Portsmouth barber, coding client develop booking platform

Barber ‘Brass’ Lavoie and his client Scott Forte developed a web-based app for barbers that books appointments, manages money and tracks finances.

Barber “Brass” Lavoie said a customer’s tech skills led to their creation of a scheduling and bookkeeping platform, specifically for barbers, that saved his business during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Owner of Port City Barbers in Portsmouth, Lavoie said his client, Scott Forte, came up with the idea and developed the “progressive web application” he’s been Beta testing for two years. Lavoie said Forte – pilot, real estate agent, developer and former City Council candidate – told him his barbering expertise was key.

The downtown barber said when Forte first pitched the idea, he told him, “I’m old school, I have my paper book and I’m good.” He said also sat in his barbershop for 40 hours a week in case of drop-ins and didn’t want to risk losing a customer by leaving to run an errand. He said he had five to seven no-shows a week “and all that time and money was starting to add up.”

After resisting Forte’s pitches for a high tech solution for two years, Lavoie said, he agreed to collaborate and they developed “Barber Calendar.” Customers book through Port City Barber’s website, pay in advance and get appointment reminders.

“We’re not trying to get rich, just provide barbers with a reasonably priced tool for barbers to make their lives a little easier,” Forte says in a YouTube promotion for Barber Calendar.

Story continues at SeacoastOnline.com.