Like all small businesses, Elite Cuts is the story of perseverance and determination in the face of many obstacles. Here we feature the story of its owner, Edwin Pettway, a Kinnek customer and master barber who defied many setbacks to build his skills and business.
Business: Elite Cuts
Kinnek Customer: Edwin Pettway, Owner
Social Links: Facebook, Instagram
Edwin Pettway discovered his passion for barbering in the strangest of places: his dislike of visiting the barber. When he was younger, he hated going to the barbershop. However he felt self-conscious about his hair and his dad finally bought a pair of clippers. The clipper just sat there unused until, one day, Edwin decided to try and cut his own hair. Later that day his brother said to him, “When did you have time to go to the barber?.” The response came back with a beaming smile: “No, I cut this myself!”
It turns out those clippers were the key to a hidden talent. Keen to build his skills Edwin started to work for his uncle, also a barber. The barbershop gave Edwin a crash-course on everything from sweeping up hair, running the register and even cutting hair (when his uncle let him).
That experience lasted for about a year or so until both his arms were broken in a bad car accident. Sadly he couldn’t cut hair for six months but as his arms healed, the left arm started to recover faster. Despite being right-handed, Edwin was determined to continue his craft. So he taught himself to cut with his left arm then relearned with his right arm as he regained mobility... The result? He’s now ambidextrous with a pair of clippers.
Fast forward 25 years and he's know known among friends as “Edwin the Barber Guru”. The entrepreneur has now trained both fellow barbers and cosmetologists, some of whom have gone on to open their own shops and salons. Despite battling many hardships to become a successful small business owner, Edwin discovered purchasing for his small business didn't have to be tough too. When he first used Kinnek after finding it through a simple online search, Edwin found it so easy to connect with suppliers and find what he needed that the next time he turned to the marketplace again for his very next purchase, a vending machine. According to Edwin, “most of the work is already done, all I had to do was look over the quotes and each supplier’s reviews.”
After discussing his requirements for a new vending machine with Kinnek’s customer service team, Edwin passed along some advice for any smalll business in the same boat:
1. Business Fit: Research the industry you're trying to enter. Look at what's needed to be successful and what's lacking from the field. What can you bring to the industry?
2. Business Growth: Start putting aside money well in advance. In case you can't raise working capital from loans, grants, and other options, you'll have something to fall back on.
3. Recruiting: Start early! Think about who you're going to hire. Figure out who's going to help you with your business' day to day, but also who's going to help your business grow and work well with you.
Thanks for talking to us, Edwin!
Elite Cuts is located at:
1073 Hwy 138,
Jonesboro,
GA
30236
Call Elite Cuts: 770-626-7004
Follow in Edwin's purchasing footsteps by connecting with reputable vending machine suppliers and beyond on Kinnek today! >>
