A club DJ turned into a mobile barber after gigs dried during the Coronavirus lockdown.
Mario Miller from Belhar used to own two barbershops before becoming a deck wrecker, but with bookings cancelled, he had to go back to his roots to make a living.
So now he drives around in his car, going from home to home to give clients haircuts.
He calls his business Mobile Fresh and has been operating out of the boot of his VW Polo for about two weeks.
INNOVATIVE: Mario operates from his car
Mario was a barber for seven years and owned his own businesses in Belhar.
He says the reopening of hair salons and barbershops under Level 3 of the lockdown presented an idea to generate income.
He says, like so many other people, he suffered a financial loss when the lockdown started in late March.
“The lockdown took a lot of food from the table. When it kicked in, I never thought about the barbershop, but as it went on I struggled and I thought, I need to do something.”
He drives to on average six clients a day in his own car and says the prices start from R60, depending on their location.
He says ever since he advertised his business on social media, he has been getting bookings non-stop.
A CUT ABOVE: Mario Miller of Belhar goes around to cilents’ homes to give them a fresh cut
“People are scared of the virus and waiting in queues to get a haircut. I am offering them a haircut in the comfort of their homes.
“I think that is what makes this mobile barbershop special,” says Mario.
Customer David Williams had his first cut after three months this week and says he enjoyed the experience.
“My experience with Mobile Fresh has been a phenomenal one,” he says.
“I saw my friend’s status on WhatsApp and decided to do enquiries, I then made a booking.
“Mobile Fresh was efficient in respect of providing feedback and confirming the booking.”
Mario does boys’ cuts, normal and high fades, and goes the extra mile to give his clients a memorable experience, even serving drinks and cocktails during appointments.
“I like to spread love because people show the same to me.”
He encourages young people to look for innovative ways to earn money, saying Covid-19 has changed the world and “things will never be the same again”.
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