How Cut Box is Revolutionizing Men's Grooming with Osajie Obah

In this podcast episode, Osajie is the founder of Cut Box, a company that provides affordable, high-quality haircuts. Oz discusses his background in engineering, his journey as a startup founder, and Cut Box's expansion plans. Oz shares his thoughts on pricing strategy, customer experience, and talent acquisition. We also touch on the possibility of offering haircuts for women and kids in the future, and much more!TimestampsStarting a Billion Dollar Business [00:00:18] Oz talks about his background in engineering and his goal to create a billion-dollar business.Raising Funds through Crowdfunding [00:02:33] Oz discusses Cut Box's crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube and their plans to expand to more stores.Pricing Strategy and Market Differentiation [00:06:13] Oz shares his thoughts on pricing strategy and how Cut Box differentiates itself from competitors in the men's grooming industry.Recruitment and Training [00:08:32] Oz explains how Cut Box recruits and trains barbers, including character phone calls, trade tests, and data analysis. They also discuss plans for a Cut Box finishing academy.Choosing Bristol as the First Location [00:12:57] Oz talks about why Cut Box chose Bristol as their first location, citing the city's young, affluent demographic and competitive barber market. They also discuss leveraging their relationship with House of Fraser.Launching in a Second City [00:15:44] Oz discusses the strategy behind launching in a second city, emphasizing the importance of identifying what makes a good barber store.Geographic Expansion [00:15:59] Oz discusses Cut Box's expansion plans, focusing on major cities in the UK and franchising opportunities.Differentiating with Tech [00:18:37] Oz explains how Cut Box differentiates itself from competitors with a focus on innovation and optimizing the customer experience through tech systems.Revenue and Break-Even [00:21:43] Oz shares Cut Box's revenue run rate and discusses the revenue and break-even numbers for each store, as well as the higher margins for products.Product Development Mistakes [00:23:31] Oz shares his experience with product development and the importance of getting a minimum viable product to market quickly.Messaging Philosophy [00:24:39] Oz discusses the importance of clear and simple messaging that highlights the value proposition for customers.Talent Acquisition Lessons [00:26:45] Oz shares his insights on talent acquisition, including the importance of hiring senior people early on and the value of hiring hustlers with drive and enthusiasm.Successes and failures [00:32:29] Oz talks about the importance of determination and drive in succeeding as a startup founder.Hiring a senior operator [00:32:50] Oz shares what he would have done differently if he could go back in time when he started Cut Box.Cut Box's crowdfunding campaign [00:33:29] Oz shares how people can reach out to him and know more about Cut Box's crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube.Key LinksCutbox - https://cutbox.co.uk/Crowdcube - https://www.crowdcube.com/earl....y-access/cutboxLinke - https://www.linkedin.com/in/osajie-oboh-b5291a127/