ALTON – Of more than 220 applications from across the city, only six businesses were chosen to be featured on season three of The Small Business Revolution.
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Those six businesses – Lovett's, Today's Beauty Supply, Bluff City Outdoors, Morrison's Irish Pub, Sham Pooches and Lighthouse Sounds – will be able to split as much as $500,000 worth of investment from show sponsor, Minneapolis-based Deluxe Corporation, and will have one of eight episodes centered on their establishment. Lighthouse Sounds owner Jay Stanley said the investment and attention could not have come at a better time for his business. Currently the recording studio is moving locations, and has great plans for the future.
Lighthouse Sounds has been located on Market Street across from the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Square, and Stanley said the location has been great, but the business is starting to grow out of its space.
“We're outgrowing the building,” he said. “Honestly, we can't do much there outside the studio.”
Outside of the recording studio, Stanley said the business would like to expand into a retail space. Studio manager Alex St. Cin told Riverbender.com in previous interviews he wanted to sell local music and band merchandise from the new location once it opens. Stanley said local musician Justin Level may be added to the staff in June, when he expects the new building to open. It's located in the 600 block of East Broadway in the former Fireplace Store across from Jacoby.
“Lots of guys have been helping us fix up the new building,” he said. “I appreciate their help a lot. We are shooting for June for an opening.”
While the second coming of producers of The Small Business Revolution will occur in June for filming (the first round is in April), Stanley said the motivation for the June opening was due to the lease expiring in their old building.
“Originally, we were trying even before we knew all of this, because our lease would be up, but our landlord said we could get a six month extension if we needed it,” he said. “He's been cool with everything, even though we're moving out.”
“Cool” seems to be a recurring theme in Stanley's recollection of the whole experience of The Small Business Revolution coming into town. He said the production staff and hosts, Amanda Brinkman of The Deluxe Corporation and this season's co-host, Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, have been amazing through the entire process.
“It's crazy this happened right when we moved into the new building,” Stanley said. “Honestly, the company seems like they're really wanting to help the businesses in Alton, and Alton as whole. They have been so supportive of us, and Alton as a whole.”
Alton as a whole has been supporting to Stanley and the gang as well. He said, despite not being chosen for the final six, Mississippi Mud Pottery sent a letter of congratulations to the studio, and Stanley said that made him feel great.
“Everyone has been really supportive of us, and we've been getting busier and busier,” Stanley said.
When asked what he hopes The Small Business Revolution can do for him and his business, Stanley said he would show them what the studio has and ask for their input.
“I'll ask them for help with whatever they think we need most,” he said. “They're pretty good at what they do. Anything they say we're doing wrong will come from a place of trying to make us a better all-around studio and business.”
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