GROOMING salon Trampas The Men's Room has seen a thriving first few weeks of business. Deputy Business Editor Deborah Johnson meets its proprietor Karen Forster, the second of The Northern Echo's finalists in the If We Can You Can challenge.

KAREN FORSTER aims to offer the ultimate in men's pampering.

To her, the gap in the market for such a venue was obvious for some time, and Trampas is now the only salon of its kind in Durham.

"I've never had much of a business background but 12 months ago, I decided to take the plunge and start my own company, Trampas The Men's Room, after identifying a distinct lack of male grooming salons in the area, " she said.

"I noticed that a lot of men showed an interest in female salons but shied away from them."

Now, she has created a salon which offers hair care, wet shaves, holistic and aesthetic treatments, manicures, tanning, and even a complimentary steam press for customers' shirts before they leave.

In another unique touch, a Starbucks cafe has also been created inside the premises to offer the male clientele high-quality refreshments while they wait and receive their treatments.

Although Trampas has only been trading from its base in Durham's Saddler Street for a matter of weeks, its popularity and reputation is already spreading, with Sir Peter Vardy, director of the Entrepreneurs' Forum, popping in recently for a haircut.

Ms Forster - who also works part-time in her evenings as a nursing sister, and juggles both roles with studying for a degree in complementary medicine - is determined to make Trampas a venue with a difference.

And she has been rewarded for her efforts by being named as one of two finalists in the If We Can, You Can challenge - run by the Entrepreneurs' Forum and supported by The Northern Echo - which seeks to nurture entrepreneurial talent of all ages and backgrounds and recapture a spirit of enterprise in the NorthEast.

"Business is going well - we are getting busier by the day. I feel I have achieved a great deal in the short time the business has been running.

"To simply get the business off the ground has made me immensely proud, " said Ms Forster, whose 20-year-old son, Philip, helps her run the business.

"We have come up with some great packages for customers such as the stag shaving party, where the groom goes free and has a complimentary manicure and beer.

"I also run a flower business called Fragrant Symphony, where we have set up a parallel diary of dates from customers, and then a few days before, we text them and ask if they would like any flowers.

"I love the creative side of running my own business and coming up with ideas."

Ms Forster, who was trained to wet-shave by celebrity barber Daniel Rouah, said the visit from Sir Peter was significant for her.

"I had a visit from Entrepreneurs' Forum director Peter Vardy to Trampas which was exciting, " she said.

"He booked in under his name so I knew to expect him and he had a hair-cut. It was great to have that personal support with the Forum as a finalist in the competition."

Ms Forster - who is competing in If We Can You Can against fellow finalist Matt Scott, creator of design-your-own trainer business MES Footwork - said her ambition is ultimately to establish a second salon in the region, and believes she has the determination and desire to succeed to make that possible.

"I think there are a number of staple traits an entrepreneur must have to be successful, " she said.

"You have to be open in your nature, to enjoy interacting with people and to also learn from your experiences - whether they are successes or failures.

"Passion about what you are doing is also vital, as is commitment and determination to achieve your goals."

The winner of If We Can You Can, who will be revealed on June 12, will become one of the faces of North-East entrepreneurship for 2009.

The winner will also receive a monthly business surgery with some of the region's leading entrepreneurs, an iPhone and a £2,000 support package.

* For more information about Ms Forster's business, which is open until 8pm, from Monday to Friday, visit trampas. co. uk

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