LISC LA Case Studies
In LISC we had 22 success cases of participating businesses. There are three case study examples grouped in the following industries for Food and Beverage, Retail, and Personal Services
Food & Beverage
Toss it Up
Mingles Tea Bar
L'Angelique
Retail
Mae Mae
51st Place
Stare Fashion
Personal Services
Darla's Doll House
Magic Hair
Wash My Dog
In the Food and Beverage sector, were looking to generate new revenue stream with new business model, creating new experience to increase sales, and simplifying and improving brand perception
Toss it Up, the first Black-Owned salad company in LA was re-defining a business concept for meal-plan subscription to get a new revenue stream in addition to her direct to consumer business model
Javonne and Matthew
Growth Plan
Meal-plan Subscription which allows busy professionals the luxury of eating health on the go.
Mock-up Website & Social Media Marketing Strategy and Manual.
Partnership Package to help scale the meal-plan concept.
Internship Profile and Description to hire interns.
Grant Allocation
$400: Print & Online Marketing materials (QR codes, flyers, banners, brochures, sponsored content, ADs)
$250: Better looking containers and packaging for larger-sized salads (including stickers)
$150: Merchandise (20 T-shirts)
$200: Maintenance of the truck
Mingles Tea Bar, a Loose - Leaf Tea Bar in Crenshaw, CA included monthly events to promote her products along with local bakers, increase her brand visibility and launch a coupon-based referral program
Lara Curtis
Growth Plan
Organizing 2-3 monthly events related to baker’s day, tea tasting etc. to increase local sales and promote MTB as a brand
Drive a comprehensive digital social media strategy to raise brand awareness and refurbishing the website for engagement
Running a coupon-based referral program to drive loyalty among customers
Grant Allocation
$250: Events (Baker’s Day, Tea Tasting, etc.)
$100: Web Development and refurbishment
$500: Online Marketing (leveraging social media influencers)
$150: Coupon and Referral Based Program
L’Angelique is Wellness sustainable platform based in Los Angeles, CA that identified a strategy to be present in retail shops and restaurants, reduced cost by identifying alternative suppliers, and improved its pricing strategy
Angelique Green
Growth Plan
Revamping website and consolidating content into one place to simplify brand
Define social media strategy to attract online customers (flyers, brochures)
Identified and reduced cost by identifying new suppliers and alternative operational processes and suggested a pricing strategy
Expanding presence in retail shops and restaurants
Evaluated additional potential interns for business expansion
Grant Allocation
$300: Google Ads ($50 per month for 6 months)
$150: Banner for Farmers Market
$250: Purchase inventory (Sea moss, sugar, bottles)
$300: Hire an intern
In the retail sector, business owners will implement digital strategies, leverage digital tools for inventory management and improve e-commerce sales
New age spiritual gift shop that hugs you with joy and accepts you exactly the way you are. Selling Jewelry, crystals and gift items
Rheena Mae
Growth Plan
Remodel Online shop to be more efficient and include some instore experiences.
Comprehensive digital marketing strategy to drive sales and create brand awareness.
Create product bundles ranges with better margins to cover digital marketing campaigns.
Digital Tools
$200: Amazon promotion campaigns
$500: Facebook (and Instagram) campaign
$300: Google pay per click
51st Place is an elevated bath and body care brand harnessing the power of plants for everyday wellness. Our mission to help busy moms prioritize their self-care through the daily tasks of bathing and body care while utilizing adaptogens and hemp extracts to produce an at-home spa experience
Channing Bias Smith
Growth Plan
Start targeting a complete new market segment “The Significant Other”
Streamlining Inventory management process via Shopify
Social Media Marketing by partnering with a social media marketing firms to help reach a broader audience.
Digital Tools
$800: Inventory –going through a product recalibration and will use online analytics to replenishing high velocity items.
$200: Marketing budget –Marketing campaigns through marketing companies like Statusphere
Stare Fashion is a unique boutique servicing women who want to turn heads. The styles live up to the tag line “I Dare you to Stare!” offering bold colors and unique cuts.
Alicia Culbertson
Growth Plan
Increase Social Media marketing conversion on site
SEO optimization – Keyword Search, Google Ads
Work with influencers
Create a content manager position –inhouse content manager or outsource
Improve Inventory Management – strategies to utilize the online store more efficiently. In store and online customers will get their products on time.
Become an Amazon vendor – Utilize Amazon to increase sales and brand awareness.
Find new suppliers – Look into Vietnam and Bangladesh for alternate suppliers.
Grant Allocation
$600 - Marketing (Google Ads)
$400 - Inventory Replenishment
In the Personal Services, the business owners will leverage online tools to improve their marketing strategies, increase operations efficiency and create new revenue streams
Darla's Dollhouse is a full-service salon and spa offering skin, hair, and nail services
Darla Thompson
Growth Plan
Marketing Campaign:
Mailchimp emails, Instagram Ads, Promotion of the salon's 5th Anniversary
Manager Operations:
Monthly meeting to check on marketing campaign, financials, employees' comments
Tracking of finances on an automated excel
Recruiting Plan: Job Descriptions were standardized
Grant Allocation
$240: Instagram Ads
$50: Quicken
$250: Community Manager/Intern
$100: Uniforms/Aprons
$360: Signage
Magic Hair provides custom quality wigs and other hair extension products for the everyday women, cancer and hair loss patients and ladies who want to switch their looks. Customizing products, colors and on-site installation.
Janiece Heyward
Growth Plan
Comprehensive marketing and digital social media strategy to raise brand awareness
Job description for hiring Marketing contractor
Calendar & Marketing artefacts
Design new offerings for new revenue stream
Medical prosthesis reimbursement opportunities
Additional new business offering
Create new partnerships (list)
Grant Allocation
$900: CRM Purchase and Training to the employees
$100 Resource to digitize existing customer paper information
Wash My Dog is a Black-owned dog grooming service with two locations in Los Angeles that prides itself on creating a warm and welcoming culture for pet owners and their fur babies. Wash My Dog is also expanding its business into product offerings and pet services.
Terryl and Andrea
Growth Plan
Social Media and Digital Marketing
Develop 3-5 weekly social media advertisements targeting potential customers (current customers and regional groomers)
Utilize Canvas application and branded templates to develop weekly customer ads
Bulk Product Offerings
Distribute newly developed bulk product brochure to over 60 potential grooming customers
Grant Allocation
$120: Canva software professional membership
$220: Facebook & Instagram ads Bulk Product Services
$100: Brochure printing Costs
$560: Additional dollars for advertising mailers
More stories were shared in a testimonial video
This program is offered by LISC, IXL Center and quickGrowth
LISC LA is one of 31 offices of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a national non-profit organization supporting community development in cities and rural areas throughout the country.
IXL Center helps Fortune 1000 businesses, start-ups, and innovation executives build the capabilities to create innovation breakthroughs & drive sustainable high performance growth.