Lainie Queen

Owner, Cookies in Bloom, Costa Mesa
Orange County Small Business Development Center Client

When Lainie Queen lost her job as product manager at a local high-tech corporation, she dusted off a dream of owning her own business. Friends describe Lainie as “very artsy and colorful” and when she first heard about franchise opportunities with Cookies in Bloom, she knew it was a perfect match for her.

With a bachelor’s degree in retail and consumer studies and experience in sales, she was a natural for a business that creates and markets whimsical and fun cookie bouquets as an alternative to more traditional gifts. But for a new small business to succeed today, it takes more than a qualified person with a dream.

When Lainie asked Wells Fargo for a business loan, they referred her to the Orange County Small Business Development Center. An economic development program of Rancho Santiago Community College District, it helps new small business owners launch start-up operations and enables current business owners to improve their operations.
At the OCSBDC, she met one-on-one with a consultant to discuss all aspects of starting her business and what she needed to do to obtain her loan.

“I’m running my business better because I went to the SBDC,” says Lainie. “My customers notice a difference between us and our competition.”

Lainie’s hard work paid off. Eight months after she was laid off, her new business opened. Sales have been coming in since day one, including a recent 90-cookie order to her former employer.