SIUE alum launches beauty supply business in Maryville with SBDC expertise

Feb 14, 2017 10:17 AM

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MARYVILLE - After six years of planning and fine-tuning her business strategy, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Breon Green has opened the doors on her new beauty supply business, Divine Immanence LLC, in Maryville.

A 2010 SIUE School of Business graduate in business, economics and finance, and a 2014 Webster University MBA graduate, Green’s long-term goal has been to own a business and to provide hair products that are primarily geared toward men and women of color. During her time at SIUE, Green chose a beauty supply shop as her company in a marketing class where she was required to author a business plan for a startup. From that point on, Green’s idea to meet this beauty-related need in the local market gained traction.

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“I regularly get my hair braided, but there were no places that performed that service in the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon-Maryville area,” Green said. “The same was true for businesses that offer hair extensions. I realized this was an unmet need in the local market and an exclusive niche that I could fill.”

Divine Immanence LLC is located in a 1,200-square-foot space at 23 Executive Plaza Court in Maryville. Green officially opened her business Saturday, Jan. 21. Hours are Thursdays from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

In 2016, Green resumed meetings with the Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center at SIUE, receiving no-cost expertise from SBDC Interim Director Jo Ann DiMaggio May. For several months, the two communicated in person, by telephone and through email. May provided Green with expertise on perfecting Divine Immanence LLC’s business plan, how to secure a location for her shop and how to trademark her logo. May also referred Green to Justine PETERSEN, a St. Louis-based organization that provides credit building strategies and micro-loans to individuals and businesses whose financial situation does not meet traditional bank financing requirements.

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“I’m so grateful to Jo Ann and the Metro East Small Business Development Center for helping me tweak my business plan, and for providing a comprehensive understanding of my financial projects and other numbers,” said Green. “The SBDC also put me in contact with realtors, attorneys and other experts that I needed. Justine PETERSEN provided me with a small business loan, which was instrumental in supplementing what I needed to be able to start my venture.”

May said Green responded diligently to feedback and counsel from the SBDC, and is clearly a focused, goal-oriented entrepreneur. “Breon is motivated and worked hard to achieve her business goals,” said May. “I am so glad she was able to make Divine Immanence a reality, and I anticipate a great deal of success. I look forward to assisting her further along the way.”

For more information about Divine Immanence LLC, call the shop at (618) 205-1115.

The Illinois SBDC at SIUE assists new businesses such as Divine Immanence LLC and existing businesses headquartered in the nine-county Metro East region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph. It is a no-cost service to the community supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

By aiding entrepreneurs and companies in defining their path to success, the SBDC network positively impacts the Metro East by strengthening the business community, creating and retaining jobs and encouraging capital investment. It enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. When appropriate, the SBDC strives to affiliate its ties to the region to support the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large. To learn how the SBDC can help your small business, contact the Metro East SBDC at (618) 650-2929 or sbdcedw@gmail.com.

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