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When he started a business more than 10 years ago, 36-year-old James Ngigi, only had a single chair in his barbershop. Never in his life did he imagine that the business which he started in a tiny room would flourish and grow to a popular Spa.

Today, Ngigi, commonly known as JimmyJey, runs a successful business that contains a barbershop, salon, beauty and spa, as well as a training academy. This venture, JimmyJey (Kenya) Ltd, has grown to a point of employing about 55 people and preparing hundreds more for careers in the beauty industry.

It is a business built on a dream deferred, as Ngigi had wanted to be a pilot. Born and raised in Nakuru County, the entrepreneur was raised by a single mother alongside his two siblings.

After finishing secondary school, he had to wait for nearly a year as his mother tried to raise enough money to send him to aviation school.

“The funds could not stretch to educate all three of us through college. I had to step aside and let my siblings continue with their education,” Ngigi told Enterprise during an interview at his business. His introduction to barbering had started earlier, almost by accident.

“When in form two and three, I would spend alot of my free time at a neighbourhood barbershop where I picked up the basic skills of how to of shave and groom,” he says.

“Curiosity turned into an informal apprenticeship and that barber became my role model.”

After sitting for his KCSE exams in 2009, Ngigi went back to that barbershop and sought for a full-time job. He was recruited, 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 where he landed a job at a more established barbershop. As he worked and gained the experience, he made sure to save towards opening his own shop.

“Six years later, in January 2015, I opened it. One chair, one sink, one employee. On the first day, I made Sh1,000 while offering shaving, hair dyeing, texturing and facial scrubs,” recalled Ngigi. “The business grew steadily. Within two years it had outgrown its premises, forcing a move to a bigger space with three chairs. In 2018, I relocated again, this time paying Sh35,000 a month in rent, into premises attracting 15 to 20 clients a day. By 2019 I had five chairs, two sinks, five barbers and two beauticians, serving at least 30 clients daily.”

The 2020 Covid-19 restrictions forced the business to close for about two months.

Revenue dried up and rent arrears piled up and unlike some landlords who waived or reduced rent during the crisis, Ngigi’s didn’t.

“Rather than shutting down, I improvised, offering home call barbering services, sometimes late into the night to keep cash coming in until restrictions eased,” said Ngigi.

“By 2021 I was ready to rebuild. I took an entire floor, grew my workforce to between 25 to 30 people and began formalising the business with more professional systems.”

The demand kept climbing and in 2023, he expanded into salon services and launched the Jimmy Jay Beauty and Spa Academy, partly to meet the client demand for a commercial operation that did not double as a training floor, and partly to tap on the growing interest in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

 Ngigi was now running two connected but distinct businesses; the beauty enterprise and the academy. A decade into building the business, he found fuel for the next stage of growth through HEVA Fund’s Ota Growth Fund.

A friend had 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 said.

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

The timing tested him. Shortly after placing his equipment order, Ngigi 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.

For Ngigi, HEVA’s contribution went beyond the Sh10 million capital injection.

The programme strengthened his management skills for the business as it equipped him with knowledge on bookkeeping, human-resource management and customer service.

“For the last six months, they have walked the journey with me since I was awarded the loan. I have received solid business advice that has helped me run the business better and serve my clients better,” he said.

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

The growth of JimmyJay Spa has rippled beyond its 55 employees. Ngigi says about 70 per cent of them have families that depend on their income. The academy is expected to graduate more than 800 students in November alone.