MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE | Pocketmags.com

COPIED
3 mins

MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE

Danny Abbott fell into the barbering industry by chance when he helped South London barbershop chain Porters with their photography, since then he’s gone on to manage shops and 7 months ago founded Common Space in Notting Hill, London. But how does he deal with not being a barber?

When Danny first got into the barbering industry it was purely by chance.Coming out of university with a degree in architecture Danny applied for 200+ jobs. “Whilst I was job hunting I did some freelance stuff – photography was my hobby and I went into a Porters barbershop which was close to where I was living,” he explains. “I got to know the Porters team and they took me under their wing. They gave me structure, but also guidance.”

The Porters team were looking to elevate their website and social experience so Danny stepped in to sort that out too.

“WITH MY EXPERIENCE BEING IN DIGITAL I KNOW THAT A GOOD EXPERIENCE STARTS WITH A STRONG WEBSITE AND SOCIAL PRESENCE, WHICH IN TURN CREATES A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.”

“I then progressed to managing the shop on the busiest days. Although I’m not a barber myself, there’s nothing like the hands-on experience of being in a barbershop day to day. It gave me a huge understanding, without the technical knowledge, of how to build a barber business.”

After picking up new skills Danny started realising that he loved the satisfaction of a customer-facing job. “I liked having a place of work and the experience of belonging. There’s nothing like barbershops left in this world.” Danny rightly points out that for many clients, they’re a safe space to chat away and switch off.

After his time at Porters he founded Off-Cut Barbers in Camberwell. “I had a great time at Off-Cut. Sure, there were some bumps in the road but it was satisfying to get through them. At Off-Cut Barbers we grew very quickly.” In fact, the barbershop now has three branches throughout South London.

Since leaving Off-Cut in 2020, Danny made the leap to launch his own shop – Common Space in Notting Hill. Now open for 7 months, in many ways Danny says he revisited what had been successful at Off-Cuts – for example the replication of systems and understanding what works for staff. “I took certain ingredients, but created a new recipe,” he comments.

Danny stresses that Common Space is a very different brand, but rooted in the same principles. It’s a space where clients come to relax and retreat from the world. “It’s a slow hair space for the busiest of schedules,” Danny states. “We have a huge demographic. We cater to everyone from the super wealthy to the not so wealthy. Our clients’ jobs range from high-end fashion to finance – but we’ve also got pilots, CEOs, accountants, lawyers, not to mention a lot of students. We wanted to create somewhere that caters for all types.”

When pressed about how it feels to be the director of a barbershop without knowing how to cut hair, Danny is diplomatic. “I can’t cut hair but I leave that to the experts! With my experience in digital I know that a good experience starts with a strong website and social presence, which in turn creates a sense of community.” Danny explains that there’s a lot of barbering websites that are overcomplicated and they make the booking experience more confusing than they need to be. “Integration with Google to show bookings and reviews are the single most important thing for a shop,” he adds. “I stress to my barbers to nudge their clients to leave them a review, it makes the world of difference.”

Danny also points out that as a client, not a barber, he’s well placed to know what makes a great client experience. “That’s such a fundamental thing for anyone in the service industry. We must not forget that the customers that come through our door pay for the shop, the overheads and our wages. Yes delivering a haircut is part and parcel of the service, but it’s also about the experience.” MB couldn’t agree more.

This article appears in January - March 2022

Go to Page View
This article appears in...
January - March 2022
Go to Page View
THE UN-STEREO TYPE
The image of the stereotypical barber is fast
REPORT
OSMO, WAHL, TONI&GUY AND MORE
THE BIG BRIGHTON BARBERING DAY OUT
The Modern Barber Awards and BARBERFEST have been announced for 2022! This year everything is happening on one unmissable day on Sunday 10 July. Brighton, get ready for us…
BARBERFEST IS BACK!
Returning for the second year, BARBERFEST is back
THE LION PRIDE
Founder of the Lions Barber Collective, Tom Chapman, tells MB how the charity is continuing paving the way for mental health awareness
CG BARBERSHOP, DUBAI
CG Barbershop’s attention to detail and prime location has built a client base of loyal VIPs and celebrities
GEAR
Clippers, dryers, shampoos – kick off your year with an all-new kitbag
PORTFOLIO
SIX STUNNING COLLECTIONS THAT SHOW THE TALENT IN OUR INDUSTRY
GET THE LOOK
Jonathan Fisher of Palmer Fisher London shares how to recreate this cool fade with V-detailing
HOW DO I BUILD A CLIENT BASE IN A NEW TOWN?
If you move to a new barbershop, how can you go about building your client base? An industry expert shares their advice
STRAIGHT TALKING
We all know communication is key for any team – by finding out what communication tribes you and your team belong to, could you make your shop run smoother?
THE 10 MINUTE CHAT
Rino Riccio, head of education at Manifesto in London, chats about inspiring the next generation, as well as what drives him creatively
A NEW LEASE OF LIFE
All the questions about leases you’d ever want to know, answered by Denise Ferguson of Find Surveyors
TEACHER TRIBULATIONS
After being bombarded with phone calls asking how to be an educator, Mike wants to stress: you can’t be a teacher without experience!
INSIDE
Barbershop by day and bar by night, Stag Digbeth is no ordinary shop
MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE
Danny Abbott fell into the barbering industry by chance when he helped South London barbershop chain Porters with their photography, since then he’s gone on to manage shops and 7 months ago founded Common Space in Notting Hill, London. But how does he deal with not being a barber?
SHOP FLOOR STEP-BY-STEP
A classic tapered cut comes courtesy of Mike Taylor and Denman International
FIT TO FOLLOW
Social media is a vital source of inspiration and MB is always watching your incredible work, your news and your views. These are six of the best accounts lighting up our feed right now
Looking for back issues?
Browse the Archive >

Previous Article Next Article