (by pretending drugs money is legitimate trading income, processing it via their books, paying tax and NI on it and then passing it back to the criminals)?
if that's the case surely they wouldn't actually need or want actual paying customers? That would just be more money to launder, wouldn't it?
Let's say a carwash does 50 valets at £10 each, that's £3k a week, £150k a year. If they're fronting as a money laundering operation why bother with the carwash?
https://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/1.2_T...
ETA - the car wash isn't there to make money, it's there to 'clean' illegal money. They're not declaring £150k - they're declaring £1.5m.
Petrus1983 said:
PRO5T will know more - but Turkey is the 2nd largest heroin producer in the world. Now we've got Turkish barbers and car washes. Maybe they're linked??
https://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/1.2_T...
ETA - the car wash isn't there to make money, it's there to 'clean' illegal money. They're not declaring £150k - they're declaring £1.5m.
But why bother actually having 10 blokes running around washing cars or 2/3 blokes cutting hair all day? Why not open a bookies - surely that's a far easier way of taking in large amounts of cash?https://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/1.2_T...
ETA - the car wash isn't there to make money, it's there to 'clean' illegal money. They're not declaring £150k - they're declaring £1.5m.
I'm in a similar boat, the metaphorical one, and wouldn't suggest going back to a career you don't enjoy, life's too short.
But I'd suggest taking up golf or something. This sounds like a lot of hassle for something that could easily make a loss. Every other shop in our local town is a usually empty barber's run by people who only take cash, I suspect you're competing against lower prices with suspiciously low tax payments.
At the end of the day, there's little harm in trying it, other than losing what you're prepared to put into it, but you must have some better ideas for a business than this?
But I'd suggest taking up golf or something. This sounds like a lot of hassle for something that could easily make a loss. Every other shop in our local town is a usually empty barber's run by people who only take cash, I suspect you're competing against lower prices with suspiciously low tax payments.
At the end of the day, there's little harm in trying it, other than losing what you're prepared to put into it, but you must have some better ideas for a business than this?
Seems an ok career change to me, considering your past, current financial situ (i.e in a good place) and the fact you live in West Wales where there is little work anyway. My wife is from there, nearest town is Haverfordwest for her and I imagine a barbers would at least have a steady stream of customers & integrate you into the community.
I pay approx £8 for mine to be done with the mobile hair dresser who down my wife and kids at the same time. We're based near Cambridge though. The bill is £80 in total and we do it once a month.
I pay approx £8 for mine to be done with the mobile hair dresser who down my wife and kids at the same time. We're based near Cambridge though. The bill is £80 in total and we do it once a month.
Countdown said:
Petrus1983 said:
PRO5T will know more - but Turkey is the 2nd largest heroin producer in the world. Now we've got Turkish barbers and car washes. Maybe they're linked??
https://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/1.2_T...
ETA - the car wash isn't there to make money, it's there to 'clean' illegal money. They're not declaring £150k - they're declaring £1.5m.
But why bother actually having 10 blokes running around washing cars or 2/3 blokes cutting hair all day? Why not open a bookies - surely that's a far easier way of taking in large amounts of cash?https://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/1.2_T...
ETA - the car wash isn't there to make money, it's there to 'clean' illegal money. They're not declaring £150k - they're declaring £1.5m.
A bookies is regulated, a car wash isn't.
What you'll find is that the gang will likely have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies, a couple of car washes, a launderette, a couple of takeaways, a taxi firm, coffee shop...the list goes on.
Some will operate a franchise scheme where trusted members will run the official side of the business and keep some of the profits while washing an awful lot more for the gang.
It might seem easier to just create a shell company but a real trading business can show expenditure and will already have existing directors and shareholders that can carry the can for if or when it gets raided or shut down.
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