SAVE AMBITION BARBERSHOP FROM COVID SEASON
Donation protected
PLEASE HELP KEEP A TOP 10 BARBERSHOP OPEN.
AMBITION BARBERSHOP - 1763 PARKVIEW DRIVE CHESAPEAKE, VA
BLACK OWNED / VETERAN OWNED - BUILT FOR THE COMMUNITY
STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
Raising funds to pay barbershop rent. SBA has been processing our loan request since December. I, Gerald Ames the owner has exhausted credit limits. The shop now has the ability to produce t-shirts and hoodies for individual and wholesales.
Requesting funds to pay back rent DUE MARCH 31ST and future rent up to July. By July either, restrictions will be lifted, people feel safer with vaccines or our product sells should cover us (keep us open).
AMBITION BARBERSHOP ORIGIN
I created Ambition Barbershop with 3 goals in mind. First, I want a community oriented business, One that would use the barbershop setting to invited people in for extended education courses. (How to buy a house, start a business, safety, investments, youth strategy sessions for young parents.)
Second I want a place where barbers would make livable earnings that they could expand into other investments to secure a real retirement. I want a place where barbers get hired because they love what they do. Their past doesn't disqualify them. I try to hire the go-getter. The barbers with the discipline to work hard and build relationships with people. I like barbers that understand that money is only one form of payment. Knowledge, connections, street credit can make one wealthy. A barber should be able to get someone a interview with a business that they recommended to another company that gave them a contract for services. I hire barbers that support student academics with praises and discounts. I hire barbers that will tell a young person that they are messing up and suggest a course correction.
And third, I want a business that my son, King could grow up in. Filled with people that look like him. I want him to see the highs and lows. Front row seats to watch the grind that is required to operate a business with honor. King will be 4 in April. When he's 5 he'll have opportunities to sweep up. At 10, he'll know how to do a full shop clean up. At 15, he'll be in charge of rent and marketing. By the time he graduates from high school, he'll know the business from top to bottom. He can then do whatever he wants, but he will have the skills to be able to provide himself a stable income. I pray he'll never share my experience being homeless.
My name is Gerald "Supreme" Ames. I'm a Air Force vet. I separated from active duty to go to school to become a teacher. Had no clue how hard it was going to be, to go to school and work to support myself. I worked 5 jobs and still came up short on the bills. The skills I learned from the military didn't help me at home. They were better used for combat situations. After periods of homelessness, I was blessed with jobs working various war zones as a D.o.D. contractor. From that I was able to clear my debts and save money for a investment. I started planning Ambition Barbershop in 2012 and with no seed or loan, I used my own money to open the doors Oct 31st, 2014. I was told that I was the youngest black barbershop business owner in Hampton Roads. Plus I was the only barbershop owner that was not a barber. It took some time for barbers to see my shop and come check me out. "To good to be true" is what they told me. The shop gives barbers 24/7 access. I have the lowest booth rent in VA guaranteed. 2019 the shop really just started to rock. We were hosting fight parties and spades nights. Planning a sip and paint night. Me and my mother converted the back area to host mini-classes. The last 3 months of 2019, the shop was finally generating profits. But more importantly the community was connected to us.
July 2019, my shop had on average 800 visitors a week. Google rated us #6 in Hampton Roads. I had 5 and a half barbers. Saturdays could have a 3 hour wait for a 15 min hair cut. The shop has two 60in TVs and 2 game systems, the customers didn't complain...much. But in July 2020, my shop had 2 and a half barbers. On 4th of July week we had just under 200 visitors come through. The pandemic hurt us, but the restrictions is killing us. BLACK barbershops and beauty saloons are closing on weekly base. The major hit was when all barbershops were forced to close for 2 months. That made barbers adjust. Some went mobile, some started cutting out of their homes. The guest stop coming when they see it's no one in the shop.
In the past, if I needed money or if I wanted to raise money for another business, I'd organize fundraiser events/parties. 65% profit. With VA restrictions, we can not host gatherings for groups over 35 people and business curfew is at 10pm. I work as a Uber Driver, DoorDash deliveryman and D.o.D. contractor to help pay the bills. But they come up short to meeting the overhead.
Prior to the pandemic I had always planned on producing t-shirts / hoodies. It was going to be another fundraising / investment for my barbers to diversify their income. Not knowing how long this pandemic will batter us, I decided to move forward on that plan. I converted my office into a clothing production unit. We now have seller accounts with Amazon and Etsy. (Amazon UK and Japan as well.) I've invested in wholesale products like small electronics and local mom and pop items like mask and blankets. I plan to start selling the first of April.
I just used up my last bit of savings to keep the landlord from evicting us. I'm waiting on approval from SBA Disaster loan. Being that they've been giving me the runaround since December, I have little faith they will give me the 10K needed by March 31st. I really believed we would have had it by now. I'm hearing of several cases of fraud (fake barber businesses ) has slowed down the process.
Plus my shop has never been a cash-cow. (Approx $10K earnings for 2019.)
I'm hearing and reading in the paper of barbershops closing after 50 and 60 years of servicing our communities. 10 Shops in within a 30 mile radius of Ambition have closed. No more arguments about the best athletes or musicians. No more group conversations about the current state of our home. No more walls with pinned newspaper articles of local student athletes achieving their dreams. The lending agents aren't considering these topics, because they haven't called and talked to me. They aren't considering legacy. The shop's unity in giving a toddler his first haircut. The young single mom that doesn't know what to ask for, but starts talking to another mom and learns a thing or two.
I believe July 2021 we will be better than July 2019. I believe this summer will be our best summer. Businesses in Chesapeake, VA are starting to see a surge in customers. My barbers will be the first in line for a vaccine once they are eligible. (We will still have mask mandates.) The 10 barbershops that closed - their barbers will need a place to cut. I just hired one yesterday Mar 17th! Honestly I've talked to other owners with plans to help them open their shops back up, and to hire us to produce clothing for them to sell to assist with their loss of income. I'm looking for 10K to get caught, 10K to hold us out to July of which either the streets will be open or we will be months into online sells. I will resume classes at the shop as soon as the landlord debt is paid. Teachers that want to tutor students having issues with online learning. The money from the tutoring won't fix our problem, but it will keep the objective of the business alive. I will continue to pursue my barbershop goals until they lock us out.
ALL FUNDS RAISED WILL GO TO:
Harvey Lindsey Commercial Real Estate : $20,000
(Back and future rent to July 2021)
To be honest any assistance is appreciated.
This includes forwarding this link to other possible donors.
Now hiring barbers.
$50 - $100 Donation - Free #Ambition T-Shirt
(free shipping anywhere in the US.)
$100 - $250 Donation - Free #Ambition Hoodie
(free shipping anywhere in the US.)
$250 - and up Donation - Free #Ambition 2 pack (Hoodie and T-Shirt)
(free shipping anywhere)
At donor's request - I will send a donation receipt.
Please don't forget about the fees gofundme charges.
Gerald "Supreme" Ames
Ambition Barbershop - 1763 Parkview Drive Chesapeake, VA 23320
GOOGLE: https://goo.gl/maps/LbxZiFA9DQeeB5gs6
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AMBITIONBARBERSHOP/
AMBITION BARBERSHOP - 1763 PARKVIEW DRIVE CHESAPEAKE, VA
BLACK OWNED / VETERAN OWNED - BUILT FOR THE COMMUNITY
STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
Raising funds to pay barbershop rent. SBA has been processing our loan request since December. I, Gerald Ames the owner has exhausted credit limits. The shop now has the ability to produce t-shirts and hoodies for individual and wholesales.
Requesting funds to pay back rent DUE MARCH 31ST and future rent up to July. By July either, restrictions will be lifted, people feel safer with vaccines or our product sells should cover us (keep us open).
AMBITION BARBERSHOP ORIGIN
I created Ambition Barbershop with 3 goals in mind. First, I want a community oriented business, One that would use the barbershop setting to invited people in for extended education courses. (How to buy a house, start a business, safety, investments, youth strategy sessions for young parents.)
Second I want a place where barbers would make livable earnings that they could expand into other investments to secure a real retirement. I want a place where barbers get hired because they love what they do. Their past doesn't disqualify them. I try to hire the go-getter. The barbers with the discipline to work hard and build relationships with people. I like barbers that understand that money is only one form of payment. Knowledge, connections, street credit can make one wealthy. A barber should be able to get someone a interview with a business that they recommended to another company that gave them a contract for services. I hire barbers that support student academics with praises and discounts. I hire barbers that will tell a young person that they are messing up and suggest a course correction.
And third, I want a business that my son, King could grow up in. Filled with people that look like him. I want him to see the highs and lows. Front row seats to watch the grind that is required to operate a business with honor. King will be 4 in April. When he's 5 he'll have opportunities to sweep up. At 10, he'll know how to do a full shop clean up. At 15, he'll be in charge of rent and marketing. By the time he graduates from high school, he'll know the business from top to bottom. He can then do whatever he wants, but he will have the skills to be able to provide himself a stable income. I pray he'll never share my experience being homeless.
My name is Gerald "Supreme" Ames. I'm a Air Force vet. I separated from active duty to go to school to become a teacher. Had no clue how hard it was going to be, to go to school and work to support myself. I worked 5 jobs and still came up short on the bills. The skills I learned from the military didn't help me at home. They were better used for combat situations. After periods of homelessness, I was blessed with jobs working various war zones as a D.o.D. contractor. From that I was able to clear my debts and save money for a investment. I started planning Ambition Barbershop in 2012 and with no seed or loan, I used my own money to open the doors Oct 31st, 2014. I was told that I was the youngest black barbershop business owner in Hampton Roads. Plus I was the only barbershop owner that was not a barber. It took some time for barbers to see my shop and come check me out. "To good to be true" is what they told me. The shop gives barbers 24/7 access. I have the lowest booth rent in VA guaranteed. 2019 the shop really just started to rock. We were hosting fight parties and spades nights. Planning a sip and paint night. Me and my mother converted the back area to host mini-classes. The last 3 months of 2019, the shop was finally generating profits. But more importantly the community was connected to us. July 2019, my shop had on average 800 visitors a week. Google rated us #6 in Hampton Roads. I had 5 and a half barbers. Saturdays could have a 3 hour wait for a 15 min hair cut. The shop has two 60in TVs and 2 game systems, the customers didn't complain...much. But in July 2020, my shop had 2 and a half barbers. On 4th of July week we had just under 200 visitors come through. The pandemic hurt us, but the restrictions is killing us. BLACK barbershops and beauty saloons are closing on weekly base. The major hit was when all barbershops were forced to close for 2 months. That made barbers adjust. Some went mobile, some started cutting out of their homes. The guest stop coming when they see it's no one in the shop.
In the past, if I needed money or if I wanted to raise money for another business, I'd organize fundraiser events/parties. 65% profit. With VA restrictions, we can not host gatherings for groups over 35 people and business curfew is at 10pm. I work as a Uber Driver, DoorDash deliveryman and D.o.D. contractor to help pay the bills. But they come up short to meeting the overhead.
Prior to the pandemic I had always planned on producing t-shirts / hoodies. It was going to be another fundraising / investment for my barbers to diversify their income. Not knowing how long this pandemic will batter us, I decided to move forward on that plan. I converted my office into a clothing production unit. We now have seller accounts with Amazon and Etsy. (Amazon UK and Japan as well.) I've invested in wholesale products like small electronics and local mom and pop items like mask and blankets. I plan to start selling the first of April.
I just used up my last bit of savings to keep the landlord from evicting us. I'm waiting on approval from SBA Disaster loan. Being that they've been giving me the runaround since December, I have little faith they will give me the 10K needed by March 31st. I really believed we would have had it by now. I'm hearing of several cases of fraud (fake barber businesses ) has slowed down the process.
Plus my shop has never been a cash-cow. (Approx $10K earnings for 2019.)
I'm hearing and reading in the paper of barbershops closing after 50 and 60 years of servicing our communities. 10 Shops in within a 30 mile radius of Ambition have closed. No more arguments about the best athletes or musicians. No more group conversations about the current state of our home. No more walls with pinned newspaper articles of local student athletes achieving their dreams. The lending agents aren't considering these topics, because they haven't called and talked to me. They aren't considering legacy. The shop's unity in giving a toddler his first haircut. The young single mom that doesn't know what to ask for, but starts talking to another mom and learns a thing or two.
I believe July 2021 we will be better than July 2019. I believe this summer will be our best summer. Businesses in Chesapeake, VA are starting to see a surge in customers. My barbers will be the first in line for a vaccine once they are eligible. (We will still have mask mandates.) The 10 barbershops that closed - their barbers will need a place to cut. I just hired one yesterday Mar 17th! Honestly I've talked to other owners with plans to help them open their shops back up, and to hire us to produce clothing for them to sell to assist with their loss of income. I'm looking for 10K to get caught, 10K to hold us out to July of which either the streets will be open or we will be months into online sells. I will resume classes at the shop as soon as the landlord debt is paid. Teachers that want to tutor students having issues with online learning. The money from the tutoring won't fix our problem, but it will keep the objective of the business alive. I will continue to pursue my barbershop goals until they lock us out.
ALL FUNDS RAISED WILL GO TO:
Harvey Lindsey Commercial Real Estate : $20,000
(Back and future rent to July 2021)
To be honest any assistance is appreciated.
This includes forwarding this link to other possible donors.
Now hiring barbers.
$50 - $100 Donation - Free #Ambition T-Shirt
(free shipping anywhere in the US.)
$100 - $250 Donation - Free #Ambition Hoodie
(free shipping anywhere in the US.)
$250 - and up Donation - Free #Ambition 2 pack (Hoodie and T-Shirt)
(free shipping anywhere)
At donor's request - I will send a donation receipt.
Please don't forget about the fees gofundme charges.
Gerald "Supreme" Ames
Ambition Barbershop - 1763 Parkview Drive Chesapeake, VA 23320
GOOGLE: https://goo.gl/maps/LbxZiFA9DQeeB5gs6
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AMBITIONBARBERSHOP/
Organizer
Gerald Ames
Organizer
Chesapeake, VA