Since we were just talking about owning a successful business, I figured I’d follow up last month’s post with something related… navigating business and personal relationships.
Business is Business, Personal is Personal
I really had to learn how to definitely make a distinctive line between my business and personal relationships. We can be real cool. We can hang out. We can become friends. But when you come in for a cut? Well, we have to be clear that this is not a chill session. This is not hanging out. This is a business. And people will try it, too. Like, let’s say you’ve been to my house, me and you have shared a meal or whatever. We’re cool, right? Well, at the salon, there’s a strict “No Food” policy. Now, somebody might think because “we’re cool” they can come into the salon eating… um. No. They might even plead, like “Come on, Koko. I was hungry.” Guess what? Nope. Because then someone comes in and sees my friend eating, so they think it’s okay to bring food., when it isn’t. Making it clear that our friendship is our friendship, but my business is my business has been a lesson for both me and my friends. It’s all love, but it’s more about respecting professional boundaries.
This Ain’t a Hobby
Some people say that you shouldn’t work for or with friends and family at all, forget having boundaries. I’m not that extreme at all. You should be able to have friends and family members as clients, and they should be excited to support your work. They should actually be the first ones you work with because they’re the ones who’ve watched you grow, from three to thirty years old, seeing you find your way and follow your dreams. Friends and family should believe in you. They should support your business.
Being a barber is my career. It’s not a hobby. It’s not for practice.
However, it gets tricky when family and friends don’t see how much you’ve developed as a professional or don’t acknowledge how you’ve transitioned this thing you love into an actual career.
Being a barber is my career. It’s not a hobby. It’s not for practice. Being a barber is my artistry, my profession. As an artist, I give 100% to my clients, whether they’re a stranger who drove down from Gainesville or a friend who lives up the street, so it’s only right that those clients respect my professionalism and support the growth of my business.
It’s really easy to do:
Pay full price for services: Expecting and haggling for discounts can make things awkward and doesn’t help a business grow. Supporting a business by paying full price shows that you believe in the entrepreneur and want to see them succeed!
Leave reviews online about your experience: Taking the time to leave a review online helps propel word of mouth marketing (we talked about how important that is last month!) and even helps the business move up in search results.
Use Social Media Tags: When you post about important moments in your life on social media, tagging the business directly expands its reach. For example, something as simple as tagging me in an IG post of you looking fly after your Big Chop goes a long way in helping my business and brand grow.