Studio Lane, Stephani Cordano
The Beginning:
Stephani has worked as a hairstylist in several other shops but has always wanted to go on her own. She did not plan to open a salon, but when a space became available right in the heart of downtown Plainfield, her hometown, she just could not pass it up and decided to open a shop in June 2020. Studio Lane offers everything from haircuts to extensions as well as hair coloring, specializing in blonding. The Studio has 3 additional chairs to rent to other Stylists to perform their own hairstyling business. She loves that she can make clients feel good about themselves by connecting with them individually, making them look their best on the outside, which in turn makes them feel better on the inside.
The Challenge:
Stephani had never heard of SCORE but had reached out to a bank for a business loan and they gave her SCORE’s website as a starting point for what they thought may be helpful. Turns out SCORE was exactly what she needed. It was invaluable to have the mentorship program while developing my business plan. What was most helpful to me was coming up with an Excel spreadsheet and plugging in all my projections for the 1st year.
The Process:
The mentor that I was matched with was Bob Rudisill. What has been great about having Bob as a mentor is knowing that I can call upon him with any questions I have, and he will make time to answer them without making me feel like he did not have the time. I could not have asked for a better experience. I cannot stress enough to other businesses to reach out to SCORE with any needs they may have, and they will be pointed in the right direction.
I am proud of the fact that because of my help from SCORE, we were able to come up with a business plan and I knew before I even opened my doors that it would be successful if I stuck to my plan. This gave me the peace of mind and confidence that I needed to open the doors of Studio Lane.
The Success:
My experience as a new business owner has made me realize how important it is to support local businesses. I have been able to see how all the businesses have banded together to help each other during the trying times of 2020. The best advice I have for someone thinking of starting a business is to get with SCORE and come up with a plan. Do not go into it blindly. Be patient and do not move on with your business until your plan is in place.
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