Razors: What Your Small Biz Can Learn From The Dollar Shave Club

Have you heard of the Dollar Shave Club?

There is a great lesson every small business owner can learn from something as simple as a razor.

Dollar Shave Club is a catchy name for a company that specializes in one thing: affordable razors delivered to your door. Sound too simple to work? That’s exactly what co-founders Mike Dubin and Mark Levine were banking on.

Mark and Mike met at a party in 2011, and through the course of the night realized that they shared a mutual frustration with expensive and inconvenient options for buying razors. Who knows what led them to the topic, but by July of that year, they had created a business plan and partnered with one of the world’s leading razor manufacturers. Thus, the Dollar Shave Club was born.

From their humble headquarters in Mike’s living room, the pair had no idea what was in store for them. Consumers jumped at the idea of a cheap and convenient solution to shaving problems, and the friends used innovative marketing tactics to spread the word about their new project. Between sensational YouTube advertisements and well-placed social media campaigns, the Dollar Shave Club exploded with members. They now offer multiple products and a variety of options that range from the original $1 razor to the executive options with six blades and an aloe vera lubricating strip. From simplistic origins came a breakthrough company that is shaving face and taking names.

So what is the key to their success? It’s not like you can sell any personal hygiene item through the mail and expect to become an overnight sensation. To put it simply, Dollar Shave Club excels because it is simple, necessary and fun. The sign-up process is a breeze for even the least computer-literate customer, and they bank on the idea that everyone needs clean, sharp razors on a regular basis.

In addition to the business side of their marketing, consumers are delighted by the edgy and creative ads that contain pop-culture references and (almost) inappropriate language. The website content (originally written by Mike himself) reads like an inside joke from a personal friend. They are a combination of cool, funny, and hip, without trying too hard. Take the product descriptions, for example. The original $1 razor is known as “the humble twin” because of its two-blade construction. It is described as “a great basic shaver for guys who dig simplicity and precision. Reliable – this is the ’82 wagon that starts when it’s below zero.” The “executive” razor is touted as “the final frontier – it’s like a personal assistant for your face. This blade comes from the future and lives in outer space.” Even their packaging materials are fun and unique. One box reads, “I like shaving with a dull razor – No one, ever.”

Between their entertaining advertisements, focus on customer service, and undeniable charisma, Dollar Shave Club is quickly becoming a business force to be reckoned with. Their first official year on the market was 2012 when they reported $4 million in sales. A mere three years later they are on track to exceed their $120 million sales goal.

They attribute their success, in part, to a unique focus on customer retention. Mike is quoted as saying, “It doesn’t do any good to spend money acquiring a new customer if you can’t keep them around.” Which is where many businesses should take a page from the Dollar Shave Club’s marketing strategy.

So if you want record sales and breakneck growth, think like Mike and Mark and focus on entertaining marketing and a solid relationship with customers that will keep them coming back for more. And don’t forget to visit dollarshaveclub.com and see for yourself why Dollar Shave Club has become an instant sensation.

How can you be the next Dollar Shave Club? Share your comments below.

About Stacey Riska

Stacey Riska, aka “Small Business Stacey” is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about saving small business and rebuilding Main Street. She helps small and local business owners #CrushIt by teaching them marketing strategies that get MORE: MORE leads, MORE customers/clients, MORE sales, and MORE money. Stacey is the founder of Small Biz Marketing Specialist, THE go-to place for marketing tips, techniques and strategies that get results. Stacey is also the creator of the Daily Deals for Massive Profits Training Program, an online video training program that teaches small and local business owners how to use daily deal sites like Groupon to skyrocket their business growth and get massive profits. In this program she teaches from experience, as it was the key strategy that transformed her coffee and smoothie business from being $500K in debt to a 7-figure profitable business. When not saving the small business world, she enjoys sipping red wine, eating chocolate (who doesn’t!) and spending time with her amazing husband.