BUSINESS REPORT OF THE MONTH

JOE LONG, JR. IN A SPIRITUAL MOOD

By Frederick A. Hurst

I was rushing out of town on business and needed a haircut real fast. My regular barber of the last 25 years was out sick, and I had heard that Joe Long, Jr. had opened a Barber Shop on Boston Road. I don’t let just anybody cut my hair, but I knew Joe Long, Sr. as a strong self-employed businessman who took pride in his work. So, even though all I knew about Joe Long, Jr. was that he was the son of Joe Long, Sr., I was in dire need of an immediate haircut and that was enough for me to select him over dozens of Black barbers in the city, and, as it turned out, I made a good choice for me.

I sat down in his chair that first day and, as he wrapped the barber’s apron around me, he asked me how I wanted my haircut. Being a businessman and a lawyer, I wasn’t about to fall for that question. I smiled and calmly told him to cut my hair the way he thought it should be cut and, without hesitation or protest, he went right to the task, which instantly raised my confidence in him. .

While Joe cut my hair, I took in my new surroundings. They were certainly different: a television that was turned off, soft music that I soon realized was religious, other barbers speaking in soft tones, customers embracing the atmosphere and apparently enjoying it as I was, no cussing and swearing, polite discussions about sports and other subjects but no arguments or tense confrontations and disagreements, beauticians in the backroom in muffled conversations with their customers blending right into the environment, mothers coming in and leaving well-behaved kids for haircuts, and a general aura of mutual respect in the air.

I observed all of this before I dozed off and woke up to tell Joe Long, Jr. that it was the first time that I actually used my haircut time as an opportunity to relax. It was a strange but pleasant experience that brought me back for my next haircut and my next and my next and my next. While I had intended to use Fabulous Cuts only for emergencies, I was soon hooked as a permanent customer. Besides, Joe has adopted a special service for busy people like me. For an additional fee, you can make an appointment for your hair cut for any day except Saturday.

Of course, each time I arrive at Joe’s shop, I spend time questioning him about his business. He arrived in Springfield in 1992 from Athens, Georgia hoping to get a new start in his young life. He enrolled in Holyoke Community College. After graduation, he enrolled in Brahm’s Academy, from where he graduated as a Master Barber. He immediately went to work for Friendly’s Ice Cream Corporation, where he remained for seven years. At the same time, he worked as a barber at Polk’s barbershop. He made even more additional money on the side working with his father, who is a carpenter by trade and one of the best independent general contractors in the area.

Two and one-half years ago, after seven tough years working for others and using his own savings as startup capital, Joe Jr. finally opened his own business at 363 Boston Road in Springfield. He named it Fabulous Cuts Barber Shop & Unisex Salon. He employs four barbers and two beauticians. His plans for the future include opening other shops throughout the region and using them to give his employees ownership opportunities. Joe came by his independence honestly. Not only is his father self-employed, but so were his grandfather and great grandfather. “It runs in the bloodline.”

Joe also told me that my experience at his shop was not accidental. “A man needs to know that there is a place to get his hair cut where there is not a lot of foolishness going on,” something Joe learned from Mr. Polk, retired owner for 27 years of Polk’s Barber shop on State Street. Polk taught him that “pride, good appearance, respect for company, quiet and pleasant mood” are all good for business.

Joe and his staff carried the philosophy to another level. About a year ago, he and his staff joined a church and were baptized and, without being pushy, they bring the spirit of their religion to the job. On one table guests will find religious leaflets and throughout the day be treated to spiritual music. Every Monday night at 7:30, Joe holds Bible study at the barbershop and it is attended by 25-30 young men who find Joe’s alternative to the street life appealing. Joe hopes to attract more young people to his shop’s way of life. He firmly believes that in today’s environment, young adults like himself must “step up to the responsibility" of changing the values of the young people in our community.

Joe recognizes that his philosophy and way of doing business doesn’t fit everybody. But he also knows that the many who want what he has to offer will come and stay as solid and satisfied customers. I, for one, am hooked, and if you are looking for a different, softer, more predictable environment for your hair grooming, then Fabulous Cuts might just be the place for you, too. n