As far back as she can remember, Nichole Glenn always wanted to own her own business. As a kid and teen she loved doing hair, but she opted to go to college and pursue a different path. After ten years of working office jobs, Nichole took a big leap to go down the path she had originally gravitated towards and enrolled in cosmetology school. She did so with the goal of eventually opening up her own hair salon. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” says Nichole. “When I would see empty storefronts, I’d imagine what kind of business I could open there.”
Nichole spent eight years working on building her clientele, establishing her reputation, and learning all she could about running a small business. She stumbled upon Women’s Initiative for Self Employment’s business planning class, and that introduced her to other resources, including San Francisco Small Business Week’s conference and other classes through the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development. In 2015, Nichole opened up Lexington Place, her own salon located on Union Street in the heart of Cow Hollow.
Now, Lexington Place is a beautiful salon in a great location committed to excellent hair services. They have 10 stylists including Nichole. Lexington Place offers haircuts and color for women and men, blowouts, bridal hair and makeup, extensions and more. In addition, they also sell a variety of products, helping their clients maintain their look well after they leave the salon.
In order to open Lexington Place, Nichole secured several small loans. She used her loan from Main Street Launch to consolidate her business debt and to add some working capital as her business was getting off the ground. “The loan helped me keep the doors open,” Nichole remembers.
Nichole offers advice to small business owners: “When you’re getting a loan, you need to prepare to be vulnerable, because lenders look at everything. There’s a lot of paperwork and documentation, so you need to be prepared for an intense process.”
“Entrepreneurship can be lonely. You have to want this more than anything: more than financial security, more than going out with friends. In order to overcome the obstacles, you have to truly want it more than anything else,” reflects Nichole.
Click here to learn more about Lexington Place and to book your first appointment with Nichole.
