Customer Story

Seaside Barbershop Uses Funding to Hire Top Talent and Grow the Business

July 11, 2024

Kevin Shea has been a barber in Connecticut for over 30 years and, in April 2019, realized his dream of owning his own old-fashioned Gentleman’s Barber Shop. Kevin wanted to create a luxury experience for his customers where they could sit back and watch the game, listen to music, or enjoy a local craft beer and cigar after a top-quality hot shave or styling.

Need for Capital

While Kevin had all of the necessary skills to run a successful shop, the odds were stacked against him. After only 11 months of operation, Covid-19 forced him to close his doors for nearly three months. Kevin was down to the wire when he received his PPP loan, which allowed him to reopen his shop under the new Covid guidelines.

As business began to pick up again, Kevin needed to hire additional talent to grow while maintaining his top-tier reputation. He knew that finding and retaining the talent he needed would require up-front capital. The search was not easy, and Kevin needed to look far and wide, even if that meant looking outside his little seaside community of Old Saybrook.

Why Forward

After doing quite a bit of research, Kevin was introduced to Forward Financing, who believed in his business enough to provide the exact amount he was looking for. With two rounds of funding, he was able to advertise on major platforms and hire two spectacular barbers to travel in for work every day.

Forward’s payment relief benefit has been a great fit for Kevin and his business. Old Saybrook is a coastal town whose population doubles from Memorial Day through Labor Day. He knows how much he needs to save during the Summer to make it through the slower months. However, having the additional benefit of being able to adjust his payments based on revenue allows him to continue his operation without additional financial stress.

As Kevin’s business continues to grow, he knows exactly where to turn for his working capital needs. And we now know exactly where to go for an old-fashioned hot shave on our next trip to the beach!

Interested in learning more about how Forward can help your business? Check out our product or submit your application today. Still have questions? Give us a call at 888-244-9099 or email us at info@forwardfinancing.com, our team is available Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM EST.