HOW I GOT STARTED By Stefan Yablonski
HARRISON J. NOEL III
Owner of Good Guys Barber Shop in Fulton discusses investing $100,000 to start and grow his business
worked through it and this community has welcomed us beyond my belief. Q: Do you have background in this line of work? A: Yes. I have been a master barber since
2006. I attended barber school at Shear Ego International School with Maria Fustanio. I also studied under Bill Hoefer, a long-time Oswego barber and Tony Borsetti, a Long Island transplant, who owned a barbershop in Oswego. Q: How much did it cost to get started? A: About $100k. Q: Did you have to buy or renovate your building? A: Both. My business partner bought
the building and I renovated the space.
Q: How has your business grown? A: We’ve grown a tremendous amount
since we opened in 2020. We were lucky enough to have a built-in customer base grown from our Oswego location. Since then, we have grown to service all area communities and have about doubled our business. Q: Do you have a lot of repeat customers? A: We have great retention and this is
definitely something that I pride myself in. It all starts with a great crew, which I feel blessed to have. I believe that any one of my guys will offer a great cut along with a good experience. Because of this, people keep coming back! Q: How many employees do you have? A: Eight: six barbers and two apprentices. Q: What is your busiest “haircut season”? A: “Haircut season” definitely is a thing.
The big ones are back-to-school and major holidays.
Q: What are some changes you’ve seen in the profession over the years? Has technology had an impact? A: This profession has changed
Harrison J. Noel III has been barbering for about 17 years. He owns the Good Guys Barber Shop in Fulton, located at 501 S. Second St. (next to Fajita Grill on 481). His business partner, Keith Raymond, owns the shop in Oswego. Q: How long have you been in business? A: I opened this location July 1, 2020.
Right after the world shut down! Q: Why did you decide to go into business? A: I had been in business for myself at
different points throughout my career and have been affiliated with the Good Guys since its inception in 2014. I have always wanted to open a shop in my hometown and it seemed like the timing was right. Boy was I wrong! I had to open with all of these restrictions and mandates. Although it was difficult, we
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dramatically, from the haircuts themselves to the tools we use. I believe that the internet and different social media platforms allow trends in hair and fashion to move very quickly. People often get inspired by photos they see online. Due to this, however, the standard has been raised as have people’s expectations. It’s great for the trade and keeps us motivated. Q: How hard was it to get the business on its feet? A: Due to the pandemic, very tough. It
