Barber braced for business on both sides of border
A LOUTH barber is bracing himself to be overwhelmed when his shop reopens after receiving hundreds of messages from people in the Republic and Northern Ireland in recent weeks.
Craig Colgan, owner of Sailor Sharkey Barbers in Dundalk, said he is relieved he will be able to reopen at the end of the month.
Hairdressers and barbers are expected to reopen in the Republic on June 29, while they will reopen in Northern Ireland on July 6.
Mr Colgan said he has been swamped with emails, texts and social media messages from people looking for appointments.
‘I’ve received hundreds of messages from men looking for haircuts since March. It wasn’t just regular clients or local people... I had guys from the North contacting me too – it has just been crazy,’ he said.
He says while many businesses are concerned about their future after the pandemic, those providing personal services should weather the storm.
He said: ‘I would call barbering recession proof... A lot of people see it as a necessity.’
He said his business had just started to get ‘where he wanted it to be’ when it was announced in March that all barbers and hairdressers had to shut.
‘The closure was a big setback for the business but it was completely unprecedented and there was nothing you could do other than prepare for whatever the new normal would look like,’ he said.
Looking ahead, Mr Colgan said barbers already sterilise and keep equipment clean, but he will have to buy personal protective equipment (PPE).
‘We won’t have to spend too much money to reopen [except on] PPE and we will comply with whatever guidelines are released so we can reopen as safely as possible.’