Help me transform your hair care experience

With motivation from keeping up with you all and graduating from MIT this year, I just recently started to pursue this idea I have had for a long time that came out of constant frustrations with my hair care experience from A to Z. Think Opentable for minority hair care services.

As an AA, it is hard to locate a barber that focuses on certain hair types and once you do find one, the headaches continue. You often have to wait multiple hours for a hair cut to realize you forgot cash and have to run to an ATM. So inefficient on both sides.

In a nutshell, I am in the process of building a web/mobile app that brings together barbers and their clients in an open platform that is a WIN-WIN for both sides.

On the barber side, the app allows: 1. schedule and client management 2. mobile payment (e.g., square card service) 3. promote services through instant pic uploads to myBarber website.

On the customer side: 1. Find and locate barbers, especially those often hard to find such as freelance, minority-serving, etc. 2. Book and pay via cc/debit card 3. Ability to rate and see what barbers/beauticians your friends use (social media connect).

Specifically, I would like to get your feedback on:

1. What do you think of the idea? 2. Is focusing on a niche market limiting myself? (i.e., barbers, AA community, beauticians) 3. Any recommendations on scaling? monetizing? I was thinking charging barbers to use the app.

The mock-up of the site is shown here:

https://gomockingbird.com/mockingbird/#xrb258i

Check out and pre-test my survey here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CQPZMZJ