A shop specializing in premium personal grooming products exclusively for men, with $325 shave kits and fragrant talcum powder to keep a man's "boys" dry and comfortable?Who'da thought?Well, a few years ago Graham Bingham and business partner Robert Graham did think about it. And today, they're talking expansion.

"We have everything a guy would need from head to toe at every stage of his life," Bingham said in an interview about Momentum Advanced Grooming Solutions Inc. "The bulk of our clientele is from 35 to 55, professional men with an appreciation for quality."We're preparing to launch a barber suite in the fall. It will offer haircuts, colouring, classic straight razor shaves with hot towel service. It will be a real treat for the customer.

"And we're planning on expanding into other cities. We've had requests from Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto."Bingham said the store, at 1237 Burrard St., was the first of its type in Vancouver and that he got the idea for an exclusive men's grooming shop after leaving his career in telecommunications. He wanted to try something completely different.

"By chance, I was walking through Yaletown and noticed a hair salon with male customers. That triggered the thought that there [was] nowhere specifically for men to go. I discovered there was a rapidly growing market, but nothing in retail."

Bingham said that before opening their store in October 2004, he researched the market, interviewed potential customers to find out their needs and prepared an in-depth business plan.Today, Momentum carries more than 700 individual products from 21 different skin care, shaving and cleansing lines.

Their products include not only exclusive cleansers, moisturizers, lip balms and skin toners from around the world, but imported shave gel, straight razors with buffalo horn handles ($225), a Blue Horn shave kit from Truefitt & Hill for "the discriminating gentleman" ($325) and a 100-per-cent German-made natural silver tip badger hair shave brush ($150).

Then there's the Happy Me Pit Guard (a zero-per-cent fragrance deodorant for sensitive skin, $14) and, of course, Balla Powder -- a scented talcum powder that's advertised for use in the "nether regions of a man's body," including his underarms, feet, buttocks and "boys" ($15).Straight razors, noted Bingham, are "the ultimate expression of masculinity.

"It's almost a cult. And [shaving with a straight razor] is a real ritual, bringing shaving to a very fine art."Bingham said he and Graham faced many startup challenges, including cash flow, marketing and educating the public on "why men should spend money on facial scrubs and moisturizers."

He suggested that budding entrepreneurs know their market and customers before deciding on a product, adding that Momentum always updates and adapts to changing standards. "Anticipate what their needs will be. It changes. So adjust to mesh your product mix."He said sufficient capital is paramount. "You can't have too much money starting up a business. Cash flow for our business has been challenging and marketing has been incredibly expensive.

"Word of mouth is optimum. If you can build a clientele that's excited about what you do, they tell their friends."Bingham said that while most of his clients are men, a lot of single mothers ask for advice on what their sons need when starting to shave. "We even do a demonstration."

While he and Graham now run the store by themselves, Bingham said they plan to hire four people in the fall.