Success Story: Head Over Heels Beauty & Supply

Head Over Heels Beauty & Supply – Devils Lake, 2021

Chelsey Sloan had dreamt of owning her own hair salon since she was a teenager. She grew up doing hair and makeup for dances, and it was something that she felt passionate about. Everyone knew that she would eventually open her own salon; it was just a matter of when and how.

In 2006, Sloan began working at the JCPenney salon in Grand Forks. Not long after, she came to Devils Lake to work at Sharon’s Barber and Beauty Connection until she began the process of opening her own salon.

Starting up a business can be challenging enough as is, but it is even more taxing when coupled with the pandemic. Chelsey searched for help during this process. Forward Devils Lake, an economic development corporation, referred Sloan to the ND SBDC for assistance with her financial projections and business plan.

At first, Chelsey had no idea what to expect from the ND SBDC -especially during COVID-19 since advisers and clients were unable to meet in

person. Chelsey explains, however, that the meetings gave her a better understanding of what she was committing herself to and what her business was all about.

Sloan stated, “The business plan and financial projections were on point to get me to where I needed to be for the next step.” That next step was presenting her business to a seven-person panel made up of members from the City of Devils Lake, the Chamber of Commerce, and Forward Devils Lake. Chelsey was overwhelmingly successful, garnering a unanimous vote. In May of 2021, Sloan was able to officially open Head Over Heels Beauty & Supply for business.

Chelsey attributes much of her success to the ND SBDC as she states that, “Starting a business at the beginning of the pandemic was extremely difficult! The ND SBDC and I did what we could to get everything organized and create a successful business plan. I am beyond grateful to have gone the route I did by reaching out to ND SBDC! It’s the best decision I ever made!”

For Sloan, owning and operating Head Over Heels Beauty & Supply has been a rewarding venture ever since opening. In the future, she has plans to expand the services that her salon has to offer.
Sloan says, “A lot of people don’t understand how much work [opening a business] takes, and the dedication that you have to commit yourself to. To understand business better, [the ND SBDC] helped me greatly.”

Looking back, owning her own business is something that she didn’t think she could do until she actually started to get immersed in the process of it. Chelsey is glad that she didn’t shy away from the initial intimidation and is proud to now be a successful small business owner.