Why is FlyGuys in Twin Falls Making Men Rethink Their Barber?

What's it like to start a business in Twin Falls? There's no better way to find out than talk to one of our neighbors that's done it. I cornered Donny Taylor, the General Manager for FlyGuys Hair Cuts, who opened in Twin last November. He revealed there is no shortcut to success - no haircut pun intended.

Who is the FlyGuys customer?

Donny Taylor: The FlyGuys customer, as the name implies, is a guy. A vast majority of our customers are guys. We get little guys, as young as 1 or 2 years old, to guys in their 90's. We specialize in short hair cuts.

What's the craziest hair style you've been asked to do?

Donny Taylor: We get all sorts of stuff. The majority are regular guy hair cuts. But, we've had guys that want designs cut in their hair, funny stuff. We had one guy come in, a BIG guy. He had big, long hair, huge beard and he left looking like me. (*laughs*) He came in looking like a Wookie and left all shined up.

How do you stay up with current hair trends?

Donny Taylor: As far as the hair styles go, our stylists keep up on that by subscribing to current publications, social media and the Internet play a really big part in it. YouTube, of all things. There are lots of famous barbers and barbershops that post lots of things on YouTube on styles, trends and how to perform those types of cuts.

What's the advantage of FlyGuys over a large franchise?

Donny Taylor: You can get a hair cut anywhere. There are hair cut places all over the place. At FlyGuys, we focus on the experience. So, with every single hair cut, we cut anything shoulders up. We'll cut the hair. We'll trim the beard and clean up the neck. But, in addition to that, you'll also get our steam towel treatment. Steam towel in the face is awesome. That is where it's at. We have all of our big-screen TV's running all the sports, the games. We have the music cranking. All the stylists are real upbeat trying to make each customer feel like they're "the man". So, it's really about the experience.

What was the business process like when you decided to start FlyGuys?

Donny Taylor: LOTS of research. Lots and lots and lots of research. Looking at other businesses, looking at the trends, putting everything together and putting together the whole business plan. It started off as this little idea and then started filling in the blanks. Each blank you fill in would open up a new question. That question had to be answered, which would open up new questions that had to be answered.

Any advice for someone wanting to start a new business in Twin Falls?

Donny Taylor: First off, go for it. I think that's awesome. Small business is the backbone of America. Do it. However, before you do it, plan, plan, plan, plan. Do your research. It's all in the plan. It's like they say. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

When it came to financing your business, what did you encounter and what advice would you give?

Donny Taylor: Always plan a little extra expense and a little less income.  You’re starting a business because you’re an optimist.  That is reflected in your financial projections too.  Increase the estimated expenses and reduce the estimated income by 10 – 15%.  Trust me, this will give a more accurate picture of reality.

FlyGuys has grown in Twin Falls to the point where they now have their own app called Faster Awesome. You can keep up-to-date with Donny and his team via the FlyGuys website, their Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Or, you could stop by and see them at 1440 Blue Lakes Blvd N in Twin Falls.

This content was written in partnership with Lendio. Lendio is a free marketplace for small business loans where lenders fight for your business. Lendio has partnered with over 75 lenders to offer small business owners access to working capital to start or grow their business. Contact Lendio today to find the right business loan to fit your business needs.