Alive to shrinking job opportunities in Kenya, young graduates have turned to self-employment to sustain themselves by largely following their passions and talent.
At the heart of Nyeri town, Samir Lutta has cultivated a niche for himself in the hairdressing and beauty industry, specialising in dreadlock installment.
With changing perceptions about hairstyles, he is drawing customers in droves to the Haven Locs and Beauty services shop in the town.
He graduated with a degree in procurement from Dedan Kimathi University of Technology six years ago.
“The job market was already flooded with unemployed youth and that is how I decided to follow my passion in hairdressing,” he said.
During his four-year university course, Mr Lutta would apprentice at a friend’s salon in Nairobi during long holidays, allowing him to acquire skills in the trade.
During the stints at the salon, he realised there was a missing link in the beauty industry in Nyeri and dreadlocks presented a niche that needed to be exploited.
Over two years, he saved Sh250,000 that he earned from his training experience in Nairobi and opened his business.
His prices range between Sh300 and Sh5,000 depending on the service he offers. On a good day, the business attends to 60 clients.
The business peaks normally on weekends and in festive seasons, when he sees greater customer flows.
Samir Lutta at work.
“I largely sell my business on social media to attract customers here and it has worked for me because most of my clients get to know about my work from the social platforms,” he said, adding that he complements this by issuing business cards and word of mouth to grow his clientele.
He has opened two more businesses in Nyeri County and one in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, with a total of 23 employees.
He said his clients cut across all ages, noting that more people were embracing dreadlocks as a nod to their African roots and the desire to keep natural hair.
“We are making them neater … They look clean and thus employers do not mind associating with employees who have them on as they look serious and presentable,” he said.
He added that dreadlocks were catching on in the population because they protect the scalp better than other hairstyles.
“Listening to my clients and always coming up with fresh hairstyles has helped me retain customers and attract new ones, which has kept my business running over the years,” he said.
The beauty industry, Mr Lutta said, is lucrative as long as one has passion for it and constantly researches on beauty trends so as to keep up with the competition and have an edge in the market.
“To thrive in the highly competitive market, you have to ensure that your business gives the best services that will make your business stand out,” he said.
One of the biggest challenges in his trade, he said, is that counterfeit products have flooded the market, affecting the efficiency of his work.
He advises young people aspiring to join the industry to be keen about the services they want to offer, because for a business to stand the test of time, customers’ welfare must be the topmost concern.
“One has to be consistent in the beauty industry as it is constantly changing … Have something for your clients and aim at bettering your skill every day,” he said, adding that when starting such a business, one needs to be patient and give the business time to grow as they hone their skills BY DAILY NATION