In home shave party/demo. Great business idea or pipe dream?

**lbkindy** · 02-26-2012, 08:59 AM

SWMBO mentioned going to a Pampered Chef party next week and it gave me an idea to have something similar with shave products. In home demos of soaps, creams, brushes, razors etc.. Maybe even a straight shave demo of the host/demonstrator is liscensed.

Just spitballing an idea here so I would like to hear people's thoughts.

Larry

**michiganlover** · 02-26-2012, 09:26 AM

Well if you want my honest opinion, total waste of time, and money.

The average person wants to get their shave done as quickly as possible, and with as little fuss as possible. The average person probably shaves in as little as five minutes. They are simply not interested in a shaving routine (no matter how good the results), that takes 40 minutes (when you are first starting out), and later 10-15 minutes (when you are a skilled veteran shaver).

Just because we have a passion for this, doesn't mean your friends will.

To gauge how successful this endeavor would be, talk to your friends about shaving. If their eyes glaze over with an uninterested look in under two minutes, you will have your answer: the average person is not interested; AT ALL!!

**atxguy** · 02-26-2012, 09:49 AM

There will be blood ....

Seriously though, if you can hook up with some of the vendors here it wouldn't cost a few hundred dollars to try it out. Just find the appropriate cleaning solutions for the razors. Also, you can only shave once so it may limit the trials for good or bad.

**dpm802** · 02-26-2012, 10:00 AM

Its a great idea, but doomed to failure.

There just aren't enough guys out there in the general population that would attend something like this. While B&B is full of shaving fanatics, people like us are few and far between.

**Island Dreamer** · 02-26-2012, 10:04 AM

I have to agree with the naysayers, most men could not be less interested in this regardless of how it may seem based on forum postings. There are also health and sanitation issues to consider and, depending where you live, you might need a business license or permit to have an event.

But the best ideas happen in spite of the critics so you never know.

**DougieB** · 02-26-2012, 10:05 AM

I don't know a single friend of mine that would be interested. I get one of three responses when I mention that I switched to DE's.

1) blank stare followed by a change of subject.
2) "I blow dry my Fusion/Mach3/(any other cart). Clark Howard said..."
3) "Huh" followed by a change of subject.

Now having a beer tasting party... There's an idea

**michiganlover** · 02-26-2012, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by atxguy

There will be blood ....

Well then there is that.....a blood filled face isn't exactly conducive to selling product!! lol.

**john.bradburne** · 02-26-2012, 10:26 AM

if it were me,running it as a business, I would hold a demo, the participants would NOT be allowed to shave, this is a huge liability. But I would do a speach on shaving followed by demo, go over all the equipment with them and maybe have a small manual.. then like at a tupperware party ask them to order product through you...

**turtle** · 02-26-2012, 10:30 AM

I have found that "talking shaving" is something that is not as interesting as "talking sports"

If you are going to talk to someone start off by asking them if they enjoy shaving. If you start getting a lot of 4 letter words in their response you may have a chance to convince them to "try" something different. If you hear, "yea it takes me 2 minutes to buzz my face with a (fill in with their brand of electric razor) while driving to work", you might as well move on to "How about those (any sports team)" and say you tried

**cessnabird** · 02-26-2012, 10:32 AM

I too agree this is a great idea but only to shaving aficionados such as ourselves. I can't even hold a conversation with my grandfather who used to shave with safety razors. He loves using his Fusion for three months to save money...

**CyberJCM** · 02-26-2012, 10:42 AM

IF you were to do this, definitely no shaving of guests. As has already been stated its a bad idea. You could however have a friend help you demo a shave, or demo one yourself. And IMO skip the straight razor. That isn't an entry level item in price or skill. Stick with Safety Razor. With or without the actual shave demo, demo use of a brush and how it works with different products. Discuss the advantages of DE shaving over carts and demo how to handle/load blades. Discuss and have pass around sniff tests of aftershaves. Explain the styptic or alum. Leave out any and all quirky stuff we practice here, and keep the steps and info simple! Then have some stuff that you've demo'd on hand for purchase. That's how I would suggest it be done.

That said, it won't work. You won't have guests and no one will care. If you do get a guest or two it will be awkward and they likely won't be sold on it. Like has already been said, the vast majority of guys aren't into this stuff, wouldn't be able to get into this stuff, don't want to even consider this stuff. As an example, I've posted things about this hobby in our local community Facebook group. You could almost hear the cricket chirp.

I hate to be negative, but I'm afraid that's likely how it is.

**jrocker** · 02-26-2012, 11:18 AM

It sounds kind of...

**rickboone1** · 02-26-2012, 11:24 AM

I don't think you're far off. If you can find people interested, great. I mean, people know what PC is about before they come. Perhaps you can organize a little shave get together at your home. Like a mini-meet.

**Island Dreamer** · 02-26-2012, 11:24 AM

That clip is gay...

**atxguy** · 02-26-2012, 11:30 AM

Maybe demo creams, soaps and oils? Let them use the cartridge razors from home. You could mention DE and demo it, but I would be leery to share a razor BC of the blood thing, even with a new blade and an experienced shaver using it before. I think if it would work, shaving stores would have weekly/monthly meetings to do this in store. Then again, they thought Steve Jobs was nuts and would never make it.

**Kentos** · 02-26-2012, 11:34 AM

I would think it might work for soaps creams and brushes.

**Dooliano1969** · 02-26-2012, 11:45 AM

I agree with the guy who said average person doesn't care about it. I know all of my co workers and friends find it funny that I shave with a DE. They just want to shave as quickly as possible in the morning and get on with their day.

for example, If you're a doctor, you get excited to know about new diseases. but if you tell an average joe about diseases he's not going to like it at all, and he's going to run the other way, perhaps to a nice strip club

**Songwind** · 02-26-2012, 01:57 PM

I think it probably wouldn't work. Not only for the reasons specified earlier, but also because you'd be fighting an uphill battle against conspicuous masculinity. How many guys would go to a Pampered Chef party, Tupperware party, etc? That's "something women do." Even when the subject is one that they're interested in.

I think a Mary Kay or Avon salesman would have more luck selling wetshaving supplies to the ladies for themselves or for their SOs than you would have of directly selling to the guy shaver market in this way.