Barbershop on wheels: Nyron Charles goes mobile to give haircuts

VIDYA THURAB

A barber, and his shop, have always played an important role in societies.

The space is more than somewhere to get a haircut. It provides a sense of community. A barbershop is alive with heated conversations on topics from sports – "who won the last game" – to politics, current events and philosophy.

Barbering has existed for thousands of years. Archaeological findings of razors date as far back as 3,500 BC – in the Bronze Age – in Egypt. The profession can be traced to 5,000 BC, when Egyptians used oyster shells or sharpened flint as barbering tools.

Priests and ancient doctors were among those recorded in history to have been the first barbers.

The skill of barbering played an integral role in many cultures, such as Mayan, Aztec, Iroquois, Viking and Mongolian societies, where the art of shaving was used to differentiate roles in society and during wartime.

Today, it is one of the staples of the grooming industry for men, boys, and even women – an essential service to many. Enhancing someone's appearance improves how they feel about themselves, and how they are seen by others. The right cut is necessary for a professional look for a job interview, marks a new beginning for boys for a school term, and to capture one's style on special occasions, like one's wedding day.

This is the tradition Nyron Charles is taking to a new era: mobile barbering.

Charles owns Trending and Stylin Mobile Barbering Services. He has taken his 28 years' experience as a barber to modernise his business. It all began in 1992 in Arima, where Charles comes from.

"My first barbering space was started at home, then I branched out into a barbershop on the main road in Morvant, and then I decided to come into Port of Spain on George Street," he told Business Day.

The call to barbering came early to him.

"I picked it up from my brother-in-law, seeing him doing it. You know sometimes you watch things and see other people doing them and you say to yourself, 'Yeah, it's something I can see myself doing.'"

From then on, he watched other barbers, learning their techniques and adapting them to his skills.

He did formal training in New York, at the American Barber Institute, also learning about products and beauty services. When he returned to Trinidad, Charles recognised that to build his brand, he had to offer more than just a haircut.

"I'm not the typical barber. I don't offer services like the typical barber; I do hair colours/dyes, I bleach, I offer hot towel services, I do facials and other services."

He understood the value of offering services to a varied cross-section of clients.

"I'm not partial to anybody in particular. For example, some barbers don't like to trim children's hair, but my whole thing is, the same child you refuse today will become a man tomorrow – that can be a prospective client."

In 2017, Charles decided to move away from sharing stations with other barbers in a shop and open his own.

"Basically, working in a barbershop, sometimes you get tired of being around people and having issues. I just wanted to be more independent and free to deal with clients instead of issues, whether with other barbers or landlords."

He felt empowered being his own boss: "Setting my own time and knowing the more I put into it, the more it will benefit me, as opposed to working for someone where the more you put into their business it's the more you do for them.

"I thought about opening a shop on many occasions but from my experience with some barbers, they lacked discipline, they don't like to pay rent. So I decided this was the better thing for me."

The mobile barbering concept was something he saw in New York and decided to adapt this business module to the TT market.

His first step was to find a vehicle. He first considered importing one from England, where prices were reasonable, but decided to broaden his search for one locally.

"I also put the word out to people I knew because I saw them on the road, but I wasn't able to source an actual seller. Then a partner told me he saw one parked up on the streets for some months. So I said, 'All right, I'll go check the person,' but the person that it was parked next to wasn't actually the owner, but the driver, and he said he doubt the owner was selling, but if I was interested, check him anyway.

"So I went and check the owner and it ended up that he had two, so I purchased one."

Charles, who is also a joiner, built a salon inside the van.

"I designed it and did all the interior design work. I got help from a partner who is an electrician who helped with the electrical work."

He has since used the mobile unit to make house calls, and drives from Arima to Port of Spain five days a week, from as early as 6 am, to meet clients.

"I make a sustainable living, it's just a little more demanding than a shop. Whereas you just turn your key when you come in the morning, and turn your key when you leave in the evening, this is a little more complicated than that. You have to be more on point as far as maintenance (is concerned). The maintenance is basically vehicle maintenance – fuel, oil change, wear and tear – but it is less than paying rent."

Pre-covid19, Charles used to provide discounted services to a boys' home in Port of Spain. but had to stop because of public health restrictions.

However, he kept on providing his services in recent months.

"I wouldn't say it really changed. because to be honest. during the whole lockdown. I didn't stop. I would do house calls. The roads were more free and accessible."

He said his business model was in line with safety guidelines, as his services did not require him or the client to be in contact with anyone else but each other.

"I just basically follow the suggested guidelines and live one day at a time. I do what I can do, sanitise, wear my mask. I can only do what I can do, as any other individual should."

While the freedom of his business motivates him to continue every day, Charles is also ready to embark on the next step. He hasn't decided what that is yet, but is optimistic it will come to him in time.

"There are many joys of my profession: meeting people every day, making someone feel good about themselves, enjoying my own handiwork, watching someone transform from being down to being refreshed.

"But my future hopes for this business? Well, I try not to think too far into the future, I just try to live from one day to the next."

For Trending and Stylin Mobile services contact Nyron Charles at 782-9648.