JUGGLING children and earning a decent living is a nightmare to navigate for most parents. Many mums end up working part-time and taking big pay cuts because they can find no other way of looking after their kids.
A Smart Solution for Working Parents
Raz Wright, 46, found an ingenious way to earn six-figures while still being there for every single school run. She told HOAR: "I absolutely love it. It gives me the freedom to pick up kids from school." The mum-of-two has cashed in by offering professional quality braids to other parents. And she says any parent can follow in her footsteps.
A Chance Discovery
It started when Raz had been looking for a new career after having her two children, now aged 11 and 8. By chance, she decided to take braiding lessons because she was worried about her daughter catching head lice at school. But she soon realised there was a big demand from parents who want their children's hair styled.
Filling a Gap in the Market
Raz adds: "I wanted to make her hair look good. So I had braid lessons and came across the braid bar concept. I thought, parents like me could do with a braid bar in Southampton." In 2019, she took the plunge and set up Trenza Braid Bar in her local shopping centre. Parents could bring children to the pop-up stall and have their hair braided – paying around £45 a pop. The business was an instant success and, despite Covid, her earnings were in the region of £75,000 during the first year.
Adapting to Challenges
Throughout the lockdowns that followed, she kept her business active on social media posting on her Instagram account @trenza_braidbar as well as TikTok. By 2022 she was earning £145,000 from the braid bar – far more than she had been making in her previous career in events.
A Cost-Effective Move
But being in the shopping centre was expensive, costing around £1,000 a day for the stand. Earlier this year, Raz decided to move the business to her own back garden and build a braid bar there. She drums up business via social media, as well as relying on long-standing customers and her website Trenza.co.uk. Raz also offers braiding at festivals.
Sharing the Knowledge
After noticing many parents talk about not knowing how to braid, Raz started offering lessons as part of her business. She has launched The Braid School, which teaches anyone how to braid. Raz is also offering a commercial day class that will train people to provide so-called feed-in braids or festival braids. The mini-course costs £450 but Raz reckons people can then go on to start a side hustle offering the braids at festivals, local fairs or even through a local braid bar. She said: "It's definitely suited to parents who might want to earn extra income – it's something you can easily do at the weekend. There are no start-up costs as such, you just need to learn how to braid… Create a free Instagram page and get going."
A Financial Benefit
If you start a side hustle you can earn up to £1,000 a year without paying tax. After this, you'll need to start filling in a self-assessment tax return.
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