September 23, 2009
Page AI4
Barbers Focus on Community
in a red cape waiting to get his
swagger right.
Fully staffed with six chairs,
B arbershops have been the
C
ham
pions Barbershop offers
heart of the African Am erican
com m unity since the late 1800s, their predominantly male clientele
when segregation and racism an upscale environment.
Lane has been in the barbershop
were still very prevalent. The
business
professionally for the last
barbershop gave black men a
place to call their own, and al­ eight years, and has been the co­
lo w ed th em to sp eak fre e ly owner of Champions for nearly a
about an array of subjects such year.
Thomas said he enjoys the en­
as r e la tio n s h ip s , r e lig io n ,
weather, sports and even poli­ vironment and “the camaraderie.”
“All the guys, they get along...
tics.
(it’s)
just good conversation,” he
It’s slightly before 9 am, when 1
enter the logo encrusted glass door added.
Champions look to its profes­
of sports themed Champions Bar­
bershop at 3827 N.E. M artin sionalism and community involve­
Luther King Jr. Blvd. Rich earth ment to keep them a cut above the
hues of burgundy and gold line the other barbershops on the MLK
walls, as does a flat screen televi­ strip.
“Our main focus going into busi­
sion, framed sports memorabilia,
ness
was to be professional,” Lane
and a red snack machine.
stated.
“Community involvement
A perfectly organized rack of
trial-sized basketballs serves as a was something we set out to d o ...
and we made it one of our focal
center piece.
Patron Daryl Thomas is already points to be involved in the com­
seated in a barbers chair, draped munity.”
continued ¿ ^ f r o m A l I
The budding barbershop is cur­
rently partnered with the Portland
H ousing C enter, pro m o tin g
homeownership within the com­
munity, and The Big Brothers Big
Sisters program. Cham pions is
also open to working with any
other organization aiming to build
up the Northeast community that
it’s proud to be apart of.
Although Lane cut hair as a
youth, he never dreamed he would
be a barber. But he did know he
wanted to a business owner. Un­
able to continue in his previous
profession due to an injury, he de­
cided he might as well pursue
something he already knew how
to do.
Lane went on to get his barber’s
license from Beau Monde School
of Hair Design, and it turned out
to be “one of the best things 1 ever
did,” Lane said.
A self-proclaimed believer in the
Lord, Lane believes God directed
this path.
“ He p la c e d me w h ere He
w a n te d me to b e ,” ad d ed
Lane.
He further attributes his faith
to the whole transition into busi­
ness ownership within a down
economy and a seemingly cor­
nered market.
“ It went so sm ooth, it was
scary how smooth it went,” he
said.
He looks for the same seam­
less opening of a second Cham­
pions Barbershop in the future.
But right now the business is
focused on "bringing the razor
back,” Lane stated. He said cus­
tomers can come in and get pam­
pered with a hot tow eLrazor
shave.
“It just gives more defined de­
tail to a cut and sh av e,” he
added.
Well, besides an excellent cut
with definition, Lane would like
his customers to take away a
comfortable experience.
“1 want them to say, Man, that
was a cool shop,” he concluded.
Internet
Marketing
You can learn how to use
the Internet to drive your busi­
ness in an Internet Marking
w orkshop sp o n so re d by
SC O R E (C o u n se lo rs to
America’s Small Business).
The session is scheduled
from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 601
S.W. S econd A ve., Room
2030. Topics w ill include
website design, building a con­
sistent brand , use of key
words, search engine optimi­
zation, and driving traffic to
your website.
T ie cost is $55 pre-paid or
$65 at the door with a $5 group
discount for each additional
person. With limited seating,
clients are encouraged to pre­
register to ensure space. Reg­
istration is 8 a.m.
For more information, call
503 326-5211 or visit
scorepdx.org.
Micro Loan Helps Entrepreneur Succeed
continued
with salsa, not a wet chip,” said
M artinez, w ho proudly p ro ­
claim s th at the th ic k salsa-
chocked full of onion, jalapeno,
cilantro, oregano, and spices- is
all natural with no preserva­
tives. Although M artinez real­
izes that he's in a crowded m ar­
ket, he's remains undeterred. “ I
want every house to know my
product whether they buy it or
not,” he said.
from A I2
which M artinez reluctantly
decided to do.
M artinez rem em bers his
first salsa coming off the pro­
duction line on the ominous
date of June 6, 2006. Since
then the product has taken
off. New Seasons and Whole
Foods carry it, in addition to
a slew o f sm aller grocery
stores in the Portland area
and the W illamette Valley. A
coffee shop sells it, in addi­
tion to a hair salon. He's now
looking to get it on the East
Coast. “This is the type of
salsa where you put the chip
in the salsa and you come out
David Martinez, the
proprietor o f D.A.M.
Salsa, rests against stacks
o f salsa bearing his initials
and product name.
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