Barber Jesse: ‘The Biggest Pitfall for Student Entrepreneurs is… Giving Up’

In front of the Zernike Foodcourt stands a bright red fire truck. Inside, barber Jesse runs his mobile barbershop, the Barber Brigade.

‘I started cutting hair when I was fifteen, first on my brothers and friends,’ says 27-year-old barber Jesse Kribben, who turned his hobby into a profession. During his student years, Jesse cut hair whenever and wherever he could, attracting many clients thanks to his low prices.
For his Commercial Economics course at Hanze University, Jesse had to do a mandatory internship. ‘That was an eye-opener—I realised I didn’t enjoy economics at all.’ He took a gap year, training at a barbershop in the city. ‘I gained a lot of work experience there and had plenty of opportunities to experiment.’

‘A mobile barbershop definitely stands out’

After a year and a half in the barber trade, Jesse started a minor in Entrepreneurship at Hanze. ‘I began thinking about how I could start my own business, and that’s how the concept of a mobile barbershop was born. It’s a blend of my passion and an original workspace.’
Jesse knew he needed to stand out, as the competition in the barber industry is fierce. ‘I thought of a van that could go directly to clients. A mobile salon certainly stands out. Plus, you can pay off a van, which in the long run helps reduce overheads.’ The search for a suitable van began. ‘I browsed Marktplaats and stumbled upon this model. I bought it from a man who imports these vans from Austria and Germany. After a career as a fire truck and food truck, it’s now my mobile barbershop.’ Jesse gave the van a fitting name, Barber Brigade, as a tribute to its history.

‘I had to convert the van, so I became an assistant carpenter to learn the ropes’

It’s been three years since barber Jesse picked up the van for a bargain price. Buying it was one thing, but converting it into a barbershop was another challenge entirely. ‘I didn’t have money for the conversion, nor did I know anything about carpentry.’ YouTube came to the rescue. ‘There are plenty of renovation videos to be found,’ says the handy barber. And… there’s a lot to learn on the job too. ‘During the pandemic, there was plenty of work in construction. I became an assistant carpenter, which is how I learned the tricks of the trade.’ In no time, Jesse had mastered carpentry. At weekends, I worked on the van and showed the results to my colleagues, who were always ready with advice and support.’ The barbershop has since become his trademark, and many people know the van and the travelling barber.

‘Students are less settled, so they’re quicker to come to you’

Finding a good spot for the van was the final step. ‘At first, I thought of a business park because people there have money and often less time.’ It soon became clear, though, that the average age on business parks was quite high, which meant Jesses’s potential clients had long been loyal to their barbers. ‘Students are less settled and more likely to come to you,’ a friend observed. He pointed Jesse to the Zernike food court, and Jesse got in touch with the owner, the University of Groningen. ‘They were enthusiastic, and after visiting, I got the green light to start. I’ve noticed that business gets better every year, as students get to know you.’

‘It’s trial and error—you have to accept that it takes time for your concept to succeed’

Starting a business doesn’t happen overnight. Jesse has a few tips. ‘Start small, so it stays manageable. Think of a food truck at a festival where you don’t have to take out a huge loan or hire staff right away. Entrepreneurship is trial and error. Accept that it takes time for your concept to take off. By keeping things small and using your own money, based on your passion, you’ll be more resilient to setbacks. The most important thing is to just keep going. Giving up… that’s the biggest trap.’

Photo: Teodora Stan