When Kelly Brunina opened her first Bombshell Hair Studio in 2015, she had a vision of creating multiple salons. Today, with three locations around the Albany, NY, area, and a fourth set to open in June in Troy, her dream is becoming reality.
Here’s how Kelly has secured multiple small business loans from Pursuit to bring her vision to life – including Main Street Capital Loan Fund financing to overcome a major challenge and continue on her path to success.
Facing unexpected challenges while expanding her business
Kelly’s dedication to beauty-industry innovations and trends, as well as her commitment to supporting talented stylists at all stages in their careers, have made Bombshell Hair Studios a standout in the Albany area. Her team has grown to include about 19 stylists across multiple locations with more coming on board in the months ahead.
When Kelly was preparing to open her Bombshell Midtown location, though, unexpected construction issues delayed the opening and created financial pressure.
“I’d gotten a great loan through the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce to build out that salon but once the construction delays set in, it wasn’t enough to sustain the Bombshell Midtown project,” Kelly says. “The challenges really could’ve eroded our momentum for a strong launch.”
Instead of letting that happen, Kelly reached out to Pursuit.
Main Street Capital Loan Fund financing helps Bombshell get back on track
Kelly first connected with Pursuit through her business banking relationship and that’s when she met Keri Pratico, Assistant Vice President and Senior Business Development Officer at Pursuit.
“I’d worked with Keri before on a loan for another Bombshell location,” Kelly says. “When we needed additional financing for working capital, Keri suggested the Main Street Capital Loan Fund as a good fit for Bombshell Midtown.”
The Main Street Capital Loan Fund, created by Empire State Development and available only through Pursuit, is specifically designed to help new and early-stage small businesses throughout New York State. It provides loans up to $100,000 from a $10 million fund, with interest-only payments for the first 12 months. That enables business owners, like Kelly, to keep costs lower in the critical first year of business so they can focus on building a strong foundation, stabilizing operations, and growing their ventures.
Bombshell Midtown became the first business to secure a loan through the fund.
Kelly says “The loan helped me to get everything back on track. It enabled me to secure payroll, purchase inventory, and finalize critical details to ensure the salon was fully prepared to open.”
Looking to the future
Now, with Bombshell Midtown up and running, Kelly’s focused on continued expansion. Her fourth location, in Troy, is opening soon and she has ambitious plans for the future.
“The vision I have is to open a salon a year,” she says. “I’m also exploring expansion outside of the region, like Saratoga. And I’d love to have a location in the Catskills, too.”
She’s also evolving her business model to create more opportunities for stylists at different stages of their professional development.
“Our business model was initially focused on hiring stylists so that they’d have the stability of steady hours and pay, which is important early in their careers as they’re building their clientele. Now, with the new location in Troy, we’ll also offer stylists the option to be contractors and create their own schedules and gain more flexibility,” she explains. By offering both employment and contractor opportunities, Kelly is setting a new standard for stylist career growth — blending stability with entrepreneurial freedom.
Whatever you envision for your business, Pursuit can help
Kelly’s story offers valuable lessons for other small business owners about how the right financing can help them launch and grow.
“Build a history with a lender, like I’ve done with Pursuit and Keri. Having someone like Keri at Pursuit who truly understands my business has been priceless. It’s more than just getting a loan — it’s having a team that believes in your vision,” Kelly says.
If you need funds to launch, or you want to strengthen your early-stage business, or you have an existing business and need financing, Pursuit can help.
With loans from $10,000 to $5.5 million, we can help you secure financing for working capital, equipment, the purchase or construction of commercial real estate, to refinance business debt and more for businesses in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Nevada, Illinois, and Washington.
Contact us to learn more.
