| Wani Roslan |
AFTER many failed attempts to venture into the field of entrepreneurship, Azhar Ahmadkhan, owner of ‘Chaps & Rebels’, a modern barbershop with a classic concept, is finally succeeding and currently doing well in maintaining his business located in Kiulap.
In a recent interview, Azhar shared his experience on setting up a barbershop amid a slew of others in the country that are run by non-locals.
The father of three boys, who lives in Kampong Jangsak, previously worked at Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB).
As a beginner without experience in such, he started out by cutting the hair of his family and friends for free.
He then sharpened his skills and technique on how to cut hair properly through tutorials on YouTube as well as attending a training session conducted at a local salon. In 2012, he started to provide home-based hair cut services and used his free time after work and public holidays to serve his customers for more than a year.
Azhar Ahmadkhan, owner of Chaps and Rebels barbershop in Kiulap
The ‘Chaps & Rebels’ barbershop has a modern classic ambiance
The shop started off with only two barber chairs and customers had to wait in long queues for their turn. The shop has now expanded and has four barber chairs. Azhar does not work alone as he has three full-time barbers and two freelancers working in the shop.
Azhar also shared that he has attended several dialogue sessions with DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) and gained an opportunity to learn more about problems faced by other small entrepreneurs operating businesses in the country.
He also attended an open discussion session in the creative industry as a follow-up of the dialogue session, in which he discussed how the government could provide and facilitate small and medium entrepreneurs.
He then advised youths interested in setting up a business to have a strong passion and to do research on businesses that spark their interest.
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