Peggy Kraft came to the Western Iowa Tech Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Sioux City in early fall of 2008 after being laid off from her office management position. She wanted to take advantage of the Christmas rush and open a kiosk in the local Southern Hills Mall, offering high quality dog treats, clothing and accessories for pet owners of every style and shape. She also needed help developing an e-commerce website to expand her potential market.

Even though Bella's Boutique and Bakery opened without a formal business plan, Peggy knew she would need financial projections and market analysis, so she asked Western Iowa Tech SBDC Regional Director Dan Wubbena for help. He provided the necessary financial projections, plus general business counseling, inventory control training, marketing and branding advice, and assistance with e-commerce and e-marketing. Peggy stated, “without Dan’s help and the other counselors at the SBDC, we would not have been ready for the holiday season.”

With the assistance of the SBDC, Peggy was able to negotiate a three month lease in the mall to capture the holiday shopping crowd, and was successful in launching her website - www.bellasboutiqueandbakery.com - to expand her marketplace world wide. She worked closely with the SBDC to create both unique and common branding along all business model lines and learned the importance of inventory control and e-commerce "do's and don'ts".

Because of SBDC assistance, Peggy feels she is already a step ahead of where she might have been otherwise. “In my mind, my business concept looked a bit cookie-cutter,” Peggy explained. “Until I met with Dan, I had no idea what a niche I had with this business opportunity.”