Dad quits banking job to become a hairdresser, now earns Sh80.6m a year

David wanted to create a happier environment for kids who often dread hair appointments (Image: Blend Images)

A brave dad, who quit his City job to become a hairdresser, now has an annual salary of over Sh80 million a year.

David O’Neal ditched the high life to open his own kids' salon - kitted out with mini cars and PlayStations - and he says it's the best decision he's ever made.

The 32-year-old told The Sun: "I was working in retail banking, it was a very secure job and I was making Sh3.9m a year.

"But I am ambitious and I always had this dream of launching my own business. This time failure actually gave me a push.

"When I went for a promotion and I didn't get the job, I knew it was time for me to move on."

The dad-of-two now has a string of regular clients at his salon, Shortcuts - but he said his first "eureka moment" was while cutting his own son's hair.

He said: "My boys always moaned about having a trim.

"I came up with the idea of just giving them a PlayStation or putting on a movie while doing the job and they loved it."

His children - aged eight and eleven - now compete for their place in the hot seat at their dad's salon.

He said the idea is to turn a daunting experience into a fun one and make children feel like they can "be themselves".

The shop - which is fully teched out with gadgets - has mini motorcars for chairs while older kids can play on PlayStation games or watch a cartoon of their choice.

David said: "Everything from the colourful atmosphere of the shop to the games is tailored for the children.

"They can relax without their parents worrying that they will disturb other customers."

The dad-of-two started the company with a loan from the Government-backed Start-Up Loans Company, which offers 6 percent fixed rate on borrowing up to Sh3.1m.

At the same time, he resigned from his job as a banker and trained as a qualified barber.

He said: "Becoming a qualified hairdresser was one of my priorities. But I already had knack for it and used to cut my kids' hair.

"I also learned a lot by watching the other hairdressers working at Shortcuts."

The business - which he launched singlehandedly in 2014 - now has nine salons UK-wide, including in Milton Keynes, Leeds and Bristol, with a team of 30 workers.