“I was messing around at first, but then I started to get better client by client.”
Prince Owuson, 18, a self-employed student set up his own barber business using his living room and made over £1,000.
Throughout March and April “I was offering free haircuts to my friends and brothers. Over time, I got better then friends were telling me to charge people.”
When Prince felt confident cutting different types of fades on African hair textures, he began taking payments ranging from three to five pounds per haircut, through cash and mobile banking methods.
Prince said:
“I used what I liked and had an interest in pursued it”
When his friends shared his ‘trims’ with their friends on social media, Prince gain a rush of appointments from people all over Manchester and even more arrived at his doorstep with their friends, friends.
“These times, people were desperate for trims, so I was getting client left, right and centre.”
“I did not want to be bossed around like many young people I decided to take matters into my own hands”
With the rise of unemployment for young people increased by 88,000 during Covid-19. The aspiring entrepreneur has advised young people “to create their own jobs and not to rely on an someone else”
He added
“So, I would advise that as youth you should do what interest you. What I say is if one person is willing to buy a product or service, then millions of people would buy it also. So, don’t be afraid to pursue your interest.”
Clients would book appointments sending messages on Snapchat. However, the rush of clients has enforced him to set the appointments through Calendly. He has recently opened an Instagram account to expand his business. He says it will “attract a wider demographic,” as he has had
With the engagement of social media all over the world formed quarantine trends that normalised lockdown looks. Celebrity such as DJ Khaled shared his lockdown look on Instagram. With barbershops closing created a huge market for Prince private barbering service and attracted many locals to him.
According to an Ofcom report people spent 36% more time on social media during this time, on average eight hours a day. Many hair and food businesses use Instagram mainly to attract people to your business. Posting pictures of haircuts helped him verify his work and allows him to develop trust in his skills. His audience can also look for more vital information on his bio and location to gain insight on his service
Prince isn’t sure he will continue his business forever, but the plan is to graduate from University, studying Business and Marketing (BSc).
“By expanding my business in can hopefully invest in other businesses in the future like selling properties”