Jessica McGuinty has a head of unruly curls. After devising a recipe to tame her locks with flaxseed gel, she shared her concoction with others she met in an online community dedicated to curly-haired individuals. That was in 2002. Since then she has developed a full line of hair products for curly hair and has created a cult-following of customers.

Challenges: McGuinty needed to relocate and expand her facilities in 2003 and then devise a growth strategy that would help her capture market share, be able to pay for her increasing overhead and finance her rapid expansion without imploding.

Actions Taken: McGuinty and her husband, Dave, worked with SBDC Consultants Stilson Snow and Bob Judevine to write a business plan, devise a financial plan for the company and secure SBA financing. SBDC consultants worked with Jessicurl on reducing costs and increasing order process efficiencies. With the help of the SBDC consultants and Humboldt State University Professor Mark Doggett, a student team helped Jessicurl maximize the use of their warehouse and decrease production time for their products.

Results: Jessicurl secured SBA financing through assistance of the SBDC. The company increased sales, increased margins and added three employees between 2004 and 2006. Devoted clients continued to provide word of mouth promotion and in 2006 Jessicurl was invited to showcase their products on the nationally-syndicated Rachel Ray Show.

Client Satisfaction: “We wouldn’t have gotten nearly as far if it wasn’t for the SBDC. We needed so much work on the day-to-day stuff needed in a start-up,” McGuinty said. “We really worked with the SBDC to understand and address our costs. It wasn’t just the direct services provided though – the SBDC staff reached out to other resources on our behalf as well.”

Jessica McGuinty, Jessicurl Hair Products
P.O. Box 9048
Eureka, CA 95502
(888) 537-7428
www.jessicurl.com