Marketing

#1.

Have you ever wonder what it is like to be the owner of a barbershop? Well Horace Jackson, owner and operator of The Family Barbershop, is the one you should learn from. Not only do you get to work for yourself in this recession-resistant growth industry, you get to revive an American tradition while serving upscale clientele with your staff of professionally-trained employees, all with the support of the latest technology, proven operating philosophy, and an experienced management team at your disposal. In a two-hour interview, Mr. Jackson was asked a series of questions pertaining to his work atmosphere, personal goals, and personal thoughts about his establishment. This report will illustrate the necessities of running an established business.

When asked, “What, in your own opinion, would make another successful in this position?” he said, “You need a lot of people skills.” He believes in order to run a barbershop; you need to be able to meet the needs of the customer. If the customer is not satisfied, you will lose their business. You must be patient. If not, the customer will not return for more service. It’s all about keeping the customer satisfied. This led him to the topic of supply and demand. Most of his profit is dependent on what the customer wants. For example, if the customers come in and want to purchase a bottle of water, you have to provide the water at their convenience. This will keep the customer satisfied and ensure their return for more business. Sometimes business gets slow. He feels the need to bring in more customers. To achieve this goal, he offers various incentives such as discounts. The discounts allow more people to come in and experience his quality and make them return. He also gets more customers because of customer referrals. This means if one customer is satisfied, he will tell others about his experience and the quality. This makes people want to go and receive the same quality.

Mr. Jackson is also very business-oriented. He believes if he can give his clients the appearance they are looking for, he has done his job. This brought us to the topic of competition. I asked him what separated him from his competition. What makes him better? He told me there is nothing that makes him better than his competition. This grabbed my attention. “Then what makes your customers come to you rather than go to the competition?” “My customers are always satisfied. A client came in and asked for a specific haircut. When I was finished, he got up and looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. He told me that he’s been to numerous barbershops and none of them ever gave him the haircut HE wanted. They gave him the appearance THEY thought they should give him. He appreciated this. That, I guess, is what sets me apart from my competition. I satisfy the customer. They come first whether I approve of what they request or not.” This made me wonder. I asked, “Since you say there is nothing that makes you better than your competition, what advantages do your competition has over you?” He thought for a long while. “I would have to say technology. In the world we live in, you can’t go anywhere without seeing a computer or some sort of high-tech gadget. They have the computers and the Internet. They also have other accessories. Things such as fancy TVs and video games for entertainment.” This raised curiosity so I asked him how he plans on catching up with his competition. He told me he already had the television set and the stereo system for entertainment, but he plans on adding a study center complete with computers, Internet, and tutors. He feels since most of his customers are students; they should have somewhere to complete their schoolwork and to receive help. This satisfied me.

#2.

Overall, I feel he understands how he intends on growing (business-wise). Mr. Jackson stated that in the future he plans to knock down some walls to add more barber chairs to hire future barbers. This will allow more gross income. He understands what he is doing and the necessary steps to achieve his goals. I feel since he does have the knowledge and understanding of running a successful establishment, he should teach others his techniques. I believe that Mr. Jackson showed some strength and weaknesses. He also showed some awareness of his product and services, convincing of his value to his customer by advocating his supply and demands which he listen and gives his customer what they asked for. I believe Mr. Jackson showed how well he could identify his customers’ wants and needs and also showed what must be done to satisfy these wants and needs. He showed the 4 P’s (product, price, promotion and place). His product included quality men’s haircuts, hair dye, and shaving. The price of his product and service influences his customers to come back. Mr. Jackson also promotes his business by advertising with T-shirts and radio ads. His mission statement is �The Family Barber Shop a place with a family atmosphere and a friendly service.’

#3.

I have learned to have patience. I interviewed Mr. Jackson at his barbershop and he deals with much diversity of people from young to old including babies. To have a successful business you have to communicate with your clients and provide them with what they ask for (supply and demand). Also making yourself accessible or effectively communicating brings value to the clients, one can do so by posting hours of operation and prices for haircuts on the internet or voicemails. Demonstrating values can retain your clients. Example, Mr. Jackson last words was that the Family Barbershop is a place with a family atmosphere and a friendly service. I was willing to change services and allow Mr. Jackson to cut my son’s hair. The five P’s (purpose, planning, performance, process and preparation) is needed to maintain a successful business.

#4.

I was already disappointed before the interview. My first plan was to interview an Internet Marketer who bailed out on me. Before the interview, I thought it would be boring to interview Mr. Jackson. He received a two rating because of his demeanor. I did not think he new much about marketing a small business but I changed my opinion after the interview. You should never judge a book by its cover. To my surprise I have learned so much about a small business so I rated Mr. Jackson with a four. He really loves helping customers. He showed me a picture of his the place. It was an old torn down restaurant before he built his barbershop and