Dundalk barber Craig Colgan using Covid-19 closure to push Sailor Sharkey's to the next level

It’s two years since local barber Craig Colgan took a “leap of faith” in a bid to achieve a long-time fantasy.

A Dublin native living in Blackrock, he is the proprietor of Sailor Sharkey’s Barbers on Castletown Road, having previously spent a decade working in a sales capacity at both The Dundalk Democrat and PayPal.

The transition wasn’t exactly seamless, though a mixture of determination and hard work saw the dream of owning his own business come to fruition.

And, prior to the lockdown, Colgan was happy with where his outlet stood, content with both its growth and the success of his decision to go on a solo-run. Covid-19 has obviously provided a significant obstacle to the business’ growth, yet its owner isn’t getting too bogged down. Rather, he envisages the stoppage as an opportunity.

“I’ve made worse investments,” he quips. “But I honestly don’t see a negative in what I’ve done.

“My Dad runs his own business and has done for years, and it was something that I always wanted to do even though I never knew what industry I was going to start it in.

“Even if it all failed I’d still walk away with my head held high. The money I’ve put in, if that goes, it goes. But I think the investment has been done right and although this is a setback, it gives me time to refocus on certain things and the direction I want the business to go.

“For two years I’ve been flat out trying to build a reputation, master a skill, build a business online and do social media, while cutting hair. When you’re pushing you’re getting more clients and cutting hair more at times where maybe you would like to be marketing.

“I’ve always had an underlying passion for barbering and hair. I’d an interest and I enjoyed the experience of developing a deeper knowledge of the craft.

“Of course it was a complete 180 turn in that I’d a very secure job at PayPal, but I wasn’t satisfied on a personal level with what I was doing. I could do the job, but I wasn’t coming home saying ‘I enjoyed that’.

“In life, taking leaps of faith isn’t always a bad thing. I’m happy to stand by my leap of faith as of now.”

Since closing in mid-March, time has been spent giving the shop a makeover and developing some of the aforementioned aspects. Training and fitness exercise also helps to keep the mind active.

But, in terms of the nitty gritty, Colgan concedes the loss of revenue isn’t sustainable beyond a certain juncture and reckons many businesses in Dundalk may struggle to open when the time comes.

Nonetheless, he feels safe within his own field, having been in contact with the Enterprise Ireland board, and has reserved praise for the government’s handling of a very tricky situation.

“I’d be very happy with how the current government are handling the situation,” he added. “The support is there from local representatives and they’ve acted very fast, which has been a significant comfort at such a precarious time.

“One of the things about this business is that it’s recession proof. There will be businesses in this town that definitely will not open, industries that were already struggling because of the online market, hanging on by a threat almost. This will be the final nail in some businesses and it’s a very sad inevitability.

“But I don’t feel that way with the barber’s shop. I’m lucky in a way that I’ve had two years to build a reputation and a customer base. The niche that I have is that I’ve been in the sales game for 10 years so the service that I can provide is a really personable experience - I’m good at that.

“In a weird way, people aren’t always there for the haircut - they come in, young and old, to chat. That’s something that I’ve built and I think that’ll stand to me.

“I’m not fearful of not being busy when I reopen, it’s just when I reopen and what that will then entail.

“I don’t know the answer, sadly. That’s the waiting game and the strangeness of the situation for the industry. I would have thought that we’d be one of the first ones back, but the more I think about it, I’m not altogether sure.

“Pubs will be one of the last to come back because of gatherings and numbers. Maybe barber shops will be as well.

“Then there’s only so long you can keep people away from normality. I’d like to think we wouldn’t be one of the last if proper procedures come into play, but, unfortunately, I don’t have an answer of when or what they may be.”

Branding is clearly very important to Colgan, who alludes specifically to the design of the shop which entails old photographs and cuttings of former heavyweight boxer, Dundalk’s Tom ‘Sailor’ Sharkey.

Then there is the offering of a beer or coffee to any customer, while an Xbox console is available for use as well. He likes to offer the full package, right down to a warm towel for those whose beards he trims!

“The goal is ultimately to build a shop to be successful and then to open another one. The goal is to grow the name.

“I’m not from Dundalk, but I’m very proud to be associated with the name that I’ve picked. So many people have come in to me with memorabilia regarding ‘Sailor’ Sharkey and it’s a real brand - the whole shop is very incorporated with local history and I like that.

“I suppose the online aspect of the business is certainly something that I want to build and if you go on to my website (www.sailorsharkeybarbers.ie). .. there’s been a lot of money, time and effort spent on the site and it’s fully equipped with info on the shop, a thriving online store and an ability for customers to buy vouchers digitally - which is working well for the business.”

Colgan, it seems, has razor-sharp instincts.