CINCINNATI — Small businesses have taken the brunt of a lot of issues over the past two years- closures because of COVID, staffing shortages, and now inflation. And now, many have to raise prices.
What You Need To Know
- Small businesses have been through a lot over the last two years and are now dealing with inflation
- According to a recent study by the National Federation of Small Businesses, eight of ten businesses surveyed in Ohio have raised prices
- Tiffany Wilhite, the owner of Diverse Hair Studio, has held out as long as she can
- She plans to raise her prices by $10-$15 per service in July
This is the daily grind at Diverse Hair Studio, shampooing, blow-drying, and cutting clients’ hair. Tiffany Wilhite makes sure her clients look their best. She’s owned Diverse Hair Studio since 2019, but a lot of things have changed since then.
Tiffany Wilhite works with a customer. (Katie Kapusta/ Spectrum News 1)
“I think that clients are less likely to come and get their hair done when they have to pay for everything else that’s going up,” she said.
While Wilhite makes sure her clients look and feel their best, she’s seen business decline because of COVID and now inflation. And to keep clients around, she’s kept her prices the same since raising them in November. But now, she feels she can’t hold out any longer.
“It’s something that I definitely have not been wanting to do, however, I feel like it’s going to be necessary,” Wilhite said.
And Wilhite isn’t alone. In a recent survey by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, eight in 10 surveyed businesses in Ohio have raised their prices. Wilhite plans to increase her prices by $10-$15 per service.
“I have waited as long as I could and now at this point,” she said. “This is my livelihood, this is how I pay my bills, this is how I feed my children and it’s something I can’t avoid. I can’t get around it any longer.”
Wilhite makes sure her clients look and feel their best. (Katie Kapusta/ Spectrum News 1)
But for this hair stylist- she says she believes her clients will expect it since she’s kept prices down for so long.
“It’s not always what you do, but it’s how you do it.,” Wilhite said. “I’m not the type of stylist that’s going to tell you the price is raised while you’re in my chair.”
And no matter what, she hopes to continue to make her clients happy and confident.
