RIBBA Small Business Client Spotlight
Helen Roy is an immigrant from the Ivory Coast, who moved to the United States in 1993 in search of her own American dream. Leaving everything she was familiar with, she hoped to establish a better life for her family. Helen lived in Massachusetts, where she obtained her hair stylist license and opened her first salon back in 2002 before finding her home in Rhode Island.
After operating for over 18 years, like many small business owners, Helen was forced to close her doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Helen and her family moved to Rhode Island in 2021. Determined to reopen a salon and work in the industry that she loved, Helen began the process of obtaining her license in Rhode Island but the road was not an easy one.
Helen encountered several difficulties during the process, from gathering the necessary documents needed, Rhode Island’s different requirements, and not hearing back from the appropriate offices after submitting her application in January of 2023. At this time, Helen had already secured a lease and was in the middle of renovating a new location. Another local business owner suggested that she reach out to the Rhode Island Black Business Association (RIBBA) in March. Within weeks of becoming a RIBBA client, working closely with our Small Business Specialist, Helen obtained her license and received approval to open her salon in April of 2023.
In her own words: “Malcolm and the RIBBA team have been extremely helpful. They have taught me everything I needed to know in terms of the documentation I needed to obtain my license in RI. Without their help, I would have still been waiting to receive my license. Also, working with a marketing consultant has enabled me to have a website, which helps me gain new clients and exposure.” -Helen Roy, RIBBA Small Business Client
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