Boost: Helping a Neighborhood Barbershop Stay in Business

About three years ago, Antiwan “Tiwan” Jude had come into his own. His shop was a pillar in the community, he was offering jobs to local residents, and people in the neighborhood respected his brand—things couldn’t have been better. But when COVID-19 struck, it was time to make changes to stay afloat. And that’s when Antiwan activated Boost to save his business. 

For those who haven’t heard of Boost, it’s our premiere marketing tool that’s designed to deliver new clients to Booksy business owners. For every new customer a Booksy provider gets from Boost, we collect a percentage from the first service of that new customer. Then after that, 100% of the profits go directly to the business owner.

Spend the next few minutes learning from this dedicated Booksy provider who activated Boost to keep his business alive. Read about how Boost brought Antiwan hundreds of new clients and helped him earn over $14,000 in profits, during the toughest time in his professional career. And find out the Booksy tools that he used along with Boost to take things to the next level.

How One Shop Owner Used Boost 

Although Antiwan is only in his late thirties, he considers himself an old school barber. Before he activated Booksy, Antiwan was using pen and paper to schedule appointments, in addition to welcoming walk-ins with open arms. That approach had worked just fine for him since 2008, when Antiwan first opened Motown Cutz, which he describes as a “family-friendly shop.”

Since first opening Motown Cutz, Antiwan always wanted to be a positive example for the youths living in the Taylor, Michigan area, which is just 13 miles away from Detroit. But when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Antiwan didn’t know where to turn. Things were looking bleak for his business, so Antiwan took advantage of Boost, when he needed it the most.

“Once the pandemic started, we had to find a different way to keep people out but still bring people in and make them feel safe,” said Antiwan. “So, I went online and subscribed to the Booksy app. Immediately, I started seeing new customers, and it wasn't hard for my old customers to jump onto the Booksy app at all. Now, they love our business even more.”

Antiwan first started using Boost in May 2020, around the same time that he first activated Booksy. At this stage in his career, Antiwan has earned exactly $14,893 in profits through Boost. And with regards to the number of appointments that he’s booked through Boost, Antiwan has completed 716 different sessions. 

“It’s been a life changer, and yes, there's a small charge for first-time clients. But that's no problem at all, because after the first cut—it's almost guaranteed that they’ll come back. In my shop we say, ‘At first you’re a customer. Then you're family.’ That's what we tell our new customers. And that’s what Boost helped us establish, ” he said. 

Mastering Boost and Booksy Features

When it comes to the subject of Booksy software tools that can help a small business attract more clients and earn more income, there’s a number of features designed to help providers. Boost works in conjunction with all of those features, which Antiwan learned from first-hand experience. 

“After you activate Boost, you’ve got to use the Message Blasts, the Social Post Creator, and then run the Promotions. Once you download Booksy and activate Boost—that’s a must. That'll take you to the next level,” Antiwan said, before offering specific tips on using those features:

Workplace Pictures and Portfolio Photos

Upload quality pictures of your work and your shop, even before activating Boost. That’ll help establish your business on Booksy. Plus, it will help clients understand your vibe, while showcasing your versatility. High quality pictures are a great way to attract new clients. 

Photos on your profile are oftentimes the first thing that clients notice about your brand. So, make sure each picture counts! If you’re new to Booksy, follow the steps in the Profile Completeness process, which offers suggestions on uploading great images. 

Marketing Tools 

While using Boost, it’s also important to take advantage of the following Marketing tools: Flash Sales, Happy Hours, and Last Minute Discounts. Use these Marketing tools to entice customers to book appointments on the spot. Major companies promote discounts all the time to bring in new business or encourage more sales during slow periods. So, you should do the same.

Take advantage of the Marketing tools by running a discount spontaneously for a short period of time. Or create and advertise a deal during a holiday, such as a back to school haircut special. Either way, use the Marketing tools in combination with Boost to earn more bookings. 

Social Post Creator

The Social Post Creator is another great tool to use in conjunction with Boost. And that’s because while Boost attracts new customers, the Social Post Creator will help you market your business and communicate important information to those newcomers. 

Use the Social Post Creator to share details about your work by publishing a digital flyer that expresses the feel and vibe of your brand. Create high quality ads and publish these online flyers on Instagram or Facebook. Provide valuable information regarding changes to your hours or location for new customers, who will appreciate your efforts.

Message Blasts

Message Blasts are another great tool if you’re ready to keep in touch with your clientele and establish brand loyalty. Using Message Blasts is simple. This feature lets you message new clients or loyal customers all at once. Send them all a bulk message in just a few clicks to make communicating with your clients easier than ever before.

Better promote your services by making use of this valuable tool. Make sure new clients return to your chair by keeping them up to date on the exciting things you’re doing inside the shop. Inform them when you have special offers. Let them know if your hours are going to change. And help them stay in the know as your business grows.

First Time a Customer, Second Time Family

A number of factors contributed to the success that Antiwan experienced with Boost. One key reason is that providers who activate Boost appear higher in the Booksy search engine. That means whenever a customer logs into the app to look for a new barbershop in their area, that same client will see Antiwan at the top of the list of Booksy providers within the customer app, because Antiwan activated Boost.

Another key factor that helped Antiwan achieve so much success is that Boost helped with cross-booking and cross-selling. These two powerful sales techniques help businesses entice customers to buy more services or purchase high priced items to generate more revenue. For Antiwan, that meant his new clients from Boost also booked braiding services and nail treatments with his staffers. Or those new customers from Boost booked nail or braiding services for family and friends.

Boost also helped Antiwan modernize his shop by encouraging more bookings from online scheduling than he originally expected. Even though Antiwan without a doubt needed the scheduling features and uptick in business during the pandemic, new clients from Boost appreciated the ease of booking appointments so much that they kept rescheduling.

Now that business is back on track for Antiwan, he can focus his little spare time on the things that matter most. For him, that means planning a charity event for children who will be starting school soon. At the community event, he plans to give away 100 book bags filled with school supplies, so that the next generation is prepared to give back to their neighborhood the same way he does.

“Barbeing is more than a job, it's a lifestyle. Working with everybody in the community for so long means these people are my family. I've seen so many of my customers grow up and start having kids. And now their children are sitting in my chair. So, when I say it’s a family shop, I mean it. People come in all the time, just to sit around and talk, because we've known each other for so many years, and I love that,” said Antiwan.