When Kate Mitchell, a former successful travel agent, with a real passion for fashion had the idea of starting her very own boutique, she began the search for the perfect concept. Kate fell in love with Mainstream Boutique, a fashion retail franchise concept from Minnesota focusing on unique, fun, and exciting apparel and accessories for today’s busy women. She approached the Texas Tech University Lubbock SBDC and sought business start-up and planning assistance. With the help of her SBDC consultant, they created a professional business plan and set of financial projections, that she shopped around at various banks, before getting approved for an SBA-guaranteed loan. After months of hard work, she opened her store in an upscale shopping center in the fastest-growing area of Lubbock. After just a few days, the feedback from customers has been amazing, and Kate is off to a great start.
