StyleSeat Success Stories highlights StyleSeat Pros who are soaring in their careers. Each month, we feature top beauty, grooming, and wellness professionals and share what inspires them to grow their businesses and their secrets to success while using StyleSeat.
Meet Walter
Walter is a barber with five years of professional experience and the owner of Signature Cuts in Aurora, IL. Walter knew that he wanted to stand out. That’s why he decided to become a licensed cosmetologist.
“I wanted to be different, and I wanted to start cosmetology because I know there’s not many barbers that could do both. So to do both would just put you in your own category…. and the cosmetology part is what got me into hair cutting,” he says.
The previous owner of his barbershop space was a StyleSeat customer and they recommended Walter try out the platform. However, he didn’t think he had enough clients to use it at the time. He eventually signed up for StyleSeat in 2015 and has been successful ever since.
As a StyleSeat barber, Walter was able to grow his business and clientele. StyleSeat has driven him nine new clients within 30 days and helped him to earn 20 percent more on over 80 Smart Pricing appointments. As a result, he’s earned an extra $10,000 in 2021.
Walter has a signature grooming service called “The Works,” which keeps his clients coming back and the barber very busy. This service includes a shampoo, deep conditioning treatment, a gold or black face mask, peppermint and lavender-scented hot towels, and a hydro steam shave.
I value my clients time, and once you can control your time in this industry, then you can start enjoying life.
Walter of Signature Cutz
Walter has nailed down the marketing for his business. Not only is he using StyleSeat, but he has business cards that include a QR code that directs potential clients to his StyleSeat profile for a quick and easy booking experience. Walter also listed his barbershop as a Google My Business listing to acquire new clients.
StyleSeat keeps Walter very organized. The calendar feature allows him to see his appointments for the day and make any necessary adjustments. He prefers not to have his clients wait for him if he’s not ready for their appointments. “I can move clients around if I’m running behind. I can bump the appointment down 15 minutes, and they’ll get an alert that their appointment has been moved, so they’re not sitting in there waiting on me,” he explains. Walter also enjoys the messaging feature to quickly communicate with clients.
The Smart Pricing feature provides additional revenue for his popular time slots and helps him prioritize his clients who book those appointments. “The client’s time is valuable. I believe many people book with me because you can book a ten o’clock appointment with me on a Saturday morning and you’ll be out of there by 10:30. There are no barbershops that are doing that,” says Walter.
But one of the most valuable StyleSeat features, according to this professional, is the no-show protection. Since he has clients that find him from both StyleSeat and Google My Business, the no-show protection safeguards his time from clients that do not show up to their appointment.
You guys helped put me on the map, and my clients know that. Because they’re like, ‘Man, your app is crazy. If somebody cancels… I get out of work, and I’m trying to hurry up and click it, and then bam, it’s gone.’
Walter of Signature Cutz
Walter strongly urges StyleSeat Pros to take advantage of social media to promote their business and regularly share photos and videos of their work. “Put yourself on social media. It’s 2022. If you’re not on a social media platform, nobody will know who you are. You want everybody to see. That’s your stage,” he says.
The future looks bright for Walter. He plans to open two more barbershops and continue growing his businesses. We’re so happy that StyleSeat can assist with his professional growth and wish him the best with his endeavors.
Book an appointment with Walter on StyleSeat.
Keep up with Walter and follow him on Instagram.
Ready to create the business of your dreams?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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