Poutama is proud to support Barber Shack which has operated in Papamoa, Bay of Plenty since January 2021. The business is owned by Dominic Booler (Ngāti Kahu).
Poutama had a chance to sit down with Dominic to learn more about the business, it’s aspirations and how the support from Poutama will help sustain and grow the business further.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
Dominic: Ko Nga̅ti Kahu te iwi, ko Te Paatu me Kaitote te hapū. I moved to Tauranga in 2019 where I live with my partner & daughter. I have been barbering for 15 years. I am very passionate about it and enjoy what I do.
How has the funding received from Poutama helped improve your business?
Dominic: The support has enabled us to purchase equipment that allows us to introduce new services and serve more customers.
Is being Māori important to what you do as a business?
Dominic: Yes, 100%. It empowers me even more to do better, including with our young business.
What are a couple of key points about your business you would like to highlight?
Dominic: We want to create Bay of Plenty’s biggest & busiest Barber Shop, create a space filled with whanaungatanga and manaakitanga whenever a client comes through our door. We want to be part of the community, give back where we can and within 12 months of operating I can 100% say that is what we have achieved. Initially, we started with 3 barbers and as our clientele grew we kept hiring staff. By early 2022, we had 11 skilled barbers!
Learn more about Barber Shack and their services here.
