Freshman Connor Bembry’s small business cutting and styling men’s hair has begun to gain traction recently as clients aid the advertisement of his work and new clients get wind of his craft.
Bembry first developed an interest in cutting hair during the summer of last year, and lately he’s managed to cultivate a small business and community around his talent.
“I just had a lot of time in the summer,” Bembry said. “I thought, may as well try to learn.”
Having significant freetime in the summer months pushed Bembry to seize the opportunity to sharpen his skill.
“I started cutting my dad’s hair,” Bembry said. “Then I started to expand to some of my friends and learn different hairstyles.”
The first step of developing Bembry’s small business was learning the basics of hair cutting and styling. Still, Bembry is considering seeking further education in the art of hair cutting in the future.
“I was self-taught,” Bembry said. “I also watched some YouTube.”
As Bembry acquired more experience and outreach, cutting hair became more than a hobby.
“I gained some passion for it over time,” Bembry said. “At first, it was just a thing that I could do; then over time when I got better at it and it started becoming more of a thing. It got more interesting to me.”
As he gained more experience, Bembry grew increasingly immersed in the world of haircutting and what it had to offer.
“I started to invest in it more, getting better tools and whatnot,” Bembry said. “It can get expensive, but you just have to figure it out.”
Cutting hair for others became something that has brought a sense of fun and joy into Bembry’s life.
“My favorite thing about cutting hair is getting to know the people that I’m cutting the hair of better,” Bembry said. “Cleanup, definitely [my] least favorite.”
While the future of Cuts by Connor is not yet clear, Bembry has larger goals for the small business.
“I mean, it’s pretty small right now,” Bembry said. “Eventually I’m hoping to expand and see if I can, you know, figure out where to go from where I’m at now.”
Bembry has recently begun utilizing Instagram to showcase his work online and further promote his services.
“It wasn’t even my idea, I had people that were like, yeah, you should make an Instagram account,” Bembry said. “I was like, alright.”
Bembry has become uniquely knowledgeable in haircare since he first grew interested in cutting hair; he has procured the basic steps of obtaining one’s dream hair.
“Figure out your hair type,” Bembry said. “Different people need different things.”
Ironically, lately it seems as though most of Bembry’s clients lean toward similar trending hairstyles, despite the great range of hairstyles which exist.
“Right now, there are like three haircuts that everyone that I’ve cut wanted,” Bembry said. “It’s a buzz cut or a fade of some kind, so yeah, I’m trying to get really good at those.”
Bembry has a general routine during hair cuts which involves a consultation with the client, sectioning off the hair and, of course, cutting.
“Normally, I talk with them, figure out what they like,” Bembry said. “I’ll make sure that they like it throughout – I have this trifold mirror so they can make sure that they know what’s happening along the way and if they like the direction it’s going.”
Booking an appointment is a simple ordeal open to anyone who may be interested.
“On my Instagram they can DM me,” Bembry said. “Or they could ask me in person if they don’t have it.”
A fresh haircut for the spring and summer seasons is one direct message away at Cuts by Connor, a budding small business which is accepting new clients.
