This archive report was first published on 3 August 2019.
On August 3, 2019, the Standard published a story about Gladys Kanyiri, a hairdresser who had turned her life around through hard work and determination.
When Kanyiri completed Form Four, she faced limited options: a short course in hairdressing or early marriage. However, she had bigger dreams and approached a local beauty salon owner to take her on as an apprentice.
For six months, Kanyiri learned the ins and outs of hairdressing, and then landed a job as an assistant at a popular salon in Meru town. Despite the low pay and strict employer, Kanyiri persevered and worked hard for five years.
During this time, she saved every penny she could spare and put away Sh50,000 in a local Sacco. With this savings, she finally had the means to open her own salon.
Kanyiri found a small room on Ghana Street in Meru town and used her savings to pay the rent and business permit. She also bought a dryer and the necessary chemicals.
However, the business did not take off immediately. For a month, she only had two clients, and less than 10 in the second month. But Kanyiri did not give up.
By the third month, her fortunes shifted, and many of her former clients found out about her new salon and started visiting her. Business picked up, and she was soon overwhelmed with clients.
To cope with the demand, Kanyiri trained an assistant and later took on young girls whom she trained and employed. She also started supplementing her earnings by training willing apprentices, charging them Sh24,000 for six months' worth of training.
However, Kanyiri soon realized that many of her trainees lacked passion for the business. 'Most wanted to do the least amount of work they could get away with, were always late and ended up becoming housewives within six months of completing their training or finding alternative work,' she told Hustle at her salon in Meru.
Despite these challenges, Kanyiri maintains that her high standards of hygiene are the secret to her success. 'The biggest lesson I have learnt in this business is the importance of hygiene. Clients are very conscious about the cleanliness of combs and towels even though they may not question you directly and that is why I go through over 60 towels a day,' she added.
