It’s not just barbers. Excessive licensing requirements are an impediment to people starting small businesses.

“Since our founding, IJ has fought to roll back oppressive occupational-licensing rules in more than two dozen distinct occupations, ranging all the way from tax preparers to florists to traditional African hair braiders.”

>I never did quite understand their obsession with hairdresser licensing but all their institutions push it.

Marketing. It's highly relatable to larger swaths of the population.

There's plenty of other licensing things that are even more asinine but they don't have the broad mass market appeal.

Marketing what? They largrly sell chemicals and oil.