Sharpening Hairdresser Scissors


This is Vardan.  He supports himself and his wife as regular pioneers for about 1 year and has a scissor sharpening business.  He travels to various hairdresser salons and offers to sharpen their scissors.  Hairdressers use very expensive scissors and because of their extensive use, require sharpening regularly.  He has built up a list of regular customers.

How do you get started
After buying the machine and practicing on a few sets, he went to every hair salon in the city (of about 1.5 million people).  The response was very high and he didn't have to go to very many places.  He quickly got more than enough work.  He lost some businesses because he wrecked some scissors, but it was easy to make upu for it.

The way to get the edge on his competition is to offer quick service.  He promises same day service.  With his portable machine this is possible.

Here is a video explaining how it's done:



Reality check
The initial cost for the scissor sharpener was $1100 USD.

Vardan is not a hairdresser so there was a real learning curve to get started.  He wrecked quite a few expensive scissors in the beginning which cust him up to $500 / pair.

How much can you make?
The cost to sharpen a pair of scissors can vary, but Vardan charges about $30 / pair.  He finds his competition charges about $40.  He finds that with all his time invested he makes about $40 per hour - not bad. 

Can it be done internationally?
Currently, Vardan serves in a foreign language congregation in Greece.  He had to adjust his prices when he moved there to match the competition, but finds that since the cost of living is lower, he manages just fine.

Conclusion
Great way to pioneer.  It just takes an initial investment and some knocking on doors to get it started.

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