In the age of globalization, it appears every facet of the business community is being digitized. Usually, in the barbering industry, if one wanted a haircut, he or she simply walks to a barbering salon for grooming. However, entrepreneurs in this sector are changing their business methods to meet current market trends.
If by simply pressing a button one could have groceries delivered to their doorstep, it is also possible for one to either request for a barber or to schedule a date with one without necessarily going to the saloon to queue for their turn.
The men’s grooming industry, it must be stated for clarity, is not only about having a clean shave. It also involves lifestyle practices and goods on styling. It is a comprehensive sector but has traditionally been focused on haircuts.
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Darius Davie, a barber from New York, is bringing something different to the industry. A barber-stylist since 2016, Davie is the founder of Groom Guy, which focuses on general men’s lifestyle practices and supply goods through content creation and onsite styling services, according to mogulmillennial. Groom Guy is an online marketplace where Davie Davie covers issues such as body care, hair business and professional tips.
Davie said he was inspired to start his marketplace after realizing the gap in the grooming industry regarding the limited knowledge of men’s styling products. According to mogulmillennial, the entrepreneur is also working with Facebook to create an online place to provide solutions for issues relating to men’s grooming.
On why he choose an online market place, Davie explained that “[it] is a suitable format because you’ll prioritize nurturing a good network of branded relationships. It also reduces any chance of large overhead costs compared to managing your own line of products, where you’ll also be in charge of manufacturing.”
Davie is aiming at having a fully functioning experience integrating barber culture and selling men’s lifestyle. Groom Guy is currently opened to brands who want to integrate into the Groom Guy network, said Davie, adding that his team is at the moment reviewing some 20 U.S. based brands that seek to be integrated.
Sharing his thoughts on some of the issues he has learned since creating his online marketplace, Davie said it is worth having skills in retail management, supply chain, and digital content creation. He also talked about having a detailed team who are proficient in numbers and bookkeeping as the business grows.
He also urged prospective entrepreneurs who want to follow in his footsteps to make sure that all their paper works are sorted out, including business registration, domain name and site management tools.
This January, it was reported that Davie had shifted his platform Groom Guy to a mobile barber service and begun cutting hair on the go.
“So, we started to take more of a concentration on the needs of people on the mobile end,” he told WJLA. “So, people were comfortable, just like they have door dash coming in, they can now have their own personal barber in their home or in their office or in their co-working space and provide what they need which is a fresh haircut.”
