MY HUSTLE: My passion for cutting hair has paid off

Jimmy Ngare’s interest in becoming a barber was sparked when he was still a high school student. The 27-year-old, who dreamt of becoming a pilot while growing up, says his profession gives him immense satisfaction.

“I used to hang out at the shop of a barber called Onyi Papa when I was in high school and would watch with fascination as he shaved heads.

He stepped out to run an errand one day when I had visited and on coming back, found me experimenting on a schoolboy’s head who had come for a cut and assumed I knew what I was doing. Instead of Onyi admonishing me, he guided me on how to do it better and just like that, he became my mentor.”

And Onyi’s mentorship efforts paid off.

Jimmy or Jimmy Jey as he is fondly known, was the first runner up during the Hair Beauty and personal Care expo at Sarit Center in recognition of his skills.

TOOK MENTORSHIP SERIOUSLY

Jimmy took his apprenticeship seriously.

“I would go to Onyi’s barbershop every weekend ready to learn. Upon competing my secondary school education, I joined Onyi as a full-time employee where I would receive a commission of Sh20 for every client I shaved.”

He sought greener pastures at a different barbershop in Nakuru town centre later where he was making Sh8000 per month but a tragedy in the family forced him to consider different financial options.

“My mother died four years after I started my new job and as the first born, I had to find a way of fending for my father and siblings. When a friend offered to pay me a monthly salary of Sh20,000, I could not say no.”

But the thought of starting his own shop kept nagging him, especially the fact that he would not have to share profits with the shop owner.

“This pushed me to start saving and in December 2014,  I had saved Sh100,000 and took a loan of Sh80,000 from his chama, he resigned and on January 2015, officially started working as his own boss after setting up Jimmy Jey Barbers at Masters Plaza in Nakuru.

EXPANDED BUSINESS

“Some clients are motivate me to go on others are stubborn but I just have to be patient and try to fit in their shoes to help me gain their trust.”

Jimmy uses Facebook and Instagram to showcase his talent.

Currently, he has seven employees and his shop also has a beauty parlour.

He makes a monthly profit of between Sh80,000 to Sh90,000.

His client list  includes top politicians among other VIPs. He hopes that the Nakuru County Governor and Lee Kinyajui and President Uhuru Kenyatta will join his growing list of celebrity clients.

“My friends’ and I visit children’s homes and also street kids on a monthly basis to give free haircuts as a way of giving back to the community. I am working on doing this every Sunday and I want to involve other barbers from different counties.”

The Sarit expo not only gave his shop publicity but also validated him and opened his eyes to his own potential. He also networked with his seniors and peers in the beauty industry.

“It was a proof of my proficiency and that made me even work harder and believed more in myself and my capabilities. This year, I’m hoping to expand my business to Nairobi and to start a barber school in Nakuru.”