Kelly Bishop has had a lifelong passion for hair. When she was in high school, Kelly would cut her sister’s hair out on her driveway, using only a picture found in a magazine for a guide. She attended Capri Cosmetology School and was an instructor there for a couple of years after graduation. After acquiring experience at a variety of local salons, Kelly decided it was time to open her own salon so she could provide style and comfort to her customers and her employees.

With the encouragement and assistance of her carpenter husband, Kelly opened KelliZio Hair & Nail Spa. Located at 5515 Jersey Ridge Road in Davenport, the salon’s wooden floors, warm colors, and blue front desk, custom-made by her husband, create a contemporary, yet comfortable, style. Each stylist has her own work station that includes a full-size mirror and places to keep all appliances and cords tucked neatly away.

With her stylist chairs renting more slowly than anticipated Kelly was having difficulty meeting her financial obligations. In addition, she had not been able to borrow as much start-up cash as needed and ended up funding much of her leasehold improvements out of pocket. This left her short of cash flow to support the business through its start-up phase. Six months after opening her business Kelly sought assistance from Ann Hutchinson, regional director of the Eastern Iowa Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Kelly and Ann worked together to make her financial management as professional as her salon management. Kelly took classes in QuickBooks from the SBDC and converted her manual accounting system to the computer. Analysis of her cash flow needs by Ann led to the creation of a financial plan that Kelly presented to her landlords and the bank. The plan involved a short-term decrease in rent and loan payments, allowing her time to add new stylists and much-needed working capital.

Kelly’s talent for cutting hair is matched by her talent for marketing. This combination has led to continual growth for KelliZio Hair & Nail Spa and Kelly’s financial future is looking great. Kelly has seven additional stylists and the business continues to grow.

Kelly continues to work with Ann at the SBDC, saying, “Ann’s assistance was invaluable. Those first few visits were tough–making difficult decisions and asking for help from my landlord and my bank. I felt like a failure. But with Ann’s help I’m making much more strategic decisions about my business.”

Be sure to check out the fun pictures, available services, and different items for sale on the salon’s website at kellizio.com.