Chair rent vs your own shop vs employment

Three ways to work as a barber, three very different levels of risk and reward. Renting a chair is the middle step many take before ever signing a lease.

Employment

A wage, a ready flow of clients and no overheads — but a cap on what you earn and little control over prices, hours or style. Great for learning and building a base.

Renting a chair

You keep your prices, hours and most of your money, and you build your own brand — without a shop's rent, staff or fit-out. The catch: you fill your own book and cover quiet weeks yourself.

Your own shop

The most control and the most upside, but a lease, staff, equipment and marketing all land on you. It makes sense once your name and book can carry the fixed costs — often after years of renting a chair.

Ready for your own chair? Browse and book barbershops in Amsterdam by the hour or day.