Childhood apprenticeship turns sweet for a Nakuru investor

Jimmy Jay, 36, runs a business that bears little resemblance to the single-chair barbershop where his entrepreneurial journey began just over a decade ago.

Today, Jimmy Jay Spa combines a barbershop, salon, beauty and spa services and a training academy under one roof, employing about 55 people and preparing hundreds more for careers in the beauty industry.

It is a business built on a dream deferred, as Jimmy had always wanted to be a pilot. Born and raised in Nakuru County and educated at LakeView Secondary School, he was raised by a single mum who was also supporting his two siblings. After finishing secondary school, he waited nearly a year to raise money enough to cover his aviation school fees.

With funds little and not able to stretch to educate all three children through college, Jay chose to step aside so his siblings could continue their education. But in a sweet twist of fate, his Plan B would become a business.

Introduction to barbering

Jay’s introduction to barbering had started earlier, almost by accident. Between Form Two and Form Three, he began spending time at one Onyi’s Barbershop, a neighbourhood outfit where he picked up the basics of shaving and grooming.

Curiosity turned into an informal apprenticeship, and Onyi — as much for his presentation as his skill with a blade — became a role model.

After sitting his KCSE exams in 2009, Jay asked Onyi for a full-time job. He got it, earning Sh200 a day and Sh500 on weekends. When his results came out and the aviation-school money still had not materialised, his mother advised him to keep building his barbering skills rather than wait indefinitely. He took the advice, moved into Nakuru town, and worked in established barbershops while saving toward his own shop.

Six years later, in January 2015, he was on a roll: one chair, one sink, one employee. He made Sh1,000 on his first day, offering shaving, hair dyeing, texturing and facial scrubs.

The business grew steadily. Within two years it had outgrown its premises, forcing a move to a bigger space with three chairs. In 2018, Jay relocated again — this time paying Sh35,000 a month in rent — into premises attracting 15 to 20 clients a day. By 2019 he had five chairs, two sinks, five barbers and two beauticians, serving at least 30 clients daily. Then the pandemic hit.

Surviving COVID pandemic

The 2020 Covid-19 restrictions forced the business to close for about two months. Revenue dried up and rent arrears piled up; unlike some landlords who waived or reduced rent during the crisis, Jay’s did not.
Rather than shut down, he improvised, offering home-call barbering services — sometimes late into the night — to keep cash coming in until restrictions eased.

By 2021 he was ready to rebuild. Took an entire floor, grew his workforce to 25–30 people and began formalising the business with more professional systems. Demand kept climbing, and in 2023 he expanded into salon services and launched the Jimmy Jay Beauty and Spa Academy — partly to meet client demand for a commercial operation that did not double as a training floor, and partly to tap growing interest in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

Jay was now running two connected but distinct businesses: the beauty enterprise and the academy.

The Sh10 million round

A decade into building the business, Jay found fuel for the next stage of growth thanks to HEVA Fund’s Ota Growth Fund.

He says a friend encouraged him to apply; he did so in December 2024 and, after a rigorous assessment, was awarded Sh10 million in October 2025.

Before the financing, Jay says, the business was running on thin working capital.

“I used to operate my business on a negative. I used to buy products, but I did not have sufficient equipment to meet the demands of my clients. I had also not trained my employees enough,” he explains.

The capital changed that calculus. Jay travelled to China to source modern barbershop, salon and beauty equipment, invested in additional rooms for pedicure and spa services, and cleared outstanding debts.

“My bank statements were good. I wish I had applied for the maximum loan of Sh20 million, which I qualified for,” he says.

The timing tested him. Shortly after placing his equipment order, Jay fell ill and was bedridden for three months. By the time he recovered, the equipment had arrived, ready to be deployed into the expanded business.

The new capacity has let him add more beauty and spa rooms, hire an additional 13 people, and invest in social media marketing.

“Our business is now growing progressively. Sales have increased and we have also seen growth on social media,” he says.

More than financing

For Jay, the Sh10 million capital injection strengthened the management side of the business — bookkeeping, human-resource management and customer service.

“I have received solid business advice that has helped me run the business better and serve my clients better,” he says.

That support has also shaped how he thinks about his academy. About 80 of his students, who are all ladies, have been guided by him to explore HEVA Fund financing and grant opportunities of their own. “I want my students to be considered as a priority for this fund,” he says.

The academy has become central to his enterprise model, training students while feeding a pipeline of skilled workers into the wider beauty industry. Jay helps graduates find placements in barbershops, salons and hotels; one former student now works at a hotel in Dubai, providing beauty services.

A wider footprint

Jay says about 70 percent of his 55 employees have families that depend on their income. The lowest-paid worker, a cleaner, earns about Sh18,000 a month, with others earning more depending on their roles.

“Life has changed for my employees from 2023 to now. They can now support their families,” he says, citing the example of a widow left without family support after her husband’s death, who has used her job at the spa to support her children.

The ripple extends further, into the small businesses that feeds the spa like beauty-product suppliers, technicians and service providers.

Jay estimates the business uses about 60 litres of water daily, while his 55 employees spend roughly Sh200 each on lunch at nearby food kiosks.

Technicians who service the firm’s equipment earn from the business too, some receiving at least Sh2,000 every two weeks.

“My business has a ripple effect on the economy. Through the salaries they earn, they can also employ house managers. I have transformed many lives through my business,” he says.

Five counties

Jay’s ambitions now extend beyond Nakuru. In the near term, he plans to open a second branch in Nakuru town; over the next five years, he wants to expand the academy into at least five counties — Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kitale and Kericho are on his shortlist. The academy is expected to graduate more than 800 students in Novembe.

While Jay never became a pilot, he built an enterprise from a barber’s chair, and is now using it to create jobs, train young people and grow a beauty and wellness business rooted in Nakuru.

His story is a reminder that for many entrepreneurs, the first business opportunity is rarely the one they planned for. Sometimes, it is the one they discover while trying to survive.