Serey Sar-Blanchard’s life was in transition. She was newly married and moving to Marion, Ark., from out of state, and she wanted to open a business.
With 19 years of industry experience, including management roles, she was ready to start her own salon. Relocating provided the opportunity.
Serey knew she needed startup guidance and capital as a first-time business owner. She contacted the nearby Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at Arkansas State University Mid-South. Over the next 16 months, the center’s Jack Poff Jr. assisted her through each step of starting her business.
“I already told a client to use ASBTDC because she and her husband are thinking about opening a business. They do not know where to start and that fear has been holding them back. I told her that ASBTDC is a wonderful place to start because they will help you with everything that you need to know and guide you through every step to get you where you need to be.”
With Poff’s help, Serey wrote a business plan, compiled financial projections, and analyzed the pros and cons of hiring another nail technician.
They also discussed marketing and social media strategies. To help Nail House Rock target its social media content, Poff provided market research on the preferences and motivators of customers in the local area.
Poff connected her with the East Arkansas Planning & Development District for startup funding. Willing to invest in an experienced professional who was new to business ownership, EAPDD answered the call with its revolving loan fund.
In typical small business fashion, going from funding to opening wasn’t without snags. The furniture arrived damaged, the booking software was challenging to learn, and unforeseen costs arose. However, Serey overcame those challenges with the support of the Arkansas SBTDC.
Poff “continued helping me every step of the way, and he is still staying in touch after I opened the salon to see how it is running and how I am doing,” Serey said.
Sar-Blanchard opened her rock-n-roll-themed nail salon on March 1, 2023, in downtown Marion. The grand opening celebration held the following month was an exciting day for her family, with five of her siblings and other family members present. It was also a chance to honor her late parents, who emigrated from Cambodia.
“Serey” means freedom in Cambodian; it was a name chosen because she was their first American-born child.
Nail House Rock wants to give clients a one-of-a-kind experience. The by-appointment-only salon stays busy, and repeat customers are helping keep Sar-Blanchard's calendar full.
“I always put 110% in my work to keep my clients coming back,” says Serey.
“Since opening the salon, I have learned that being an owner of a business is very challenging, especially in a small town. If a client is not impressed with my work, the whole town will know!”
Services range from basic manicures and pedicures to acrylic full sets and fills, gel manis and pedis, and nail art – the custom designs that are Nail House Rock's specialty.
“The goal for business this year is to work out all the kinks,” Serey said. One of her goals for her second year is to hire an additional technician.
Machelle Lee and her husband Kevin purchased the former Dover Supermarket building with a dream. They envisioned making it into a place where folks could gather, eat, dance, and support their community.
Over a two-year period, they created such a place, set up like an Old West town.
The Lees have two decades of experience in the restaurant industry and are seasoned business owners. A recommendation from the couple’s banker led Machelle to contact the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at Arkansas Tech University.
They had funds to invest in the project but wanted to consider all financing options, plus plan for a multi-phase launch.
“The ASBTDC helped with the business aspect of things. I didn’t have a lot to go on, and the research helped me figure out the market and how to meet its needs."
Machelle began working with Ronda Hawkins of the ATU ASBTDC in March of 2021. They started with a business plan, market research, and financial analysis.
She credits the ASBTDC’s market data as being the most helpful assistance in the early days.
“The ASBTDC helped with the business aspect of things. I didn’t have a lot to go on, and the research helped me figure out the market and how to meet its needs,” Lee said.
Hawkins continues to share her expertise on marketing, managing employees, pricing, and other questions.
MAK Daddy’s is more than just a restaurant with live music. It’s a “town” designed to be fun and family friendly. Around the walls of the facility are counters and rooms set up like shops – an ice cream parlor, coffee shop, and billiards room will be joined by a bakery, saloon, and more.
The Lees' business evolved in phases. At first, MAK Daddy’s Old Town Meet n Eat hosted outdoor events with live music on Friday and Saturday nights, while serving popcorn and ice cream. Next, came the indoor stage, dance floor, burgers, and breakfast.
The commercial kitchen opened in August 2023 with a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu.
A dozen staff work part-time or full-time in the business.
“There is certainly something for everyone! Once fully completed, you will definitely feel like you are eating in the streets of MAK Daddy town,” said Machelle.
“We are still working on the TV lounge for all the sports lovers. The bakery is under construction, which when open, will supply the restaurant with fresh baked goods! The opera house is halfway completed. It has a huge dance floor and stage for live bands. We hope to bring in comedy shows eventually, just like a mini Branson. The dinner saloon is also in the works for those wanting a drink with their meal,” she added.
Fayetteville, Ark., startup company CelluDot was formed in 2020 to commercialize a patent-pending nanocellulose technology derived from forestry and agricultural waste like sawdust.
The company’s first product, BioGrip, is an eco-friendly, efficient, and cost-effective solution to mitigate herbicide drift. By combining drift-reducing and volatility-reducing agents and a surfactant into a one-step solution, CelluDot’s product will enable farmers to control weeds more effectively and safely – without harming nearby crops and other vegetation.
The company founders developed the technology as doctoral students at the University of Arkansas. To bring their research to market, the first-time entrepreneurs needed seed capital and guidance.
“ASBTDC has been a huge resource for CelluDot. We strongly recommend any startup that’s planning to submit an SBIR/STTR proposal to make use of ASBTDC services.”
The Arkansas SBTDC has helped CelluDot pursue and win federal research-and-development funding through America’s Seed Fund, the SBIR/STTR program. In 2023, the National Science Foundation awarded the company a $959,510 Phase II contract.
Company founders Joseph Batta-Mpouma and Gurshagan Kandhola have utilized the specialized consulting and training for tech-based companies offered by ASBTDC’s statewide innovation specialist and the University of Arkansas regional office. ASBTDC in-depth market research, proposal development and review services, and agency contacts all contributed to CelluDot’s SBIR/STTR success.
Since completing ASBTDC’s Lab2Launch Accelerator, the company has won SBIR/STTR awards from the National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Agriculture, plus a state SBIR Matching Grant. To date, the center has helped CelluDot secure $1,459,407 in capital funding.
CelluDot is using the proceeds of its Phase II award to optimize BioGrip and scale up manufacturing. The company is conducting field trials and further product testing on the way to completing regulatory approvals.
CelluDot is also developing relationships with key industry players and establishing commercial partnerships with a goal to bring BioGrip to market in the next two years.
