SBDC Success Stories

Hearing loss currently affects an estimated 48 million people in the United States alone. The World Health Organization projects that by 2050, 2.5 billion people in the world will have some degree of hearing loss. At least 700 million people—that’s one in ten of us—will require hearing rehabilitation. Debbie Lawrence, founder of Easy Signing, knows these statistics all too well. In fact, for a while, she was one of those statistics. At the age of twenty-seven, Debbie was temporarily blind and deaf from the results of viral encephalitis and meningitis. This gave her a unique perspective of living without sight and sound, fueling her passion to create innovative ways of developing communication without barriers. Read More

To say that COVID-19 was a global game-changer would be the understatement of a lifetime. Businesses of all types have faced unprecedented operational challenges and economic losses; particularly those in the service industry. JPMorgan Chase, in its article, “Small Business Finances in Illinois during the COVID-19 Pandemic” cited personal service firms as having been the hardest hit, with a negative revenue growth rate worse than that of the restaurant industry. Now, imagine the impact on a business that literally provides face-to-face service. Beauty professionals found themselves in a worst-case-scenario, with their industry all but shut down due to the pandemic. Confronted by this dire challenge, veteran freelance makeup artist Juliette Molina Bundhund launched Beauty By Juliette, a new business that would not only survive, but thrive. Read More

Pablo Picasso once said, “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” Artist and entrepreneur Caryn Mitchell creates art that not only awakens souls, it makes them sing. She believes that art should inspire and spark joy as well as transform a space. In addition to creating stunning custom works, Caryn has begun to expand her palette by offering retail pieces. She also brings her artistic passion to identity design, designing branding in harmony with her clients’ corporate culture and goals. Read More

Approximately 50 billion water bottles per year are sold in the U.S., yet many people are unable to open them due to manual dexterity issues. Andrew Ziccardi realized this on a sweltering day in 2010, when an elderly woman asked him to open a water bottle for her. The realization sparked a quest to invent a product that would empower people to easily twist off the small lids. In 2015, Andrew launched Ergonomic Bottle Caps, LLC, with its flagship consumer product, ErgoOpenerTM, available on Amazon as well as in stores in Illinois, Arizona and Ohio. Read More

Many people want to eat healthier foods, but it’s so hard to give up the decadent foods that we all love. Andrea Pedersen saw this trend as an opportunity to sell the unique chocolate syrup she had developed and start her own food business, Nutritional Decadence. In 2020, Andrea launched Cocolasses® on Amazon and through her own e-commerce website. Read More

Ergonomic Solutions – “where the office meets the road”! Nancy and Mark Wunderlich design their mobile office spaces so that employees can work efficiently, in a comfortable space that doesn’t compromise their well-being. There’s no need to precariously balance that valuable laptop on top of the car when you have a fully functioning office space in your vehicle. Read More

Sarah Mawhorr wanted two things from her career. First, she wanted to be in a profession that fit with her personal life, and second, she wanted to be the one making the rules. Sarah’s solution… start her own business! The catch was that to launch the business, Sarah would need to start from scratch. Read More

Creamed honey is similar to jams and jellies in that it’s very spreadable and pairs well with items like toast, bagels, and croissants. But creamed honey has a more butter-like texture. If you’ve never tried creamed honey, you can find Frank & Cyndee at various craft fairs and farmers’ markets around the area. Read More