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How Javier’s Barbershop Got Upgraded With First Alliance Credit Union

Chris Gottschalk

Chris Gottschalk About The Author

Dec 5, 2022 4:05:05 PM

When master barber Javier Ortiz-Thomas held his 2017 grand opening for Javier’s Barbershop in Rochester, Minnesota, he had a unique offer that brought people in the door.

“I did a drive for victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico,” he said. “I gave a free haircut to anyone who brought a donation, and the feedback was great.”

How a First Alliance Credit Union Business Equipment Loan Helped Javier's Barbershop

 

About Javier's Barbershop

Since then, Javier has put his 20 years of experience to good use in his Rochester small business. Even more impressively, he’s run his entire business on his own.

Javier inside his barbershop“I work by myself, and I put all my effort into what I’m doing,” Javier said. “I make the payments for everything, I clean everything, and I make sure everything runs well.”

The Problem

However, Javier did need help when it came to updating the barbershop itself. The building needed remodeling in several areas. Even more pressing, Javier’s building was targeted by criminals.

“A few years ago, some people vandalized my place and broke inside,” explained Javier. “I’m not going to allow criminals to rob my business that I’ve worked so hard to build up. So I had to secure my place.”

The Solution

In order to fund these improvements, Javier reached out to First Alliance Credit Union, who had originally helped him buy the building for his business..

“The process (of getting a loan) can be hard, but Rosalina and her team, they guided me together,” Javier said. “They helped me put all the paperwork together, and when they approved me I was very grateful.”

Javiers Barbershop Quote

The Results

Once Javier got the money, he immediately went to work remodeling the barbershop and making it more secure.

“I did a lot of remodeling,” Javier revealed. “I did the cement, I improved the bathrooms, I even improved the windows to make heating and cooling the place more efficient so I can erase higher payments in electricity and heating. I also put up a fence.”

However, Javier didn’t just use the money to renovate his building. He also used it to improve the equipment in his barbershop.

“I distributed the money very well to make sure everything I wanted to do was accomplished,” Javier said. 

Since getting the loan, Javier has been able to make even more customers happy with his services.

“I won’t lie, I’ve been very busy,” he said. “I always have people coming to the business, and a lot of people are coming to the shop through word of mouth and for the hard work I put in.”

In fact, Javier even has plans to do more with his business, thanks to the loan.

“I’m going to use the basement to start taking a course in microblading,” he said. “It’s a new technique people have been using to fill in their hair. A lot of women use it in their eyebrows. I just want to be better at my business.”

Javier recommends First Alliance Credit Union to any business owners looking to upgrade their company. “I had a very good experience from the beginning,” he said. “Rosalina and the staff had all the answers I was looking for, and they worked with me to make the loan happen in as smooth a way as possible,” he said.

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