Alan is already cutting 15 a day, 5 days a week. ~80% of those clients are recurring. The reasonable assumption: 35-40% follow him out the moment he leaves his current shop. That's 26-30 cuts per week from week one at $70 average — ~$1,820-2,100 weekly, $95-110K annualised, before any new business is built.
On top of that foundation, Essentials runs four parallel revenue streams: aggressive B2B corporate sales (the recurring contract engine), pop-up residencies at trendy Brisbane venues (brand surface + new acquisition), an online course (Essentials Method, $97-147, scales without time), and events / weddings (high-ticket, low-volume).
Who: Alan's existing client base + new individual acquisitions via brand and word-of-mouth.
Cadence: 4-6 week recurring. Day-one carryover of 26-30/wk.
Avg ticket: $70-90. Premium add for cut+beard or events.
Y1 share: ~50% of revenue.
Who: Brisbane companies, 20-200 employees. HR / ops / founder decision-makers.
Cadence: Quarterly or monthly recurring contracts.
Avg ticket: $400 half-day → $760 full-day. Recurring discount available.
Y1 share: ~35% of revenue, growing to 50% by Y2.
Who: Trendy cafes, bars, gyms, coworking spaces, retail. Al sets up for a half-day.
Cadence: 1-2 per month. Posted heavily on social.
Avg ticket: 4-6 cuts at residency rate $80 = $320-480 per residency.
Y1 share: ~5% revenue, but disproportionate brand value.
The Essentials Method — a 12-15 chapter course on cutting hair at home. Sold via social CTA at $97 founding / $147 standard. Zero marginal cost. Acts as brand-as-teacher positioning, lead magnet for individual mobile cuts, and additional revenue stream that scales without time. Y1 conservative target: 100 sales = $9.7K. Y2 target: 500-1,000 sales = $50-100K.
| Operator | Scope | Pricing model | Status | Threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corpcut.com.au | Brisbane corporate mobile. Real clients: Triple Eight (Red Bull Racing AU), Telstra, Bambrick Media. | Per-cut + free callout if 3+ bookings. | DORMANT. Site last modified 2022. Reviews 2018. Not actively marketed. | LOW |
| Blys | Mobile beauty marketplace. Brisbane coverage via marketplace operators. | $99/60 min men's cut. | Active. Volume play, not branded. | MEDIUM |
| Airtasker mobile barbers | Marketplace gig. Variable quality. | $40-80/cut bid-based. | Active. Race-to-bottom. | LOW |
| Trim-It (UK reference) | Pure consumer app. Home/office/gym. | ~£50/cut. Subscription tiers. | LIQUIDATED Jan 2023. | N/A |
Sources: corpcut.com.au · getblys.com.au · airtasker.com · Trim-It coverage
Six moves no other Brisbane mobile barber is making — combined into a single offer.
"One barber, five disciplines. Onsite at your office, your wedding, your local trendy spot, or your living room. Editorial brand, recurring contracts, no marketplace."
Pricing recalibrated to Alan's actual yield ($70 avg current) and Brisbane premium-shop benchmark ($70-120 walk-in). Mobile premium small (+15-20%), corporate per-head undercut for volume. Course priced as friction-free entry point.
| SKU | Service | Duration | Price (AUD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.01 | Mobile cut — individual Home / hotel / Alan's place | 45-60 min | $80 | Includes travel ≤12km. +$20 outer. Carryover clients honoured at $70 grandfathered. |
| A.02 | Mobile cut + beard tidy | 60-75 min | $110 | Most-popular individual SKU expected. |
| A.03 | Wedding / event groom | 30-45 min | $160 | Premium occasion pricing. |
| A.04 | Wedding party (groom + 4) | 2.5 hrs | $580 | $116/head — discount on volume. |
| B.01 | Corporate half-day | 3.5-4 hrs | $400 | Up to 4 cuts. $100/head. Setup + clean inclusive. |
| B.02 | Corporate full-day | 6.5-7 hrs | $760 | Up to 8 cuts. $95/head. Setup + clean inclusive. |
| B.03 | Corporate launch package | 3.5-4 hrs | $300 | First half-day, 25% off. Sales conversion tool. |
| C.01 | Pop-up residency — venue | 3-4 hrs | $80/cut | Trendy venue partnership. Cuts at venue rate. 4-6 cuts per residency. |
| D.01 | The Essentials Method — course | — | $97 | Founding price, first 100 buyers. Standard $147 thereafter. |
| D.02 | The Essentials Method — Pro | — | $197 | Course + 30-min 1-on-1 video consult. |
| Commitment | B.01 price | B.02 price | Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-off / no commit | $400 | $760 | Standard. |
| 6-month commit (quarterly) | $380 (5% off) | $722 | Predictability for both sides. |
| 12-month commit (monthly or quarterly) | $360 (10% off) | $684 | Best B2B pricing. Locks in cadence. |
From §3 of Alan's voice memo: "Brisbane City, possibly maybe an airport or fucking casino, or those hidden gem areas where you're near all the vibes and all the drama." The map runs the inner urban core where the corporate density is.
| Ring | Postcodes | Suburbs | Travel charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core (≤5km CBD) | 4000, 4006 | Brisbane City, Fortitude Valley, Newstead, Bowen Hills, Spring Hill, Teneriffe | Included |
| Inner (5-12km) | 4005, 4011, 4051, 4101, 4169 | New Farm, Hamilton, Kelvin Grove, South Brisbane, Kangaroo Point, Bulimba | Included |
| Mid (12-25km) | 4007, 4014, 4053, 4170 | Hendra, Nundah, Stafford, Cannon Hill, Balmoral | +$20 |
| Outer (events only) | — | Sunshine Coast / Gold Coast (events / weddings) | +$80-150 |
Pop-up residency partners selected for foot traffic, target-customer overlap, and brand alignment. Pitch: half-day chair setup, venue gets foot traffic + content + a "Al at [venue]" social moment.
Subject: A barber chair at [Venue] for a Saturday — interested? Hi [Name], Quick pitch. We're Essentials — Brisbane mobile barber, editorial brand, big inner-north client base. We're looking for one Saturday a month at a [cafe / bar / gym] in the Valley/Newstead/CBD ring to set up a chair and cut hair for 3-4 hours. We bring everything — chair, kit, capes, towels, branded setup. Your patrons get walk-in cuts at $80 (instead of $99-120 elsewhere). You get foot traffic, content, and a "Al at [Venue]" social moment that'll push our 8K IG following at your door. We don't charge you. You don't charge us. We split nothing — straight collaboration. If it works, we'd love to make [Venue] a home for the recurring residency. If even half-curious, let's grab a coffee. — Alan Essentials. essentials.co
Alan has been cutting hair for over a decade. He owns his tools, has his chair, has the kit. He already cuts some clients at his house. The infrastructure question is solved. What remains is brand, listings, sales motion, and content engine — all software-and-process spend, not equipment.
| Category | One-off | Monthly | Y1 total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand lockdown (final glyph + guidelines doc) | $1,500 | — | $1,500 |
| Website build (single-page Cloudflare Pages) | $300 | $5 | $360 |
| Course production (recording, editing, hosting) | $1,200 | $30 | $1,560 |
| Public liability + treatment indemnity | — | $80 | $960 |
| Booking + CRM (Square Plus from M04) | — | $30 avg | $360 |
| Outreach tools (LinkedIn Premium, scrapers) | — | $120 | $1,440 |
| Business cards, basic stickers, initial print | $400 | — | $400 |
| Phone + accountant + admin | — | $200 | $2,400 |
| Y1 ALL-IN COST | ~$8,980 AUD | ||
Down from V0's $34,300. CapEx is software and IP, not equipment. Net of all costs, base-case Y1 take-home: ~$165K AUD.
Alan's current capacity is 15 cuts/day × 5 days = 75 cuts/week. The Y1 mix shifts that load: ~28 carryover individual cuts, ~10-12 corporate cuts (in 2-3 onsite visits), ~4-6 residency cuts, ~3-5 wedding/event cuts. Roughly the same total volume — different revenue mix.
| Platform | Cost | Best for | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| DM-only | $0 | First 30-50 bookings + carryover clients (already in his phone) | PICK MONTHS 01-02 |
| Square Appointments Plus | $40/mo | Volume management once cuts/week > 25 + B2B booking flow | PICK MONTHS 03+ |
| Fresha | $45/mo | Marketplace traffic exposure | CONSIDER Y2 |
| Timely | $42-79 per staff | Multi-staff teams | PASS |
Pricing per fresha.com/pricing, Square vs Fresha.
Cold outreach benchmarks for 2026: cold email 3-6%, LinkedIn DM 10.3%, multi-channel sequence 18-25%. Conversion to meeting 2-5%. Translation: 200 well-targeted Brisbane corporates run through full multi-channel sequence over 90 days = 35-50 replies, 12-20 meetings, 5-8 closed corporates. That's the Y1 corporate target hit by month 06.
Sources: Martal 2026 cold email stats · LeadHaste 2026 benchmarks
| Day | Channel | Action |
|---|---|---|
| D-0 | Connection request, no message | |
| D+1 | Email 01 | Soft intro + value prop + B.03 launch package offer |
| D+3 | LinkedIn DM 01 | Short post-connection note + brand link |
| D+5 | Email 02 | Case study or named-client proof point (Triple Eight reference if Corpcut clients land here) |
| D+8 | Phone | Direct call to HR / Ops contact, voicemail if missed |
| D+10 | LinkedIn DM 02 | Specific question about their team perk strategy |
| D+14 | Email 03 | Break-up email — "no worries, on file" |
Subject: Onsite haircuts at [Company] — half-day, $300 to try Hi [Name], Quick one. I'm Alan from Essentials, a Brisbane mobile barber service. The pitch: I bring a chair, capes, and a decade of experience to your office. 4 staff, 3.5 hours, all sharp. First half-day is $300 (25% off). Ongoing is $400 quarterly or $360 monthly. I've cut for inner-north agencies and tech teams already. Real reviews, real client base. The premise is simple — your team gets a sharp cut without leaving the office, and you get a culture-positive perk that actually gets used. If even half on the radar, reply with a Wednesday or Thursday in May that works. I'll send the booking link. — Alan Essentials. Brisbane mobile barber. essentials.co · IG @essentials
| Stage | Volume / 90 days | Rate | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospects in Hot+Warm bands | 200 | 100% | 200 |
| Full 14-day sequence completion | 200 | 95% | ~190 |
| Replies (multi-channel benchmark) | 190 | 18-25% | 35-48 |
| Discovery calls / demos | 35-48 | 55% | 19-26 |
| Closed launch package (B.03) | 19-26 | 60% | 11-15 |
| Convert launch → ongoing recurring | 11-15 | 70% | 8-11 / 90 days |
Translation: 200 prospects over 90 days = 8-11 ongoing recurring corporates. The Y1 corporate target of 8-12 is achievable in the first quarter of active outreach. After Q1, focus shifts to nurture + referral expansion of signed corporates.
A residency is a half-day chair at a partner venue. Alan turns up, sets up, cuts 4-6 walk-ins over 3-4 hours. "Al's at [Venue] this Saturday. First-come, first-served, $80 a cut." Posted on IG/TikTok the day before. Becomes a recurring social moment people show up for.
Brand surface: a content moment every month, photographed at a different venue. Builds the "Al moves around the city" identity.
New customer acquisition: walk-ins at residency typically convert 30-40% to recurring individual mobile clients afterwards.
Revenue: $320-480 per residency × 1-2/month = $4,000-12,000/year.
Foot traffic: a barber chair pulls people who stay for coffee, a beer, a session, a scroll. Conversion to venue spend: 80%+ of attendees buy something.
Content: Essentials's IG following pushed at the venue. Free advertising for them.
Cost: nothing — Alan brings everything.
Geographic story: "barber moves around" beats "barber sits in one shop" on social.
Partner ecosystem: 12 residencies a year = 12 venues that vouch for Essentials. Word-of-mouth network.
Defensible: a marketplace operator can't do this. Alan has to physically be there. Authenticity guarantee.
Two residencies a month — one daytime (cafe/coworking/gym), one evening (bar/pub). Different venues each time, rotation builds the "where will Al be next?" narrative. After 6 months we lock 1-2 anchor venues for monthly recurring residencies.
| Month | Saturday AM (daytime) | Saturday PM (evening) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M02 | First residency — small cafe in Newstead | — | Soft launch. Friends + family attend. |
| M03 | Coffee shop — Fortitude Valley | Bar — West End | Two residencies. Heavy social push. |
| M04 | Coworking space — CBD | Pub — Newstead | Brand surface widening. |
| M05 | Gym — Bowen Hills | Bar — Fortitude Valley | Test fitness audience. |
| M06 | Anchor venue lock-in | Bar — South Brisbane | First recurring monthly residency. |
| M07-12 | Anchor recurring | Rotating | 1 anchor + 1 rotating per month = 12 residencies / 6 months. |
A 12-15 chapter course on cutting hair at home — for partners, kids, yourself between cuts. Sold via every IG/TikTok post that earns it. $97 founding price, $147 standard, $197 with 1-on-1 video consult. Filmed in batches. Hosted on Whop, Skool, or self-hosted. Zero marginal cost.
Y1 conservative: 100 sales × $97 = $9,700.
Y1 base: 200 sales × $122 (mix) = $24,400.
Y2 target: 800-1,200 sales × $147 = $120-180K.
Margin: ~95% after platform fees.
Every post earns a CTA: "want to learn the technique? course in bio."
No paid ads needed: the content IS the ad. The course is the conversion.
Brand asset: moves Alan from "service provider" to "teacher" in 12 months.
Voice signature: Alan's actual register on every chapter. Cannot be copied without him.
Brand authority: Essentials becomes the brand that teaches barbering, not just sells it.
Y2 mentorship/RTO seed: course buyers are the funnel for the higher-tier products in Y2-3.
M01-02: outline + script chapters 01-05.
M03: film chapters 01-05 (2-day shoot).
M04: edit + soft launch ($97 founding, first 100 buyers).
M05-06: film chapters 06-12.
M07: bonus chapters + full launch ($147 standard, $197 Pro tier).
M08+: evergreen funnel via social CTA.
Cadence: 3 posts/week minimum, cycling through the five disciplines. Plus a new structural lane: in-chair interviews — Alan interviewing each client mid-cut, capturing both. Becomes a content engine that builds itself, week-by-week, without extra production load. Plus course CTAs on every relevant post.
| Lane | Frequency | Format | Source | Course CTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 The Craft | 1-2/wk | Cut in progress, technique slow-mo | In-shoot capture | YES |
| 02 Accountability | 1/wk | Talking head, quote slate | Pre-scripted | SOFT |
| 03 Recovery | 1/wk | Quiet b-roll, lifestyle | Day-in-life | SOFT |
| 04 Movement | 1/wk | Athletic, training, walking | Day-in-life | SOFT |
| 05 Welcome | 1/wk Sun | Client feature, multicultural moment | Anchor | YES |
| NEW — In-chair interview | 1-2/wk | Cuts & Conversation, 60s vertical | Built into cut | YES |
| NEW — Residency drops | 1-2/mo | "Al at [venue] this Saturday" + recap | Residency event | SOFT |
| # | Hook | Lane | CTA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "This guy runs a $40M company. Today we cut his hair." | In-chair | Course |
| 02 | "Nobody books a sharp cut from a tired barber." | 03 Recovery | — |
| 03 | "Three things I don't charge for. None of them are family." | 05 Welcome | — |
| 04 | "The cut takes 30 minutes. The kit setup takes 5. The recovery takes 8 hours." | 03 Recovery | Course |
| 05 | "What every tradie's home should have. Number 4 is a comb." | 01 Craft | Course |
| 06 | "This is what 7am in a Brisbane CBD office looks like before a corporate visit." | 01 Craft | — |
| 07 | "Better than yesterday is the only standard that holds." | 02 Accountability | — |
| 08 | "Day 03. Discipline 03. The bit nobody films." | 03 Recovery | — |
| 09 | "Eight cuts, no waiting room. This is what a corporate visit looks like." | 01 Craft | — |
| 10 | "You don't need to know how to pronounce my last name. I'll still cut your hair." | 05 Welcome | — |
| 11 | "Al's at [Venue] this Saturday. First-come, first-served. $80." | Residency | — |
| 12 | "This guy hasn't cut his own hair in 12 years. We taught him in 4 minutes." | In-chair | Course |
| 13 | "Three things I won't post about. One of them is the price." | 02 Accountability | — |
| 14 | "Sport made me good at this. The body holds the craft up." | 04 Movement | — |
| 15 | "Every chair is different. Every accent is welcome." | 05 Welcome | — |
| 16 | "Your team. Your office. Wednesday afternoon. $400 for four cuts." | 01 Craft (B2B) | — |
| 17 | "This is what cutting your kid's hair should look like. We made a course about it." | 05 Welcome | Course |
| 18 | "This towel has been in 200 cuts. The chair has been in 400." | 01 Craft | — |
| 19 | "The day off isn't optional. The discipline is." | 03 Recovery | — |
| 20 | "Five disciplines. One barber. Onsite at your office or your kitchen." | 05 Welcome | — |
Alan has 60+ loyal clients in his current book. They follow him because they trust him. That trust is reviewable on day one. The 10-day review sprint launches Essentials's Google Business Profile with the trust capital of a year-old shop — visible from the first stranger who searches "mobile barber Brisbane."
| Day | Action | Volume | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-3 | Set up Google Business Profile, verify, basic listing | — | Listing live, ready to receive reviews. |
| D-2 | Draft personal message to top 20 clients (close mates, longest-history) | 20 | Personalised, not generic. |
| D-1 | Send tier 1 messages — top 20 | 20 sent | Expected response 80% within 48hrs. |
| D+0 | Profile launches publicly. First wave reviews live. | ~16 reviews | Listing immediately credible. |
| D+2 | Tier 2 — next 20 clients (strong relationship, less recent) | 20 sent | Expected response 60% within 72hrs. |
| D+5 | Tier 3 — final 20-25 (anyone Alan cuts who'd respond) | 25 sent | Expected response 50% within 5 days. |
| D+10 | Total reviews accumulated | 52-58 | Five-star average. Listing reads as established business. |
Hey [Name] — quick favour, no stress. I've started up on my own — Essentials. Mobile barber, doing a mix of home cuts, corporate work, and bookings out of [his place]. Setting up the Google listing today. Would mean a lot if you could leave a quick review when you've got 90 seconds — anything honest about what your cuts have been like. Doesn't have to be a paragraph, two lines is plenty. Link: [Google review URL] Cheers mate. Catch you next cut. — Alan
Most new businesses start at zero reviews and accumulate slowly — usually 1-2 per month from organic traffic. The first stranger who searches "mobile barber Brisbane" sees an empty listing and bounces. By month 12 they have ~15 reviews and look new. Alan starts at 50+ reviews on day one — strangers who search see "established barber, 50+ five-stars." The conversion rate from search-to-booking shifts permanently. The first 30 days of Essentials looks like a year-old business.
Cumulative base case Y1 net revenue: ~$212K AUD.
| Scenario | Carryover % | Corporates Y1 | Course sales | Y1 net rev |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 30% | 5 | 60 | $140K |
| Base | 37% | 8-10 | 150 | $185K |
| Ambitious | 42% | 12-14 | 300 | $240K |
| Scenario | Net rev | Y1 costs | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | $140K | $9K | $131K |
| Base | $185K | $9K | $176K |
| Ambitious | $240K | $9K | $231K |
Compare V0: take-home base case was $130K with $34K CapEx required. V1 take-home base case is $176K with $9K CapEx. The carryover assumption + no equipment spend changes the entire shape of the year.
| Item | Cost | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABN registration | $0 | Confirm Alan's status | Free via ABR. Sole-trader to start. |
| Business name "Essentials" | $44/yr or $102/3yr | Required if trading-name differs from Alan | ASIC registration. |
| Public liability + treatment indemnity | $60-100/mo | Required for B2B | BizCover hair/beauty entry tier ~$39/mo. $20M cover for B2B realistic at $60-100. |
| QLD hygiene + WHS | $0 | Required ongoing | Standard QLD hairdressing regs. Document procedures. |
| Council mobile-trader approval | Variable | Per residency venue | Brisbane City Council. Private offices = no permit. Residencies on private venue land = no permit. Public-land trading = permit. |
| GST registration | $0 | At $75K turnover | Required when Alan crosses $75K AUD/yr. Likely M03-M04 in base case. |
Sources: ABR · business.gov.au · BizCover · Sprintlaw QLD
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carryover < 30% | Med | High | Pre-launch warmup — soft-message top 30 clients before transition. Keep current shop part-time M01-M02 if needed. Floor-of-floor scenario re-priced. |
| §5 past surfacing publicly | Med | High | Brand-front face-back first 6 months. No paid media. No press. §5 conversational pass with Nathan before story-arc content. |
| B2B sequence below benchmark | Med | Med | 14-day multi-channel. 200 prospects. Pivot messaging M04 if reply rate < 10%. |
| Alan burnout — solo capacity | Med-low | Med | Tuesday off retained. Sunday rest. Capacity ceiling 25 cuts/week. Hire conversation Y2. |
| Vanity-metric drift | Med | Med | KPI ladder ranks corporate accounts above followers. Weekly metric review. |
| Improvised on-camera | Med | Low | Hard rule: every shoot scripted. Multi-take. Freestyle never ships. |
| Corpcut wakes up | Low | Med | Beat them to 8+ corporates while dormant. Brand caliber + content engine remain unmatched. |
Documented register from transcripts. Scripting bible.
GBP listing + 60-contact message campaign.
Apify + LinkedIn pull, V1 scoring, Airtable load.
Essentials.co. Kit Number system. Mobile-first.
Drafted against voice spec. One per pillar.
12 venues, cold pitch sent.
12-15 chapters mapped, ready to film M03.