Coaching on platforms and in salons across America, one of the things I hear barbers stress about most is time management, but more specifically, service time management. The worry comes with good reason too: how can one manage to host the same service time when you're working with different hair types and client needs? The answer: it takes practice and planning.

I was recently coaching a group of newly enrolled barbering students in a successful school/salon in Manhattan. While I was demonstrating strategic fading techniques and time management strategies, I could see the amazed looks in the student's eyes when they saw the 5 minutes of actual work it took me to complete one side of the haircut versus the 15 minutes it took to provide the lecture. For them, the lecture was the meat of the course but them physically seeing the time it took sparked a sense of curiosity that I always look for in eager students. Every one of them wanted to know, "How can I do that?"

The key here is to focus on the ultimate goal, which is time management. Here are five ways to master this crucial skill.

1. Preparation. Prepare yourself as much as you can for the services that are scheduled for the day. Preparing prior to your service can be the calming component to any upcoming task, situation, etc. Preparation is not limited to only services but to the essentials needed to help you manage those services. Things like having combs ready, towels warm, stocked, and in place, areas clean & sanitized, arriving 15-30 minutes prior to starting your day, and monitoring your scheduled day all play a major key in taking control in your time management. Another factor is knowing how your tools function, where they're stationed, and knowing how quickly and efficiently you can clean and sanitize them in preparations for the next client.
2. Consider the cost. What does/will it cost you "in time" to provide and prepare for a service and how can you most capitalize? Sure, you want to implement the cost of the service, but what will you (or could you) be missing for not preparing your time as effectively as possible? If the tools you need are not in stock, the product you need is not available, or the service you provided is limited due to the equipment you did not have readily accessible or available, then you could be losing a considerable amount or even an existing client or new client.
3. Muscle memory. There is a great advantage to repetition. Learning and understanding the who, what, when, where, how and why of operation should always be on your mind. Writing down the different timeframes in the mix of each service will help you build up in memory of how much time a particular service will take. One way to do this is to write down the exact amount of time before, during & in between, each task takes then make a "cheat sheet" of how to execute those task with different hair types. Studying these repeatedly will help you to build the muscle memory you will need to complete these services quicker.
4. Look at the clock. The clock is one of your best friends! There's absolutely nothing wrong with continually looking at the clock and telling yourself, "You have 5 minutes to complete this; you have 10 minutes to complete that" etc. This habit will help you to control and manipulate your subconscious mind to train your hands & learn new ways to create a final result for your client in a timely manner. 
5. Less pause. More work. Stopping during services to talk or making too many "tool" stops during the service can be a major factor in messing up your time. Learning to be as efficient, smooth, and consistent as possible is one part of the task but the other is to make sure that you're pausing only when needed. Learn when it's a good time to have your client eye-to-eye engaged in conversation versus the best time to turn them away and just listen. Take the time to listen, pause, and move when necessary and you'll be closer to you managing your time sooner than you think.

These five steps to better service time management can hopefully help you with your day-to-day goals and agendas. If you want a crash course in mastering these steps, take an online class that focuses on time management. Coupled with these tips, you'll be all set. Good Luck! 

Photo: Veles Studio