CAPELLO’S BARBERS AT THE CUTTING EDGE

22 Apr 2020 | Student Life

Capello was founded by Franco Calliva in 1994 and has since been taken over by his Son, Alessandro. This family run business is an award winning barbershop, offering high quality bespoke haircuts, beard trims and shaves. In this Q&A we asked Alessandro how they got to where they are today and to share any of his own tips. Here’s what he had to say…

Tell us about your business?

We are an award winning barbershop based in Cardiff with two stores and are looking to grow to 5 or 6 by the end of next year.

What was the driving force for you to start your business?

My journey started when I dropped out of University and trained to become a barber with my Father. My main driving force to grow the business was to make my Father proud.

What are your business’ core values?

We have always remained true to our core values:

Care
Attention to detail
Organisation

How do you overcome setbacks?

Find someone who has overcome them before and ask for their advice
Remove myself from the situation and re-evaluate my options

If you had one piece of advice for students setting out their own business, what would it be?

Always ask ‘why’ and always figure out who you’re serving. Why are you setting up the business? Who are you serving? As long as your main purpose in business is to serve people in some way, your business will be a success. Plan properly – get down to the nigtty gritty numbers, this will prevent you from making a lot of financial mistakes. Finally, get a mentor or speak to someone who has done something similar already. Knowledge is power!

Are there any other brands outside your sector that you are following at the moment?

Yes loads; Who Clothing, So Cardiff and Slurp Ramen joint Copenhagen.

What has your biggest achievement been so far?

Opening my second shop from scratch.

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