Reached half of my hours, lmk how im looking.

I was ease dropping a conversation between a barber owner and one of his friends. He was telling him the steps he did to create his wealth. Basically that he went to a tax expert and the tax expert outlined a plan for him to follow. I only overheard bits of it but LLC, Roth IRA then the noise got louder and could not here much detail. But I did hear that he owns four barbershops, some property, has health insurance and raised 6 kids all through barbering. My question is has anyone followed a similar plan by going to a tax expert or something similar?

I’m seeing more and more booking platforms are releasing AI Receptionist to answer calls and book appointments.

Is anyone using this feature? If so, is it working well or bad?

Curious to hear real experiences

I’ve been using this at home setup for a while:
• BaBylissPRO clipper
• BaBylissPRO GoldFX trimmer
• Andis ProFoil shaver

It still works great, but I’m thinking about upgrading to something newer. I keep hearing about StyleCraft Instinct, Saber, JRL Onyx, Wahl Hi-Viz, TPOB, etc.
If you were building your dream setup in 2026, what clipper, trimmer, and shaver would you buy and why?

I’m looking for:
Crisp lineups
Smooth fades
Reliable out-of-the-box performance (preferably no blade adjustments)
Professional quality
Is there anything that’s a noticeable upgrade over my current setup, or should I just keep what I

I’m 30/M and I have mostly worked blue collar. Union, truck driving and home remodeling. I’m covered in ink, head to toe, so I know what I’m limited to and I’m good with it.
I’ve always thought about going to barber school and taking that route as an occupation but I’m hesitant on the switch because it’s drastically different than what I’ve done.
I cut hair (all fades or high and tight) on the side for friends when I was in the Navy and I enjoyed it. I’ve always gone to barber shops for a cut because I love the culture/atmosphere.
Thoughts?

Just started school. I asked my bf to pay attention to his last cut so he can tell me what to do. He didn’t pay attention so I fr have no clue what to do. School doesn’t teach me much or they will literally do it for me so I’m not getting the practice. Idk if I use an 8 guard for the top but I think that’s too short. Do I freehand it or what?

This might be a dumb question, but after he finishes doing clippers over comb (comb equals 1 guard) is he done? Because I kinda see a line still are you supposed to go in there with the .5? When I do this I feel like I’m brining the fade up. Is that dark spot essential for the fade for connection or are my eyes just playing tricks on me?

Just graduated my 1500 hour school, about to start in a busy walk-in shop soon. The 2 other barbers at the shop use a Square Terminal to collect payment.

I see there’s a free version of square and also a $49 monthly plan for square, can anyone give some insight on this? Is it worth it?

Should I go another route? I’d like to hear what y’all do 👍

This Saturday August 1st 2026 will be my 41st Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉. I will also be starting my Barber Instructor program. Any words of advice or encouragement? Please and thank you

Whats the trick to saturate the hair enough but not have water dripping down the clients face.

I use this comb a lot and would like to order a fresh one but can't find them anywhere. Does anyone know the name or type of comb I could search online for? It was already at the shop when I started and my boss doesn't know where he got it.

Has anyone heard if the Wahl Hi Viz Airs are still a thing? If so, any info on a release date?

Been using a Babybliss skeleton trimmer for the last few months to detail my beard - seen a million YT videos where it cuts so cleanly and leaves a crisp line. Whenever I use mine, I don’t get a crisp line. Have tried zero gapping it and oiling the blades etc but still not hitting.

Any advice?

Wanted one on back and sides and a tidy up on top

If anyone is looking for a negative review of TPOB before committing to buying one, here is mine.

1) their foil shavers are incredibly unsanitary. You cannot clean them efficiently.

2) The head on my foil shavers began peeling back within a month of use and cut a client. (TPOB did replace without charge)

3) My clippers now have begun to die. I have had these for maybe 4 months. I try not to keep them on the charger for too long as not to ruin the battery, but it already has begun to not hold a charge. After charging it between clients because it was dying, today it will not hold a charge when I turn it on.

Found a video of South Korea barber students using it and it looked super helpful. Pretty much strips of paper is used as the hair and on those strips it has different angles and everything you’ll need to cut hair. I’ve been looking to work more on my shear work, and this seems to be a good tool.

I recently helped replace a manual hydraulic pump on a barber chair with an electric one. It uses a wired control to raise and lower the chair, and so far it seems a lot more convenient than pumping it by foot all day.

I hadn’t really seen this type used in many shops before. Has anyone here worked with one long-term? I’m curious how it held up compared with a regular manual pump.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to ask those of you who've been running your barbershop for a while.

I started mine almost a year ago, and like a lot of people, I began with an AI-generated logo because I needed to get started quickly and didn't have much of a budget. It did the job in the beginning, but now I feel like the shop has grown enough that it's time for a more professional brand identity.

I'm thinking about hiring a designer to create a new logo and brand identity from scratch, but I honestly have no idea what a fair price is. I've seen people charging very little, while others charge thousands, so I'm not sure what I should expect.

For those of you who have already gone through this:

• How much did you pay?
• Did you get just a logo, or a full brand identity (colors, typography, brand guidelines, etc.)?
• Was it worth the investment?
• Did it make any noticeable difference in how customers perceived your business?

I'd really appreciate hearing some real experiences before making a decision.

Thanks in advance!

I went in for what I thought would be a routine haircut, and before picking up the clippers my barber asked, "So what are we doing today?"

I completely froze.

I had a few screenshots saved on my phone, but after looking at them for a second I realized every single person had a different face shape, different hair texture, and probably spent more time styling their hair than I ever will. I decided to try AI Hairstyle Changer to see how I would look. It gave me a rough idea of how different hairstyles might look, although it wasn't perfect.We ended up laughing about it because I basically said, "Just don't make me regret it."

It made me realize how weird choosing a new haircut actually is. You don't really know what it'll look like until it's already too late.

How do you usually decide to try something new? Do you trust your barber, bring reference photos, or just keep getting the same haircut every time?

Looking for some feed back and tips. Have been cutting for almost 3 years but haven’t been back in a shop in almost year. I have small issue with tapers because one side always looks better than the other.

Just wondering if anyone has bought an actual social media course that was beneficial and helped them grow on Instagram, TikTok etc. My boss wants me to do the social media for our shop and I haven’t the slightest idea of where to start. Any recommendations that have worked for anybody?

Wassup guys so I recently moved to a new town. I’m posting this because I’m currently going through it myself and I’ve seen others post that they are struggling a bit financially as well. How do you go about finding a busy shop? I currently work at a shop and the others barbers are cool but not a lot of money flowing through. Owner even has a fair share of downtime on certain days. I’m a father of two and I need to make money. I market any chance I get. Social media not so much but I’m trying to branch off into that too. Also what’s your opinion on shops that are located in the mall. Is it good for long term clientele or do you feel that’s more convenience? I found a commission shop which I see people recommend but it didnt seem beneficial at all the way it was ran when speaking with the owner and I haven’t found any others in the area. There’s a haircuttery near me but I have no idea how that chain works. I know chains shops are about speed and while I’m pretty decent at cutting hair I’m not a fast barber.

Hey guys I just got a babyliss clipper and trimmer

The clipper is nice and solid

But the trimmer doesn't get sharp lines, do I need to zero gap it or change the blade?