Morgan Lawrence Builds a Business in Her Hometown
After graduating from Cheyenne Eagle Butte High School in 2010, Morgan Lawrence, a lifetime resident of the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, knew she needed to go to college right away to have a successful future. She graduated from Black Hills Beauty College in Rapid City, South Dakota, in 2011 and then began to work at a salon.
She later moved back to her hometown of Eagle Butte, and the reality of limited job opportunities became a challenge. Morgan said, “I knew I needed to build a business or leave town.”
In late 2013, Morgan connected with Four Bands and completed our CREATE (Cheyenne River Entrepreneurial Assistance, Training, and Education) course. In addition to valuable business training, she learned that having the support of her family would dramatically increase her chances for success.
In 2014, Morgan obtained a business loan from Four Bands to start up Morgan Joy’s Vanity, a beauty shop that offers full-service hair care, facials, and manicures. With the support of her family, Morgan converted a portion of her parents’ Eagle Butte home into her business. She used her loan proceeds from Four Bands to complete the remodel and purchase equipment to get her shop up and running.
Morgan says, “After opening my own business, my life changed for the good.” Not only is her business a success, but she is now a respected business owner in the community. Her clientele has increased, and she is more productive and creative in her personal life as well.
“After opening my own business, my life changed for the good.”
Morgan has continued to work with Four Bands to grow her business. Through our matched savings program, she was able to purchase equipment and set up the systems required to accept credit cards. This improvement equates to added convenience for her clients.
“I am so blessed to be doing my dream in my home town,” says Morgan.