Manufacturers. Ask the artist?

In organizing the discussions into categories I had a thought. When did we become part of an industry? It has been called the hair industry since I can remember but when I cut hair it doesn't feel at all industrial. I think product companies fit the "industrial" label since they manufacture products, some of which I adore.

I am a craftsman who uses tools for my craft. Scissors, combs, clips, shampoo, conditioner, tonics, hairsprays, etc... all which are tools.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Industry refers to the production of an economic good (either material or a service) within an economy.

So, since we do belong to the Hair Industry, artists should be partners in shaping our industries' future. I think manufacturers spend too much time and money producing products/tools then trying to sell us on them when they could simply ask "How can we make tools that you will get behind"?

It's called crowdsourcing. And it's not a brand new idea. Read below from Mashable:

5 Creative Uses for Crowdsourcing

As open-source software developers learned long ago, asking a pool of
people to create something can be faster, cheaper, and more accurate
than putting a project in the hands of individuals.
(Read more)

All they have to do is ask... How about this?

I'm a Flat iron company and need a name for a new iron I have produced. Post a contest. Winner take all. One week thousands of suggestions come in. Manufacturer picks the one that best suits the brand and pays the winner $500. Win/Win.

I'm a scissor manufacturer and want to put out a new model. What attributes should it have? Post a discussion. Gather ideas, make a few prototypes, host a Hairbrained event where we can come test drive the scissors in an inspirational/educational setting. You get your feedback, we get some education and we all get better tools.

It's more fun if we collaborate. Let's do this Industry better!

~Randy

(Sorry if this is a mess, going to go cut some hair and don't have time to proof read)

Tags: manufacturers, randy, taylor

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Comment by The Colour Organizer on August 14, 2010 at 7:04am: I'm a salon owner as well as a salon tool manufacturer. It's very difficult to get to the pool of people... So, I would love a place to go, where all great minds of this industry help better our products.

Comment by Randy Taylor on June 4, 2010 at 6:18pm: @Glenn I love the "Talent Agency" tagline. I agree since I have trained so many stylists in my town. Lol

Comment by MICAHnickens on June 4, 2010 at 5:31pm: nice randy.

Comment by Glenn Mitchell on June 4, 2010 at 2:28pm: Love it! I have wonder the same thing... one of my favorite saying around the salon is... "well... they didn't ask me." I say it atleast once a day I am sure. I also have changes the tag line for our salon logo... it now reads... Shine(Salon) "a talent agency". That is what I feel I really am! I talent agent (as a salon owner that is)

Comment by Michael Volovitz on June 4, 2010 at 12:30am: Great idea! Hook it up Randy!
We are in...........

Comment by Dennis Clendennen on June 3, 2010 at 11:19am: Love it Randy, we are the artists, the craftsmen, the shapers of the direction we take this 'industry', we create the need for the tools and more collaboration between us and the manufacturers is needed to further what we do:D-