LuLu de Carrone, is the owner of LuLu's, a breakfast and lunch Salon/Cafe located at 49 Cottage Street, New Haven, where world-class legal and literary scholars hang out with cops, artists, postal workers, surgeons, soccer moms, grad students, actors and three-year-olds grabbing bowls of granola on their way to daycare. Each morning and noon for the past 12 years, the faithful squeeze into this tiny, art-filled cafe not only for the beautiful breads, pastries and sandwiches, but also for the LuLu's sparkling intelligence and wit.

The Women's Business Development Center has been very instrumental in helping her focus and develop a strategy for reorganizing her business after a poorly managed sewer project nearly drove her out of business. We tried to keep her business solvent during these trying times. Due to delays in completing these sewer construction projects in front of LuLu's for over four years by the city of New Haven, business has declined due to the poor parking conditions and the rerouting of traffic away from the neighborhood. Just when her business was on the up swing and seeing substantial profits, the city began tearing up the street and sidewalks. Severely cutting into her cash flow.

"For me, finding WBDC was a lifeline because they are a treasure trove of information, intelligent and very helpful. WBDC was able to point me in the right direction, show me how to grow my business effectively, and encourage me to network taking advantage of resources in the community as well as people who could help. WBDC has helped me gain the confidence I need to grow my business. They are most important in these trying times."

LuLu is a participant in the WBDC scholarship program and continues to attend counseling sessions: "WBDC has helped me work at building a strong foundation for my business. It has been the difference between my business succeeding and failing." With encouragement from WBDC, I am working on completing a detailed business plan, with tangible business goals. Recently, I have increased my revenue by $300.00 a week and am working on expanding my business to include a larger kitchen and several kiosks throughout the community. "Being in such a positive environment with like-minded women made me blossom, and I quickly lost my inhibitions and fear of failure, we need them more than ever,"

In addition to remodeling her existing space and expanding the business plan to include other locations Lulu is launching a new website on June 1, 2004. Lulu is working with an artisnal coffee roaster whose focus is buying small quantities of extremely fine beans to insure freshness and roasting small batches for flavor. Lulu is very excited and happy to offer this wonderful coffee in her shop and on her new website. Customers may use credit card or checks on line and have the coffee shipped directly to a desired location.

LuLu loves film and wants to teach young people about how she created her business. "Even though my schedule is hectic, I plan to hire employees soon so I can devote more time to developing a program that teaches youth the importance of small business in the community. Students will create a documentary film about the process they learn first hand what it takes to be successful in business. Several schools and educators are very interested in adopting this program." WBDC is helping her to learn the fundamentals of grant writing.

Lulu is also in the process of writing a book of wonderful coffeehouse related stories.

Contact Lulu at 203.785.9218, lulu@lulublend.com or www.lulublend.com