The red carpet to success for Aristocrats Boutique owner Felicia Frey began when she joined the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) at the SBDC Day Open House in Highland in September 2018.
Frey attended the exclusive workshop of “Starting a Small Business in Illinois,” and she met with Business Specialist Marti Guntren to gather information on how to develop a business plan, financial...
A Holistic Approach (AHA) in Glen Carbon provides the community and surrounding areas with methods to improve lives through stress reduction. Holistic means focusing on the client as a whole. It utilizes teamwork and taking a comprehensive look at how to support each individual through massage, oils, wellness education, yoga and meditation.
New owner Kendra Sweezey-Errar is a registered nurse and massage therapist, and is currently working as a hospice nurse. She is motivated t...
Queen Beedz, a client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since 2017, will now have its jewelry available at Restoration Alley DIY Studio & Handmade Market in Ellisville, Mo.
Queen Beedz owner Susan Hackney is thrilled to be able to work together with Restoration Alley owner Jennah Jahn, who is a like-minded, driven entrepreneur.
Throughout her relationship with the SBDC, Hackney has rece...
Two clients of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Tech Fusion and JB’s Smartphone Repair, decided to share space for their respective businesses with a ribbon cutting on Friday, Jan. 4.Tech Fusion owners Julian Smith and Diego Espinoza met JB Smartphone Repair’s Josef Bosnyak through a mutual friend in SIUE’s Information Technology Services (ITS). Smith and Espinoza contacted Bosnyak...
The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has announced that SBDC client Metro East Therapy in Edwardsville has expanded its business.
The SBDC and Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May have greatly supported Metro East Therapy owner Maggie Block. Di Maggio May has assisted Block since the early stages of her business plan and also assisted in Block’s property acquisition to move to a new, larger location....
Located in Columbia, Warm N Cozy Quilting is owned by mother-daughter pair, Debbie Chitty and Danielle Cyvas. Their recently expanded shop located on 816 South Main Street #2 now allows them to offer more fabrics, classes, additional services like sew days, and an area for their Quilts of Valor group to create quilts for veterans.
The Illinois Small Business De...
PinMe Organics owner Maracus Scott started his PinMe Organics mushroom business as a hobby just a few short months ago. It grew rapidly and now has a promising future with help from the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville.
Scott works at SIUE in Information Technology Services. Capitalizing on his on-campus network, he contacted the SBDC for assistance. SBDC Business Specialist Marti Guntren offered one-o...
When it comes to figuring out the process and perfect location to open the first record store in Edwardsville in decades, look no further than Trusty Chords Record Shop. The music store hopes to draw crowds at its grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 1514 Troy Rd., Suite C at 11 a.m. Festivities will begin at 11 a.m.
Behind this musical venture are owners Colin Anderson and Scott Brunkhorst, who share common interests in music and entrepreneurship, along with the help f...
The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its client, Dog.Heart.Soul.
The SBDC has helped Dog.Heart.Soul with a year’s worth of support and information. With SBDC’s one-on-one, no-cost business counseling services, owner Cheryl Newman has grown the business into something special. She meets regularly with SBDC Director Jo Ann DiMaggio May.
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Like most entrepreneurs, Unique Woodworks owner Timothy Smock has faced success and struggles throughout his business career. Now, he is faced with a fresh challenge of starting a venture in a new state.
Smock has learned what to do and what not to do after being his own boss. He has also discovered an enormous opportunity for his woodworking passion.
Unique Woodworks is known for custom wood signs, furniture, and myriad replications, as well as custom works with 3-D imprints, LED ...
Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has been working with Sly Hedgehog Productions for over a year aiding in its growth and achievements in hosting interactive murder mysteries. Sly Hedgehog now has its own location in Alton in the Milton Schoolhouse.
Owners Libby Sykes and Jessica Napier agree that working with SBDC Director Jo Ann DiMaggio May has made the process of operating their business much more enjo...
When you stay at a hotel, do you get the warm comfortable feeling of a home?
Didn’t think so.
When you choose to stay at The Tibbett’s House: Bed, Breakfast & Books in Highland, you are greeted with the smell of freshly baked cookies, and genuine hospitality from owners Brett and Mindy Casto. They even have their company mascots to greet you, too … their two dogs.
You have access to snacks, drinks and toiletries during your stay, as well as some time to connect with othe...
EDWARDSVILLE - Susan Hackney was looking for a creative outlet as she eased her way into retirement. A lifelong learner, she decided the extra time on her hands provided the opportunity to learn new skills. Having an interest in growing her passion for jewelry making into a business, she learned about the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
She first attended the SBDC’s monthly ...
IL SBDC Helps Sly Hedgehog with Murder Mysteries
EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumni Jessica Napier and Libby Sykes are providing the local area with a live version of the board game “Clue” with their Murder Mystery Dinner events. Their next event is Saturday, Oct. 21, “Horrors in Hawkins: A Murder Mystery Inspired by Stranger Things” from 6-10 p.m. at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville. The dinners involve murder,...
Rainbow Station Preschool & Daycare in Belleville is an ideal example of an existing business that tapped into the complimentary expertise available at the Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
In August 2016, owner LaDonna Tunstall approached the SBDC for expertise in how to expand her business and to locate a larger space. She ...
Like many individuals, Danny Smith has faced his share of battles and has struggled with ways of overcoming them. Thanks to expertise from the Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center, Smith has founded a clothing and brand company, Built By Battle, to inspire others to tackle their battles and succeed.
“We all have battles in our lives,” Smith said. “It...
