Ghana Business Diary: Reflect Ghana (Part 1)

How The Hair Clipper Shaped A Life

Turning GHC1 into GHC1.50 or even GHC2.00 repeatedly is an act that requires a lot of tact and maybe even some talent. The more complicated the country gets, the more people want to test if they have the tact and talent required to sell a product or service. When 1957AD spoke to Godwin, popularly known as Degree Barber, his larger than life persona and cheerful nature was not all we fell in love with. His power to easily wield both staffs of talent and tact was even more fascinating, and it is very evident in the growth and success of his business, Reflect Ghana.

“Starting out was not easy,“ he tells us. “It was me basically trying to survive. I was faced with financial constraints, which triggered my decision to study barbering during my senior high school days.“ “I am the fourth child of five to a single parent, and it did not look like I was going to get my basic needs on a silver platter since I had to share my dad’s limited resources with my other siblings, so I needed to face my problems like a man.“ He continues, “I had a plan too; my school dad in high school was the go-to person for haircuts, and he was making good money, so I understudied him.“ “I envied my school dad a bit.“ He quickly interjects, “Not envy in the way that makes you want to bring others down, that’s wrong,  but in a way that propels an individual to also do more. Thus, I started thinking of taking over from him when he graduates. I wanted to be named after him. It was the only way to leapfrog all my financial problems.“ In times when social media has conditioned young people to believe in ‘pay me first before I move‘ and have lost the value of servitude, Degree Barber highlights how that singular act set him up with a life skill. “The plan was to secretly study him whilst I run errands pertaining to his barber supplies and also performing housekeeping activities for him.“ A smile creeps across his face as he continues, “Constant practise on my friends, and a serious dedication helped me realise my dream, and when he left, I became the top dog.“

With a whiff of success, Godwin makes good of his new reputation and leverages on it. “Not before long, I was cutting the hair of my seniors and teachers. I went from a poor boy who couldn’t afford provisions for a month to the guy who could easily take five friends to the cafeteria and bear all the costs. Now I could buy textbooks and  pay my fees for extra tuition.“ And of course, as a young man coming into money, he bought good sneakers and clothes. “I left senior high school with some good money, and that left my dad in awe.“ However, it was not all rosy after that; with one goal achieved, he had other plans, and he had to achieve them.

“A full year after finishing high school, I worked as a professional barber to save some money to further my education at the University of Professional Studies, Accra. With a clipper and admission letter, I started reading business administration.“  With the pursuit of a four-year undergraduate degree, he quickly captured the student market and just like in high school, he was the person to go-to for the perfect look. But haircut money was not cutting it for his next big idea. “One of the biggest problems when starting up a business in Ghana is finance, and I had a bigger dream, my own business. I invested the money I made from barbering into the retail of sneakers and mobile phones, and that paid off and gave me enough capital to start Reflect Ghana.“

The goal to start Reflect Ghana did not come up one day; Godwin speaks about growth in business passionately. “Growth is essential to the full realisation of every dream. Growth requires space, and allowing yourself to grow over time gives you the steady progress to keep you going. In my case, I realised that I needed to graduate from being a one-man-army to owning a system that works in my absence; that is the real key to financial freedom.“ As a young man with enough money, he cared for his basic needs, satisfied his wants, and extended financial support to others from his one-man-army. The thought crossed his mind of how much more he would be able to achieve if he owned a barrack with many soldiers, in this case, a salon with hair specialists. “As a business administration student, I learnt from class that entrepreneurship involves identifying and making use of every opportunity that comes your way, taking calculated risks and being innovative. Doing things that barely exist or even already exist, but uniquely.“ Armed with the knowledge from school that taught him to differentiate his services, he was moved by a famous quote. “They say dreams do not work unless you do.“ “Well, I wanted my dream to work, so I started doing. The first step was to create an online presence, then I scouted for a good space, paid the rent and started running a brick and mortar business a few months later.“

With the location set up, he had to recruit and that he did. “Like every corporate firm, my team and I advertised for vacant positions for Reflect Ghana and applicants were required to send their resumes to the company email.“ Highlighting a rigorous selection process, he finally got the best people. Staff who will produce the quality that his clients have become accustomed to.

By The Fireside by 1957AD seeks to tell authentic Ghanaian stories. Just like the traditional setting, you will find Ghanaians pouring out their thoughts and creativities with zero limitations.

The fire for this story was started by 

Godwin Kofi Tetteh (Degree Barber)

With support from

Kelvin Wordi

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