Is Barbering a Good Side Hustle? What It Takes to Start in Canada
Short answer: Yes. Barbering is one of the few side hustles where clients come back on their own every few weeks. You can learn a clean fade in a two-day hands-on class, keep your current job, and build regulars on evenings and weekends. CADMEN Barber Academy teaches in Mississauga, Calgary and Montreal.
Want class dates and price? Pick your city and send the short form. Our class coordinator replies with the details.
En français : demandez les dates des cours à Montréal
What makes a good side hustle?
Side hustle searches in Canada spike every January and again in June. Most of the ideas people find are screen work: reselling, freelancing, posting content. A good side hustle has three things.
- A skill people pay for again and again. One sale is a job. Repeat clients are a business.
- Hours you choose. It fits around your main job.
- A fast start. You can begin without quitting anything.
Why does barbering work as a side hustle?
Haircuts repeat on a schedule
A fade grows out in a few weeks. A client who likes your cut books again. Ten regulars who come back every few weeks fill your evenings and weekends without you selling anything new.
You set the hours
You can cut after work, on Saturdays or on your days off. You decide how many clients you take.
The skill can become a full career
Many barbers work for themselves. Government of Canada Job Bank data shows 52% of hairstylists and barbers in Ontario are self-employed, compared with 15% across all jobs. In Quebec it is 70%, compared with 12%. A side hustle in barbering can grow into your own chair or your own shop when you are ready.
AI cannot do it
Barbering is physical work on a real person. Read more in AI-safe careers you can start now.
How fast can you start?
The CADMEN fade course runs two days. You cut live models back to back while an educator stands beside you and corrects each cut. Classes are tiny, one to three students, so you never wait around for a turn. You leave with a CADMEN certificate of completion and before and after photos and video of your work for social media.
See exactly how the two-day format works in how fast can you learn to cut hair.
Ready to learn the skill first? Ask about fade class dates in your city.
What does the CADMEN path look like?
CADMEN teaches one skill at a time, in a loop.
- Learn. Start with the two-day fade class, the cut clients ask for most.
- Apply. Go back to your life and cut friends, family and coworkers. Every cut locks in the skill.
- Level up. Come back for beard and hot towel work, then scissors. Each new skill adds a service you can offer.
Getting your first regulars is its own skill. Here is how new barbers get their first clients.
What will you need after class?
Tools are provided during class. To cut at home you will need clippers, a trimmer, a cape, a mirror and a chair. Your photos and videos from class give you your first posts. Start with people you know and ask each one to book their next cut before they leave.
Do you need a licence to cut hair on the side?
Rules depend on your province. Job Bank lists hairstylist trade certification as compulsory in Ontario and voluntary in Quebec, and Alberta treats barber and hairstylist as compulsory trades. CADMEN classes are private skills training. They do not give a trade certificate, a licence or apprenticeship hours. Check your province's rules before you charge for haircuts.
Where can you take hands-on barber classes?
CADMEN teaches in three cities. Every location uses the same CADMEN curriculum, keeps classes small and teaches inside a real working barbershop.
Mississauga, Ontario
The home academy is at 1684 Lakeshore Rd W, Unit 18B, Mississauga, ON L5J 1J4. Classes run in small groups of one to three students, or one-on-one. Small-group training is $1,750 + HST per course and one-on-one is $1,950 + HST per course. A $300 deposit holds your spot and is credited toward your tuition. Fade, beard and scissors courses are booked separately. Tools are available during class.
Call 647-931-0355 and press 1 for the Academy, or see the full Mississauga barber classes page.
Request Mississauga course details
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary classes run at Barber Culture, Unit 101, 1211 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, AB T2N 3P6, in Kensington. You learn in a real barbershop with a CADMEN-approved educator. The first class dates are being set now. Ask today and we will send you the price and dates as soon as they are confirmed.
Call or text 825-445-1807, or see the Calgary barber classes page.
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal classes run at Mama's Boy, 5125 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC H4A 1T2, in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG). You learn in a real barbershop with a CADMEN-approved educator, and classes can be taught in French. The first class dates are being set now. Ask today and we will send you the price and dates as soon as they are confirmed.
See the Montreal barber classes page or the page en français.
Ask about Montreal class dates
En français : demandez les dates des cours à Montréal
What do you need to start?
- No experience. Beginners are welcome in every class.
- Two days. The fade course is two days of hands-on cutting on live models.
- A city near you. Mississauga, Calgary or Montreal.
- A short form. Pick your city below and our class coordinator will reach out with dates and price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is barbering a good side hustle?
Yes. Clients come back every few weeks, you choose your hours, and you can learn a clean fade in a two-day hands-on class while keeping your job.
Can I keep my full-time job while I learn?
Yes. The fade course is two days. After class you practise and build clients on your own schedule.
How long is the CADMEN fade class?
Two days of hands-on cutting on live models, with an educator correcting every cut.
Do I need my own tools for class?
No. Tools are available during class.
How much does the class cost?
In Mississauga, small-group training is $1,750 + HST per course and one-on-one is $1,950 + HST. A $300 deposit holds your spot and is credited toward your tuition. Calgary and Montreal prices are sent with the class dates. At checkout you can choose Klarna or Affirm to split the payment; approval is up to them.
Do I need a licence to cut hair?
Rules depend on your province. Job Bank lists hairstylist trade certification as compulsory in Ontario and voluntary in Quebec, and Alberta treats barber and hairstylist as compulsory trades. CADMEN classes are private skills training. They do not give a trade certificate, a licence or apprenticeship hours. Check your province's rules before you charge for haircuts.
Can I take barber classes in French?
Yes. Classes in Montreal can be taught in French. Use the French form and our class coordinator will reply with dates.
