I have been wanting to try out one of those new(ish) hair saloons where all they offer is a simple haircut and nothing else. You buy a ticket, you sit in, you get your hair cut, and you get vacuumed (yes, vacuumed, as in sucked!), and you leave. I first read about this in Blue Ocean Strategy where one such hair saloon (QB House) was featured because it tapped into an uncontested market - no frills haircut. I finally took the chance to try one out.

I went to one called Okinawa (in Singapore). As with all successful business ideas, Okinawa is probably a copycat company of QB House (it could be the other way round! so don’t quote me on that). There is only one price since there is only one service - the haircut.

The cost of the haircut - $10. No more no less.

The ATM-like box just at the entrance only accepts cash, and only in $10 notes. So I took out my $10 bill and stick it into the machine. Out pops a card. It’s a recyclable card. I collected the card and went into the saloon to sit down. A cash-only system. What a great business model. And there’s no more need for a cashier, no need for maintaining accounts, no need for checking and rechecking the cash register. Powerful stuff.

Waiting time - 5 minutes.

I gave my card to the hairdresser, told her how I want it to be cut and there she goes. While sitting in front of the mirror, the woman beside me opened up her mirror to collect her handbag! What an ingenious idea. And that’s not all, every single piece of tool has it’s place in the cupboard. The comb, the gel, the vacuum, the clipper, the water spray etc… And for the hygiene conscious, there’s a small microwave-like box where the scissors and combs are kept under what seems like UV light. I’m not sure how much that contributes to hygiene though…

Time from start of cut to finish - 15 minutes.

And that includes the AirWash system sucking the cuts nestled inside my new found hair style. I checked my face, my neck, and my shirt, not much residual hair bits. Final test - washing at home. Again not much hair bits fell out. If I were to put a number on it, I would say there is 80% less hair bits coming out of the wash compared to my normal haircut. That is quite a significant reduction! Vacuuming rather than blow drying does make a difference!

All in all, it’s a really good idea both in a business sense and in the value it is providing. It does no fancy stuff like colouring, perming, rebonding (that’s a new word for me by the way) etc. All it does is focus on the basic - the haircut. In focusing on the basic, all other things required to give you your haircut is cut down to a minimum, no fuss style. Paying for your haircut is a matter of sticking in a $10 bill. The hairdresser won’t need to even worry about manning the cash register, thus focusing her efforts on haircut. All tools are properly laid out and put back in their respective place. Again, the focus is on haircut, not to find where Clipper No. 3 is. I especially like the storage behind mirror. No more worrying about your coat or your handbag on the seat behind you. The AirWash vacuum system reduces amount of hair on your head and on the floor. Shortening the cleaning time.

See how focusing on the basics gives us, the consumers, great benefit? By doing the basics very well, consumers benefit, and if consumer benefits, the business benefits. So if you’re planning on doing business, get the basics right. A great counter example would be my experience at a Japanese restaurant.

In summary, let the basics be your guide, both in business, and in life! It’s like focusing on your normal days as oppose to your “special days”. Let’s make our everyday activities fruitful and productive instead of focusing on the next salary increase, the coming bonus, the next rung in the corporate ladder, graduation day, wedding day etc. After all, normal days dominate most of your life compared to special days! :D