Jazzie Cuts

If you’ve been to or passed through the six-roads St. Philip area of Barbados, then you are sure to pass Jazzie Cuts. The CP Old Scholar that runs this business goes by the name Charles “Jazzie” Harper. If you’ve met Jazzie – you’ve met someone who is sure to entertain you from get go. Full of energy and hope – Jazzie the father of two is one who lands on his feet, and now more than 10 years later is running Jazzie Cuts.

Charles’ story on commencing his barber shop actually goes back to 2005, and in his own words he says that he….”began “liming” by my then barber Shawn,”… when he said to him “…man I liming here everyday I better has start cutting hair,” In as quick a response Shawn said “No problem, but just like me you’ll have to start cutting your own [clients hair]” Based on that conversation, and by 2006, Charles was also cutting hair in his ‘gallery’. Little did he know that his professional skills – developed out of just the love for seeing good hair cuts, would two years later become the main source of income.

In mid 2007, Charles was separated from his then employer where he gave about three and a half years in Information Technology [IT] and clerical support. He was headed to information security and becoming an expert in Network Security, but he was now unemployed.

However he was home for a few months and the opportunity in IT resurfaced but as Charles said – it lasted just a bit “longer than a sno-cone with milk.” He was still honing his barbering activities and pairing this with his cricketing skills. Still not a permanent entity, his dad told him –  “I didn’t send you school to [stay at] home in this house…and you should therefore go to a construction site to work…”

Well guess what after the experience of the earth tremor while in a multi-story building shortly after Charles was back at home. Of course the most consistent thread was that his barbering clientele was thriving. In between there would have been a short supermarket stint and his options of applying for more jobs.

Charles Jazzie Harper

It was at this time that the obvious started to crystallize for Charles, as he was meant for Barbering, and opening his own business was the new frontier. Charles developed his house call barbering services and he would then be cutting hair for those hospitalized cancer patients as well as house bound persons. Along with this he filled in with some of the more prestigious Barber shops on the island.

Shortly after the opportunity to open his own business arose in St. Philip, but no one knew Jazzie’s Cuts nor Charles. Hitting the street with flyers and business cards was the name of the game. He further said that “…Working on my own – In my own space – is where my skills and the many facets of working in a barbershop would develop… with hundreds of new experiences and new faces to this day.”

Charles and Jazzie cuts have grown amidst the challenge of losing his dad and also the increase in competition where other barber shops opened in the general vicinity. Charles has also expressed that this will not stop him and he is diversifying his craft and becoming even certified in fitness as well. He reminds us that he still loves doing great hair-cuts and always will enjoy this discipline.

Charles is also a musician, hence the name – he’s an accomplished saxophonist. As a entrepreneur he says that the most joy in this journey is the freedom of managing life and work activities “coupled with the joy of seeing the smile on a satisfied customer’s face…”

“The true success in business is when you can duplicate without direct input, that said, though my space is small it’s my goal to very soon bring on another barber…”

Should space and resources become available to see the dream of a full service unisex service salon that would be the goal of Jazzie Cuts. As this business heads into its second decade of business – then the franchise of Jazzie Cuts can start appearing within the Region and maybe Internationally.

For right now though, a quick visit to Jazzie Cuts in Six Roads St. Philip means that the CP old scholars can benefit once they show their card. Why not make an appointment now or visit in store?