Success Stories

See our Success Story videos.

Success Story for Lost Trail Cabins

Submitted by greg@siu.edu on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:46pm

Lost Trail Cabins

Lost Trail Cabins sits on 80 acres of land just north of the Shawnee National Forest and Kinkaid Lake. There are currently three newly built, fully furnished cabins to rent, which can accommodate up to six people each. Activities on the property include a horseshoe pit, fishing pond, and hiking. Future planned amenities include additional cabins, a campground, 9-hole disc golf course, playground, pavilion, and lodge to accommodate large groups and events.

The Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIU assisted the Robinsons in developing their business plan, which ultimately led to their loan approval to build the cabins. They worked closely with their counselor to review their plan, financial projections, paperwork, and provide direction with regard to legal structures, accounting and tax issues.

Ken and Barb had all the essential elements of an entrepreneur: the dream, the drive, and the determination to see it through. They worked tirelessly on developing their business plan to ensure they were prepared for what they were undertaking. They asked pertinent questions throughout the development phase and, once their loan was approved, continued to work with the Illinois SBDC when other questions or issues arose. They have started their small business with the sweat of their own hands, and because of that are quickly seeing the benefits of their labor of love.

Success Story for Bus to Chicago

Submitted by greg@siu.edu on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:36pm

Bus To Chicago

Mark Robinson of Carbondale is launching a new business focused on students at Southern Illinois University.

Bus to Chicago, his newest venture, is a bus service with a difference, geared toward students heading home for a weekend, or others wanting to spend a weekend in the Chicago area without driving. The Bus to Chicago will have one simple price which is $69 for a round trip. The bus leaves on Friday afternoon and returns on early evening Sunday. This differentiating factor with Bus to Chicago versus other modes of public transportation is the proximity of the stops which makes it very convenient and accessible for all areas of Chicago. The bus runs 42 weekends of the year, with adjustments to the round-trip schedule to accommodate three-day holiday weekends, spring break and other holidays. In addition the bus features television and wi-fi access.

Mr. Robinson has extensive experience in the commercial transportation business starting in 1987 when he founded Blue Star Lines Limousines. When he sold in 2001 it had the prestige of being the oldest and most successful livery business in Southern Illinois. Still in business today, it features sedans, stretch limousines and the first “party bus”, created in 1994 to handle large and potentially unruly groups. In addition he owned the Bike Surgeon plus ran the Greyhound station in Carbondale and drove commercially for Trailways for almost a decade. He is employed as an Assistant Travel Service Manager with Southern Illinois University.

Mr. Robinson utilized the services of the Small Business Development Center to prepare his business plan, develop proforma statements and structure the financing for his new venture. The Bus to Chicago was funded in part through the USDA Microentrepreneur Assistance Program through Champion Community Investments. Reservations for the Bus to Chicago can be made at www.busdog.com.

Success Story for DiMaggio's Italian Ristorante

Submitted by jbourque@biz.siu.edu on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 10:02am

DiMaggio’s Italian Ristorante

DiMaggio’s Italian Ristorante certainly has the recipe for great food and success, having been in business for over 30 years in Fairfield and Carbondale. But, in moving and expanding the Carbondale restaurant to a much larger and high traffic location, Sebastian and his family realized they would face new challenges to their proven business methods.

Sebastian and Angie reached out to the Small Business Development Center for assistance in evaluating this new location, as well as developing a financial analysis and business plan. And, the SBDC was key in DiMaggio’s ability to obtain financing though a new southern Illinois Microloan program.

“The Small Business Development Center was a great tool for us”. DiMaggio’s is now successfully open in their new location. “They believed in what we were doing”, said Sebastian about the SBDC. Feeling confident and proud, the family business is prepared to take care of the tremendous increase in customers.  All the pieces came together for this long time southern Illinois business with assistance and counseling from the Small Business Development Center.

Success Story for Southpass Beads

Submitted by jbourque@biz.siu.edu on Mon, 04/25/2011 - 8:20am

Southpass Beads

 203 E. Ash Street                618-893-6170
Cobden, IL 62920                Opened Store Front in June 17, 2010
www.southpassbeads.com 
 
Southpass Beads has become the place to go for jewelry beading needs in southern Illinois.  The owner of Southpass Beads, LouAnn, credits the Small Business Development Center at SIU for valuable start-up business advice and guidance.  LouAnn attended the SBDC's "Starting a Business in Illinois" workshop.  As a result, she signed up for free counseling sessions with the SBDC.  The assistance LouAnn received from Robyn, a SBDC Counselor, in navigating through the legal paperwork was important in helping her get the business up and running.  LouAnn also received counseling on writing her business plan, registering a domain name, and building a website.  LouAnn said, "I talked about what I wished to accomplish in starting Southpass Beads, and Robyn was able to help guide me in that direction."  "Now, several years later, my business has steadily grown."  Southpass Beads offers hand crafted jewelry along with  beading classes and bead making.

 

 

Success Story - Sew-A-Lot

Submitted by SBDC on Fri, 02/04/2011 - 2:38pm

Sew-A-Lot

Sue
Sue Estes, principal owner of Sew-A-Lot, located at 201 W. Walnut St., Carbondale, Illinois.

Opened: 2010
Principle Owner: Sue Estes

Sue Estes, 2009 participant and grant winner through the SBDC's Operation Bootstrap program, has taken her business to a new level this fall by opening her own storefront in downtown Carbondale. Sew-A-Lot, a sole proprietorship owned and operated by Ms. Estes is a full-service sewing and alterations shop. She also hopes to begin creating her own line of shirts and dresses for retail sale.

Having worked in the sewing and alterations business for many years, Sue has had the dream of opening her own shop for the past couple of years. Following her training with the SBDC's Operation Bootstrap training program, she had renewed energy and hope of fullfilling her dream. Within the past year, as her own business has grown and word-of-mouth spread, she has been able to cut her hours at her regular job and devote more to building her business, Sew-A-Lot. This fall, she found the opportunity and investment capital to open a storefront location in the heart of Carbondale, enabling her to expand her presence within the market.

Though having a storefront requires more hours and more work to upkeep, she is excited about this new opportunity and looks to a more profitable future. She continues to utilize the SBDC to work on improving her marketing efforts, ensuring proper paperwork completion, etc.

 

 

Success Story - A "Lill" Taste of Cuba

Submitted by SBDC on Fri, 02/04/2011 - 2:16pm

A "Lill" Taste of Cuba

A Lill Taste of Cuba
A "Lill" Taste of Cuba is located at 607 N. Court St. in Marion, Illinois.

Opened: 2009
Principle Owners: Loray and Scott Lill

Loray and Scott Lill, owners of A "Lill" Taste of Cuba located at 607 N. Court St. in Marion, Illinois are proud to celebrate their one year anniversary of their store opening. In celebration of this milestone, the owners are expanding their menu and daily special offerings to its new and loyal customers.

The Lills came to the SBDC in 2008, both employed by local chain restaurants, with a dream of opening their own Cuban-themed restaurant. They worked dilligently with their counselor to develop a thorough business plan, only to have their loan requests denied by several banks in the area. Despite their good credit, and investment capital, the lending industry at that time was tight and not confident in taking a chance on a restaurant with such a different menu for this area.

The Lills persevered however, because they knew from their experience at the Friday Night Car Nights in town and the response they received from dishes they took to work and friends, that they had a product people in this area craved: authentic Cuban food. They found a location, remodeled it themselves, and purchased all their startup equipment and inventory with their savings, credit cards, and a small family donation.

One year later, they have a loyal customer base, a huge following on their Facebook page, offer daily specials, and are expanding their catering opportunities as time and manpower allow them to do so. Currently, a regional hospital has asked them to cater for over 600 people at their holiday party.

The Lills are continuing to work with their SBDC counselor to evaluate expansion plans and opportunities, as they see a profitable and sustainable future with A "Lill" Taste of Cuba.

 

 

Success Story - DxR Development

Submitted by SBDC on Thu, 02/03/2011 - 3:33pm

DxR Development Group, Inc.

Hurley Myers and Robyn Russell
Dr. Hurley Myers, who is President and CEO, and Robyn Russell, Director of Business Development and International Trade, are discussing the company's upcoming plans to expand the current use of these software programs to the healthcare professional education market in China.

Opened: 1992
Principle Owners: Hurley Myers, Eldon Benz
Number of Employees: 14 full-time

DxR Development Group, Inc. was founded in 1992 when the technology underlying interactive, medical education software was transferred from the SIU School of Medicine to the private sector. As a business, its goal has been to develop, publish, market, and sell healthcare education software programs that can be used to teach and assess various aspects of clinical problem solving and clinical practice behavior.

The company's market remains primarily domestic, but it is currently working to expand the use of its products globally--an essential part of DxR Group's financial growth. International market potential has increased particularly in Asia and the Middle East. Many medical schools in these regions are beginning to adopt problem-based learning and other innovative educational methods, making our company's well-established software programs a potentially valuable, cost-effective addition to their curricula.

 

 

Events & Training

http://www.google.com/calendar/event?eid=aDAzc2pwN2NoODljOGlzaDJrNmJiaW1xYTAgc2l1Lmdyb3dzaUBt~*~Starting a Business in Illinois~*~March 2, 2012~*~9:00am~*~Herrin, Chamber of Commerce (3 North Park Avenue, Herrin, IL)~*~This two-hour informational seminar covers the basic requirements of starting your own business including: legal structure, start-up requirements, finding financing and business planning basics. An optional business start-up kit is available for $15. Our Business Start-Up Kit, available in both print and electronic format, includes the following materials: a business start-up checklist, the presentation slides, financing questions and answers packet, a sample business plan, federal and state tax identification applications ,and much more.

Herrin, Chamber of Commerce (3 North Park Avenue, Herrin, IL)
March 2, 2012 9:00am

http://www.google.com/calendar/event?eid=ajU3ZDVscHA4cjQ4NmFsNmQ0cXYzbXJkNW8gc2l1Lmdyb3dzaUBt~*~Using Social Media in Business~*~March 20, 2012~*~9:00am~*~Dunn-Richmond Dev. Center~*~This informational seminar covers the different types of social networking websites that are available as well as the benefits of incorporating social networking into a business’s marketing plan.

Dunn-Richmond Dev. Center
March 20, 2012 9:00am

http://www.google.com/calendar/event?eid=ZjM3YTNpaWtidXFhMTU0dTQ2NThzczk1ODAgc2l1Lmdyb3dzaUBt~*~Angel Resource Institute : Due Diligence~*~March 29, 2012~*~8:00am~*~Dunn Richmond Economic Development Center~*~Effective due diligence is one of the most critical steps in successful angel investing. This half day drill-down workshop takes the angel investor through the key issues which will determine major risk factors and deal breakers. The workshop emphasizes what must be confirmed, the cost of confirming, and the risk of not knowing. Workshop attendees learn what it takes to validate the plan and to define and contain the risk of investment.

This course is highly interactive and includes presentations, panel discusions and case studies.

Register: No later than March 26, close of business. Pre-registration is required. Illinois SBDC International Trade Center 618-453-3805.

Cost: $60 per person per half day session (includes lunch and materials)
$100 per person for full day of sessions (includes lunch and materials for both sessions)

The link below is the flyer for the sessions.
http://growsi.com/downloads/2012_AngelResourceFlyer_V03.pdf

Dunn Richmond Economic Development Center
March 29, 2012 8:00am

http://www.google.com/calendar/event?eid=YXFkNDRwaXYwcm1ldXN2amNiZm5taHN1Z2Mgc2l1Lmdyb3dzaUBt~*~Angel Resource Institute: An In-Depth Look at Term Sheets~*~March 29, 2012~*~1:00pm~*~Dunn Richmond Economic Development Center~*~Angel investing is high risk investing. Consequently certain safeguards are understandable and appropriate. This workshop facilitate in-depth presentations and discussions of the term and conditions commonly used by angel investors in funding early stage ventures. Attendees will become familiar with a wide variety of investment terms and processes through five main sections:

-Core principles and processes
-Structure of company and ownership interests
-Mechanics of financial terms
-Investor rights provisions
-Protective provisions

This course will also include panel discussions from local experts.

Register: No later than March 26, close of business. Pre-registration is required. Illinois SBDC International Trade Center 618-453-3805. sbdc@siu.edu

Cost: $60 per person per half day session (includes lunch and materials)
$100 per person for full day of sessions (includes lunch and materials from both sessions)

Networking lunch will be served from 12-1pm.

The link below is the flyer for the sessions.
http://growsi.com/downloads/2012_AngelResourceFlyer_V03.pdf

Dunn Richmond Economic Development Center
March 29, 2012 1:00pm

http://www.google.com/calendar/event?eid=amI5NnN0aDdwNWwyY2dhOW1obzlrdG9vOHMgc2l1Lmdyb3dzaUBt~*~Starting a Business in Illinois~*~April 18, 2012~*~1:00pm~*~Dunn-Richmond Dev. Center~*~This two-hour informational seminar covers the basic requirements of starting your own business including: legal structure, start-up requirements, finding financing, and business planning basics.

Dunn-Richmond Dev. Center
April 18, 2012 1:00pm

http://www.google.com/calendar/event?eid=cmdhcDljcW85ZnNhM2lrbmpqcGh1bjVzMDAgc2l1Lmdyb3dzaUBt~*~Starting a Business in Illinois~*~May 4, 2012~*~9:00am~*~Chester, Randolph County Courthouse (1 Taylor Street)~*~This two-hour informational seminar covers the basic requirements of starting your own business including: legal structure, start-up requirements, finding financing and business planning basics. An optional business start-up kit is available for $15. Our Business Start-Up Kit, available in both print and electronic format, includes the following materials: a business start-up checklist, the presentation slides, financing questions and answers packet, a sample business plan, federal and state tax identification applications ,and much more.

Chester, Randolph County Courthouse (1 Taylor Street)
May 4, 2012 9:00am

http://www.google.com/calendar/event?eid=amNlc2YzZ2M0MGY2amhodG1jbXBvajRhajQgc2l1Lmdyb3dzaUBt~*~Starting a Business in Illinois~*~May 22, 2012~*~1:00pm~*~Dunn-Richmond Dev. Center~*~This two-hour informational seminar covers the basic requirements of starting your own business including: legal structure, start-up requirements, finding financing, and business planning basics.

Dunn-Richmond Dev. Center
May 22, 2012 1:00pm