We recently connected with Kristen Edwards and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kristen , thanks for joining us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.
The most important thing to have as a business owner is courage. My spouse and I took a chance and purchased a tiny run down barber shop. In 2013. Through grit and determination within three years we were so busy it was time to expand. Once again we mustered up the courage and rented another suite in the same building. Essentially, we have a double decker barbershop! It was a crazy idea but we jumped in not having the slightest clue if customers would be receptive to it. The courage paid off. We have a thriving shop with 10 barbers and 2 floors! A few years later we were ready to expand again. We made plans to follow our dreams and open a location near Disney World in central Florida. COVID happened and instead of chickening out we pulled out our courage and opened in Davenport Florida. Business ownership is not without its challenges, but if you have courage you can be more excited about what can go right instead of what can go wrong.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I got into barbering when my kids were babies. I love working with my hands and have a creative spirit. Like many citizens of Clarksville TN my husband and I moved there because of the army. After the military my husband went to barber school and we purchased Holiday Barber Shop which has been in business since 1967! What sets our brand apart is we celebrate creativity and inclusivity, providing a safe space for our clients and barbers.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
As modern technology progresses I find that Google is the number one platform where clients find us. Instagram is also a valuable tool for barbers to showcase their work.
Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?
Our Florida location has a mini gift shop inside the barber shop. We call it A Couple of Weirdos Nerd Shop. It supplements our income and is really a fun extension of our personalities. You can get a haircut and shop for DnD dice, anime, cosplay, nerdy and metaphysical items.
Contact Info:
- Website: Holidaybarbershop.com
- Instagram: Holidaybarbershop
- Facebook: Holidaybarbershopfl