What should I check about a barbershop’s clippers, chairs and sterilizing equipment?
Walk the shop with a list: every chair, clipper set, trimmer and sterilizing unit, with its age, condition and owner. Confirm what is included in the sale and what belongs to individual barbers. Then watch how tools are cleaned between clients.
Make an inventory with the seller. List the chairs, hydraulic pumps, clippers, trimmers, capes, sterilizing units and any shop-owned tools. Note the age and condition of each, and tag the items you would replace within the first year. Hydraulic chairs that sag, torn upholstery and clippers with worn blades are common signs of age.
Ask who owns what. Barbers who rent a chair often bring their own tools and sometimes their own chair. If the equipment list in the listing includes items a barber owns, those will leave with them. Put the equipment list in the purchase agreement and have a lawyer review it.
Watch the cleaning routine for a few clients. Are combs and tools cleaned and disinfected between each? Is the sterilizing unit in working order, and are the supplies on hand? Ask whether any inspector has visited, and what the findings were. Finally, think about the cost of replacing the main items, and ask your accountant how to value used equipment fairly in the sale. Keep receipts and warranty papers for any recent purchases, since they show what has been replaced and what is close to the end of its life. Ask who services the chairs and sharpens the blades.
Key takeaways
- Build an equipment inventory with age, condition and owner for each item.
- Separate shop-owned tools from items belonging to barbers.
- Watch the cleaning routine between clients and ask about inspections.
Related reading
12 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentEquipment valuation: How to do it
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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