Northampton barber, 23, celebrates one year in business – and urges other young people to take the leap
A 23-year-old barber is marking the one-year anniversary of his shop in a busy Northampton street by expanding into coffee and tattoos – and encouraging other young people to take the leap into self-employment.
Leo Reed opened Leonard's barbershop in St Leonard’s Road, Far Cotton, on May 14, 2024, after deciding he didn’t want to stick with a 9 to 5 job.
He said: “Before I even became a barber, I just knew I wanted to make a lot of money. I knew I didn't want to work in a 9 to 5 for much longer.”
He said he looked at different business ideas and originally wanted to open a café, but couldn’t afford the upfront cost at age 20. Instead, he trained as a barber, saved up, and opened the shop just one year after starting in the trade.
Leo said: “It was a big struggle the first six months. I had no clientele, so massive struggle starting out. But started to build up the online presence a little bit... and all of a sudden I got booked out about eight months in.”
He says things have grown quickly since then, and he now rents out all four barber chairs in the shop to other barbers.
He said: “I've made a lot of progress and enjoyed it as well. When you're just concentrating on working and working and working, time just flies by.”
Leo has now opened a café in the front section of the shop, something he says brings good energy to the space and supports both his team and the wider community.
He said: “I've always liked the vibe in a café. It's nice to bring a community of people together. It's just a nice environment. I just feel like it's going to improve the overall experience for the people that work here and the clients.”
The shop is also planning to add a tattoo studio at the back, with space for three artists. In total, five barbers – including Leo – work in the space, as well as friend and colleague Cameron Creed in the café.
Leo said when the building came up for rent, he couldn’t stop thinking about it and knew he had to go for it – even though he was still early in his career.
“When it came up for rent, I couldn't sleep at night,” he said. “I knew I had to go for it, so I did. I'm very happy I did.”
Now, he wants to help other young people take similar risks. He said many people hold back from self-employment because they assume it's harder than it really is.
“It's as simple as just finding something you're interested in or something you're good at and just starting,” he said. “The first few months is not going to be good... but if you persevere, it can only go up from there.”
Leo’s long-term goal is to grow the business so that he can one day live abroad and travel – which is the reason he started on this path in the first place.
When asked about his advice to others, Leo said: “Hard work, determination, positive outlook, enjoying the journey as well. If you're not enjoying it, then you're going to give up.”