Clippers at your convenience

Modern technology has made it possible to allow just about anything to be delivered. Dinner, alcohol, groceries, you name it, you can most likely get it sent to your doorstep. With the help of Texas State alumnus Devante Sanders, barbers and hairstylists can now receive supplies and products needed at the same convenience.

Sanders left his job as a Senior Analyst at Goldman Sachs in Dallas to open The Barber Plug, a Black-owned, family-run business that provides quality equipment for barbers and hairstylists in the DFW area.

The Barber Plug was established in October and assists those in the barber and hairstyling industry with high-quality supplies at affordable prices during the pandemic.

“I just noticed that the barbers never liked to leave the barbershop to get their products,” Sanders said. “They just don't do it for clipping, for highend clippers, the ones that broke the $200 price point and I figured that I could fulfill that gap locally.”

With the business beginning to grow globally, Sanders saw an even bigger increase in followers online after a social media influencer tagged The Barber Plug in a post advertising their product. Soon after, Sanders saw that many others followed in selling clippers offering delivery services.

“I mean, they say that imitation is the greatest flattery so I was actually a little flattered by it,” Sanders said. “The world is so big, especially with the internet, you start to realize there's enough money in the beauty industry for everybody.”

Sanders received his Master’s Degree in Accounting from TXST and attributes his time there to much of his business success.

“I was able to easily understand what profit margins we needed to set our prices in order to be the most competitive if not like the leading cost cutter in the industry,” Sanders said. “It's just been able to help me understand, you know, our books and what we need to do in order to maximize profit.”

Growing up, Sanders’ parents owned three Subway franchises in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. While he was exposed to the process of running a business at a young age, he was the first in his family to obtain an accounting degree.

Sanders also played as a defensive back for the Bobcat football team during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. From the beginning to now, the process of establishing his own business has been a gratifying experience for Sanders.

“The most rewarding part is just knowing that I'll be able to provide barbers and stylists and the beauty industry with great tools, great products at a great price,” Sanders said. “I just feel fulfillment by knowing, you know, because we sell to a lot of barber college students who really don't have $200, $300 to spend on clippers.”

Sanders also encourages young entrepreneurs to never stop creating new business models and not let fear get in the way of imagining new things.

“In a world where e-commerce can connect you to individuals you would never come in contact with before, taking advantage of the fact that we are all now connected through the internet, and be as innovative as you possibly can,” Sanders said.

The Barber Plug runs mainly from their website however, Sanders planned to open a physical store on Oct. 15.

To check out The Barber Plug and stay updated, visit thebarberplug.com or follow @TheBarberPlug on Instagram.

“The most rewarding part is just knowing that I’ll be able to provide barbers and stylists and the beauty industry with great tools, great products at a great price.”

– Devante Sanders