SVM_Business Journal_090619

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PUBLICATION • FALL 2019 • VOL. 22, NO. 7

Sauk Valley

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Business Journal IAL ISSU C E PE

Women in Business

INSIDE A look at some Sauk Valley businesses and the women who are making them a success

Whether they’re climbing corporate ladders or moving up from employee to entrepreneur, women are setting their sights higher B&B owner goes the extra country mile to make guests feel at home Dixon woman goes from working in a lab to owning one of her own Restaurateur serves up the best of both worlds

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Permit No. 440 Sterling, IL 61081

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Fall 2019

Women mean business Business Whether they’re climbing Journal the corporate ladder or

cover sto ry

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moving up from employee to entrepreneur, women are setting their sights higher

BY RACHEL RODGERS For Sauk Valley Business Journal

he number of women entrepreneurs has grown dramatically in the past few decades, as has the network of national, state and local resources available to them.

“Things are changing rapidly in the workplace, and there’s great opportunity for women to further their careers or become entrepreneurs,” said Kris Noble, executive director of the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re seeing a lot of opportunities for women in the Sauk Valley to have a seat at the table in business and in the community.”

The Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce’s Professional Women’s Network was formed in 2006 as a platform for women to gather, share knowledge and advice, identify important issues and topics, and organize events.

Sauk Valley

Business Journal

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Fall 2019 PUBLICATION

Publisher: Don T. Bricker General Manager/Ad Director: Jennifer Heintzelman

Noble said she’s seeing more women exploring their passions and opening small retail businesses, and the area is also showing growth with women in higher positions and on the management level.

There are several resources available to aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners looking to grow, including the Small Business Development Center at Sauk Valley Community College.

The center provides a diverse array of guidance to existing and potential small businesses, such as developing business plans, addressing issues, and bolstering marketing campaigns.

It also helps owners looking to retire and pass their businesses on to others.

“An important part of entrepreneurship is knowing you can’t do it alone,” Noble said. “There’s a great value to networking and surrounding yourself with knowledgeable people and taking advantage of the resources available.”

According to the American Express 2018 State of WomenOwned Businesses report, the number of women-owned businesses increased 31 times between 1972 and 2018, rising from 402,000 to 12.3 million. Employment surged from 230,000 to 9.2 million, growing 40-fold, and revenues rose 217-fold from $8.1 billion in 1972 to $1.8 trillion.

WOMEN continued on 34

Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media of Dixon and Sterling-Rock Falls. No portion of Sauk Valley Business Journal may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this publication.

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WOMEN

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“Women are playing a huge role in the growth as one of the fastest growing populations of business owners in the country,” said Emilia DiMenco, President and CEO

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of the Chicago-based Women’s Business Development Center. “Astoundingly, four out of every 10 businesses in the U.S is woman-owned.

These companies employ 8 percent of the total private sector workforce and contribute $1.8 trillion in total revenue each year.” n

More information Resources for women American Business Women’s Association – abwa.org The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership – sba.gov/business-guide/ grow-your-business/womenowned-businesses National Women’s Business Council – nwbc.gov National Association of Women Business Owners – nawbo.org Women’s Business Enterprise National Council – wbenc.org Committee of 200 – c200.org Ellevate Network – ellevatenetwork.com

ForbesWoman – forbes.com/ forbeswoman National Association for Female Executives – nafe.com Local resources Call 815-625-2400, go to saukvalleyareachamber.com or find the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook for more information on the Professional Women’s Network or other resources.

Call 815-835-6244, go to sauksbdc.com or find the Small Business Development Center at Sauk Valley Community College on Facebook for more information or to schedule an appointment.

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Fall 2019

WOMEN IN BUSINESS | HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY

Home sweet country home The owner of a local bed and breakfast does more than just give guests a relaxing place to rise and dine, she goes the extra country mile to make them feel right at home

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BY SHELBY KUEPKER For Sauk Valley Business Journal

hether you’re looking for a romantic weekend getaway, a hot spot to reunite with high school friends, or a relaxing pit stop on a family vacation, House in the Country is for you.

The beautifully restored, cheery yellow Queen Anne farmhouse outside of Sterling, built in 1911, has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room, library, and parlor.

What’s available? Anything from “a single room” to “the main floor for a quiet work space” to “the whole house for a college mate’s wedding,” owner Christina Bystry said.

With new renovations in the works, Bystry also plans to allow guests to host “showers, retreats, weddings, and other small gatherings.”

HOME continued on 54 House in the Country owner Christina Bystry Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

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HOME

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The two-and-a-half-acre property is filled with adventures waiting to be had and memories waiting to be made.

Guests can relax on the large decks or snuggle up around a fire pit for summertime s’mores.

The home can accommodate up to 12 people in the four spacious bedrooms on the second and third floors. After a cozy night’s sleep, guests will wake to the fresh smell of breakfast and baked goods made

by Bystry herself.

Bystry’s hospitality is unmatched.

“I was leaving for work at 4:45 a.m., and she made me breakfast sandwiches the night before so I had something to eat on the way,” one guest posted on the B&B’s website.

She also works hard to create an atmosphere that’s a comfortable balance of oldworld charm and modern amenities, decorating and furnishing the entire home with beautiful works of art and cozy furniture.

“It’s an eclectic collection of comfort,” Bystry said.

Bystry also hides a pineapple or two into every room – “it’s the international symbol of hospitality,” she said. She’s also incorporated one into her business’s logo.

Since buying the property in 2017, Bys-

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try has been relentlessly improving it.

“I recently painted the veranda floor, installed new two new stairs, and will soon be designing and installing the skirting,” she said. She also added a 16-by-16-foot checker/chess board and an L-shaped patio between two of her outbuildings.

The warm summer days have given her the perfect opportunity to work on even more projects.

“Two patios are in the works and should be finished soon,” Bystry said. “The next planned renovation will be putting a new foundation under the big barn.”

She’s done most of the work herself, with the help of family and friends for the bigger jobs.

Bystry grew up in Coleta, then spent her early life living all over the world. She settled in Waterman for 21 years, until a “lifechanging event” and a yearning “to be closer to some very special people” brought her back to Whiteside County 2 years ago.

She noticed immediately that a property she had her eye on for many years was up for sale. Retirement was in her near future and she “wanted to purchase a property that would provide an income,” so Bystry took the leap and created House in the Country.

The past couple of years have been an adventure, she said, but her favorite part of her B&B business is “the flexibility – as well as meeting the people who come to stay.” n

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More information House in the Country is 3 miles north of Sterling at 20213 Hickory Hills Road, just down the road from the First Lutheran Church of Jordan.

Check-in is from 3 to 6 p.m., with check out by 11 a.m. For those with an infant, a cradle is available. Pets are not allowed.

Contact owner Christina Bystry at houseinthecountry18@ gmail.com or 815-970-0305.

Lean more about her restored Queen Anne farmhouse, prices and packages, at houseinthecountry18.com or on Facebook.

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Fall 2019

WOMEN IN BUSINESS | VALUE LAB Caroline Arnould checks a blood sample.

Arnould, 31, of Dixon, opened Value Lab, 832 N. Galena Ave., on April 1, after working as a phlebotomist at CGH Medical Center in Sterling for 5 years.

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Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

A new chapter, in the same vein Dixon woman goes from working in a lab to owning one of her own

Making The Right Connection

Since 1958

BY AVALYNDA CASEY For Sauk Valley Business Journal

hen customers walk through the door of Caroline Arnould’s business, they’re ready to be put to the test.

Value Lab is a locally owned, walk-in collection center designed to offer businesses and individuals quality lab testing at an affordable price, quickly and conveniently.

Anyone can get tested, with or without a doctor’s order. Customers pay out-of-pocket, and Value Lab provides a detailed receipt for insurance purposes.

Arnould, 31, of Dixon, opened Value Lab on April 1, after working as a phlebotomist for 5 years at CGH Medical Center in Sterling.

Arnould is a 2006 Dixon High School graduate who attended Sauk Valley and Kiswaukee community colleges before realizing her dream of owning her own business.

“I couldn’t have done it without my friend and co-worker, Laurie [Wetzell],” she says of her receptionist, who worked with her at CGH. “I was meant to meet Laurie. She can’t draw blood, and I can’t do numbers. She is the brains behind that part.”

Arnould and her husband, Adam, 31, a lieutenant in the Dixon City Fire Department, have a infant daughter, Adaline, who comes to work with Mom a few days a week. Arnould won’t miss seeing Adaline take her first steps.

“I started looking at childcare costs, and decided I couldn’t go that route, so I decided to work for myself. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

LAB continued on 74

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Fall 2019

LAB

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A doctor can send an order for lab work to Value Lab, and the patient can stop by at their convenience. The samples are collected by certified professionals then sent to a testing facility, with the results sent back to the doctor’s office within 24 hours.

No insurance is needed, and all the work is 100% confidential.

Fellow phlebotomist Connie Asher, who retired from CGH in August after about 20 years, fills in for Arnould when she needs time off.

Wetzell, of Rock Falls, was a receptionist at CGH when Arnould asked her to join Value Lab. “I really liked Caroline and wanted to keep working with her,� Wetzell said. “We’d had experience working together.�

She also likes the concept behind Value Lab. “I like that people can take their health into their own hands,� Wetzell said. “If you aren’t getting answers from your doctor, you can go with your ‘gut’ and have yourself tested. Our work reduces your need to make appointments to see the doctor, when they are going to just prescribe tests anyway. “Some people are lucky enough to figure out an undiagnosed disease, and many

More info Value Lab, 832 N. Galena Ave. in Dixon, is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday; no appointment is necessary. Call 815-677-9384, find it on Facebook or go to valuelabdixon.com for a complete list of tests costs or other information. results are returned immediately,� she said.

One of the results of their lab tests, Wetzell said, is “peace of mind.� “Some parents want to know what their kids are up to. With peer pressure and things available, we can help parents have difficult conversations with their kids.

Some patients are worried about a lab test through their work, so they come here first to make sure the results are good.�

Arnould comes from an entrepreneurial family: Her father, Scott Burkitt, owns ™

When you’re here, you’re family!

Page 7 Pfoutz Plumbing and Heating in Franklin Grove, and her mom, Linda Burkitt, owns Tipsy’s Bar and Grill in downtown Dixon. “Mom started in that space as the original owner of Stuff for 11 years, which changed to Bloomin’ Stuff, and is now Tipsy’s,� she said. “I learned how to work from watching my parents. If someone didn’t show up, they had to go in. They were there every day. Middle-of-the-night calls, problems, all of it, they were there.�

Arnould is proud that Value Lab is owned and run by women, but they didn’t do it alone. “I worked with Emily Zimmerman in the Small Business Development Center at Sauk Valley Community College. She helped me get a business plan together, connect with the bank, and introduced me to the owner of this building.�

Her Dixon connections helped, too. “It’s so hard for the average person to know what to do when starting a business. Dixon Main Street offers a $5,000 microgrant, and I was referred to a bank for partial financing, and other practical support.�

Anytime Arnould can get her name out to the public, she is all-in. “I have called names out of the Yellow Pages to let people know we are here,� she said, and they were even on a float on this year’s Petunia Festival parade. n

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Sauk Valley Business Journal

Fall 2019

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Sauk Valley Business Journal

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS | CURATE KITCHEN

Around the world in ate days A Dixon woman is serving up the best of both worlds – the international and the local – at her restaurant

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BY AVALYNDA CASEY For Sauk Valley Business Journal

t may be a brand-new restaurant, but Curate Kitchen comes with a lot of history, both local and international.

Jessi Marshall born and raised in Dixon, comes from an entrepreneurial family.

“Our family-owned a beauty and barber supply store we sold in 2010, and I moved to Arizona to stay in the beauty industry,” Marshall said.

“I worked for the Professional Beauty Association as director of education and special programming. After traveling 15 to 20 days a month nationally and internationally, I wanted out of the race.”

In her 8 years with the association, Marshall visited 15 countries and tasted a wide variety of food.

When she returned to Dixon, she tried a couple of different business ideas, but they didn’t work out. She had changed her lifestyle and her way of eating, so she started researching local food offerings, and found a niche that wasn’t being served in the area.

CURATE continued on 114

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Fall 2019

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To curate is to bring unique and different things together, which is what her Curate Kitchen does.

“We cater to specialties,” Marshall said. “Eighty percent of our menu can be gluten-free, 60 percent can be vegetarian, we can make it nut-free.

“Kids grow up eating differently than I did. Now kids eat sushi, curry, More info and experience international spices Curate Kitchen, which opened Jan. 15 – everyone’s palate has changed. Internationally, people eat less processed at 120 W. River St. in food.

Dixon, serves breakHer menu reflects her own personal fast and lunch from 6 history. a.m. to 3 p.m. Mon“I called one of my favorite restauday through Friday rants in Brussels – Café La Pompe – and from 7 a.m. to 2 and asked for their recipes, and they p.m. Saturday. Call gave them to me!

815-677-7032, go to “We feature a BLT with Caesar salad curatedixon.com or and bacon, a four-cheese ‘grown-up’ find it on Facebook grilled cheese, and daily roasted tomaor Instagram for the to and basil,” she said. menu and more inforCurate Kitchen emphasizes the expemation. rience of eating.

“Our focus is not only healthy eating, but ‘mindful eating.’ We want the food to be pure, whole, unprocessed.”

The other half of Curate’s dual concept is the full-service coffee bar, which features Intelligentsia Coffee Co. The roast house and home office are at Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago.

The River Road restaurant is in the building that formerly housed a dry cleaner. Marshall quadrupled the number of win-

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Jessi Marshall owns and operates Curate Kitchen in Dixon.

dows, which immediately made the building feel more spacey, and more homey at the same time.

The extra lounge area seats 12 to 30, with a sofa, bean bags and coffee trays, can be rented for parties or other gatherings.

Being close to the downtown is a major plus for Curate Kitchen.

“Our drive-up window helps parents taking their kids to school – we are close to the river and the bridges, we serve espresso, cappuccino, mocha, and light breakfast to get your day going. And you can call in your order and pick it up.

“We want to support the downtown restaurant community. Our idea is for you to come in and order an appetizer with your beer/ wine, then walk downtown to a local restaurant for dinner,” Marshal said.

“We are excited to be back and part of this community. Dixon has been good for me. I got a great education, made great friends, and now we are beneficial to the Rock River valley. Dixon prepared me to come home again.” n

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Fall 2019

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Saturday, y, October 19th | 10:00 - 12:00 After the bootcamp workshop, enjoy special opportunity! lunch with Dale and DIY take-and-make sign from Rustic Roots More info to come at ksbhospital.com/events