Plan a barbershop opening before signing a lease

Touring a promising space is easy. Knowing whether it can support your service menu, your budget, and your opening schedule takes a different kind of visit. Bring this decision sheet to a second tour.

By KAVOVI Helps

Start with the work you will do there

List the services you plan to offer, the number of stations you need on opening day, and how clients and staff will move through the space. Mark where equipment, cleaning supplies, waiting clients, and storage would go. Take measurements and photos with permission. Give the same description of the proposed use to the property owner and the relevant local authority.

Separate opening costs from monthly costs

Make two lists. The opening list includes deposit, buildout, equipment, signage, and supplies. The monthly list includes occupancy, utilities, insurance, software, and staffing. Put an actual quote or a question beside each unknown. Compare total exposure and the timeline for paying it before ranking spaces by advertised rent.

Put an owner next to each dependency

Ask who can verify permitted use, plumbing or building work, and the shop licensing or inspection process. Record the contact, date, written answer, and what is still outstanding. Ask a qualified adviser to review the lease and responsibility for improvements before you commit.

Choose a decision before choosing a date

Use one row per site. Write what is confirmed, what could make the space unworkable, and what you need to find out next. If a required answer is missing, the next action is to get it. Work back from the likely sequence of approvals, work, and setup before committing to an opening date.

Where to verify details

Use the current authority for your location and services. This worksheet helps organize questions for those conversations.

Put the plan to work.

Bring the questions and options you’ve written down to the next step.

See the sample opening plan

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