Robers Armand

Intro to Business

Final Project

Isaac’s Barbershop
How I got the info:

I called the Barbershop early in the morning and asked Isaac if I could ask him a few question
for my school. He gladly accepted and during his lunch break we had a conversation about
how the started the business and how the process has worked for him.

Location:

∙ Located at 962 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02141

∙ Located right across from Roosevelt Towers Projects and right down the street
from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.

Prices:

∙ Haircuts -$15

∙ Lineups - $ 10

∙ Shaves – $5

∙ Female Hair- $25 and up

∙ Eyebrows- $5

How did the Business Start:

Was a barber in Haiti; started at 12 years old

Has been a barber for 28 years since

Father opened a shop in America in the 80’s; Isaac took over in 1994

Got his American Barber license in 94; Master Barber License in 2002

In 2002 moved to his current location in Cambridge St.

Layout of Business:

∙ 6 chairs; five regular barbers; each pay Issac for their chair; also has a female
hairstylist

∙ Wide screen TV’s, message chair, candy machines for kids

∙ Magazines, newspapers

∙ Got your standard barbershop bootleggers so you can buy DVD’s, etc.

Challenges:

∙ Not too many challenges- there were no prominent barbershops for the Haitian
community in Cambridge before his father’s shop and he took over the business and
moved it from Central Square to near Somerville on Cambridge Street.

∙ Currently among the most prominent Haitian barbershops in the area, people
come from other states for the excellent service.

What makes the business a sucsess?

∙ Good service-high quality work

∙ Good customer service- great relationship creates loyalty

∙ Good sanitation and hygiene from all workers

∙ Great friendly atmosphere, feels like family

∙ Great music

∙ Like a de-facto cultural center for Haitians in Cambridge.

∙ Multi-cultural—has customers from all cultures and backgrounds

∙ Great conversations, debates, like every good barbershop; customers always have
fun