The past 5 years and what's to come for Chaps & Co

“We're thrilled with the impressive strides we've made as a brand throughout the past five years but more excited for what’s to come. 2020 doesn’t count. So, we’re only just getting started”  

The Beginning 

Thinking back to when we founded this business in 2015, I was young and fearless. Barely giving a second thought to leaving my job within a FTSE100 company. Although not knowing what my career path would be. I was convinced a corporate position wasn’t the best fit.   

What I did know, is that I had a dream of having my own business. Being involved in a company I understood as a consumer, armed with a vision of how I believed brands should interact with people and how lifestyle brands worked, everything fell into place.  

I personally resented visiting the barbershop, from a young age. It was a chore which didn’t get any easier. When living in Dubai there’s a brilliant idea in most sectors, but strangely, nobody had figured out how to ‘transform the regular chore of visiting the barbers, into a pleasurable experience’. Chaps & Co was born based on that exact philosophy.   

With absolutely no experience in the hair/ grooming industry, it was a big risk. We opened the first shop in November 2015 and I still held my `full-time position, though that was short-lived. It was only a few months of trading before the realistion that we were onto something brilliant; Chaps & Co became a real business and not just a side project.   

We began to hire staff and build more formal processes, and almost a year to the day since the first opening, we opened our second location. It was at this humbling moment (at 27 y/o) that I realised, I'm good at certain things and bad at others. Scaling proved testing times then as it does now, but neither my partners or I are one to shy away from a challenge.  

Many Hands Make Light Work 

Second smart move - We appointed Dj Rust who revolutionised the operations of our business, allowing my focus to shift to where I could provide most value.  

Like every business, the learning curve is steep. If there’s one lesson in the past five years to take into the next, it’s that bad hires are expensive on several levels. They can damage a company’s reputation both outwardly and inwardly, permanently harming relationships with the team and customers.  

Today, we proudly have the best team since inception, rich in culture and experiences who are shaping the future for our business. Like many businesses, we learned the hard way, but we are who we are through the experiences we’ve encountered. I’ve always thrived on the experience of learning, maybe more than the experience of success. We’ve had plenty of successes, too many to name, and wouldn’t be where we are today without consistently winning at what we do.  

Fast forward 4 additional shop openings by the end of 2019. A pivotal time, saw the introduction of my business partner Chris Browne, who became a full-time employee by October. 

Chris had been instrumental in managing the company’s finances, weighing in on strategy and the best supporting role to both DJ and I whilst holding a full-time position in the capital. This was the first notable transition to the company’s international expansion in 2020. 

Having spent almost all of 2019 preparing for an opening in February this year, we were upset and disappointed not to be able to launch our two new branches in #Riyadh in 2020.  

Seemingly there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we’ll open the first in Q1 2021, and the second to follow in quick succession.   

In terms of our growth going forward, my focus is on North America. Needless to say a huge opportunity for us! I was scheduled to relocate to New York City in the spring. But it turned out the world had other plans for us.  

To focus on the positives, the excitement is building, dusting off the plans, and get started again. I’m typing this mid-flight en-route to the city to mark the official beginning of the construction journey.  

The Future  

So, all eyes on 2021 as we plan to open 4 branches in 3 countries. As you can imagine, this will require another restructure.  

PLUG: We’re always searching for talented people to join our growing team. To apply, simply click here https://www.chapsandco.ae/help-info-contact/join-our-team/   

In a short story, that's everything that's gone on at Chaps & Co in the last few years and months. It's been the most challenging experience of my life, but taking the positives, it's been the most fulfilling experience too. I just want to thank everyone that supports Chaps & Co, everyone that supports our vision and everyone that supports the team. It means the world to all of us.  

Learn from the past. Respect the progress. Work for the future. #KeepItHandsome  

Jordan Davies 

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