The District Barber Shop

The District Barber Shop is a 450 square foot four seat - start-up barber shop at 1116 Lowry Avenue North, Minneapolis that allows families to have their hair cuts in one convenient visit.  There are many “quick salons” like Cost Cutters, or Fantastic Sams, however, most of these salons only provide the minimum services.  These upscale barbers can be inconvenient due to scheduling requirements and cost.

Owner of The District – Terry Turner perceived an unfulfilled customer need for a low-cost barber shop that provides maximum flexibility and strong customer attention. The District provides walk-in hair cutting services for the entire family; however a main focus will be marketed towards African American male adults between the ages of 20 to 35 and male children of ages 6 to 12. The District will also offer mobile services to various senior and assisted living facilities throughout the north, northeast, and southeast metro areas.

Mr. Turner originally came directly to NDC in August, 2009 for a small business loan.  To gain eligibility status, and learn more about
entrepreneurship, Mr. Turner successfully completed the NDC Emerge Entrepreneur 2009 fall training class and received a $5,000 NDC loan in March, 2010.

Mr. Turner now manages the shop in the evening and weekend hours while his Master Barber manages operations during the day hours. His customer service skills and tenacity for being well organized has been a helpful driving force.  He continues to work his full-time job at DTM Distributors as a Route Driver to supplement the household income.  This job position offers a flexible schedule allowing him to be at the shop several times during the week. His business venture continues to be supported by NDC with continued coaching and technical assistance.  In fact, Mr. Turner sent NDC Lending Officer, Romaine Turner (no relation) the following email acknowledging his appreciation:

“I would like to take time to thank you and NDC for believing in my vision and allowing me the opportunity to equip myself with the tools necessary to achieve my goals. The help that NDC provided has allowed me to position myself as the premier barbershop in the Cleveland neighborhood as well as provide employment for residence of the community”.