A loan helped helps a nail technician open her nail salon full time!


Yudira's story

In 2004, I moved to the U.S. from Mexico with my two children, who were 10 and 14 years old. As a single mother, I sought high-paying jobs to provide for my family. I took a job in manufacturing, braving the challenges of being the only woman in a male-dominated industry. Over the years, I rose to high-level leadership positions and held them for over 20 years. While these jobs supported my family, I never truly felt content or like I could be myself.

Now that my kids are grown and able to support themselves, I’ve given myself permission to feel tired—tired of lifting heavy things all day and inhaling chemicals. I feel empowered to find a job I enjoy. On my journey to find a new path, I was spending time with my niece when she asked me what kinds of things make me happy. Without thinking, I said that I love to draw—anything related to art. She suggested I look into becoming a nail tech. I had no experience painting nails and had never had a manicure, so the idea felt silly. But once I started exploring nail art, I loved the idea of painting and drawing pictures on tiny canvases.

So, at 50 years old, I was brave once again. I took a nail art class, got my GED, and earned my HSED/nail tech license all at the same time through Latino Academy and Madison College. I graduated in October 2023 with both certifications, all while working my full-time job. Soon after, I opened my nail salon, working afternoons after continuing to work full-time to supplement my income until my business could be fully self-sustaining.

I took a vacation earlier this year in September, and as soon as I got back, my full-time job laid me off due to downsizing. I took this as an opportunity to fully focus on my nail salon. Since opening full-time, I haven’t had many clients yet, as we are still relatively new. This loan opportunity would support my transition to running my nail salon full-time. While working to grow my client base, I also want to expand my services to offer pedicures and continue taking classes to improve my nail art skills. This loan would help support my inventory and further education.


This loan is special because:

It supports a small business owner with 0%-interest, zero-fee capital.



Loan details


About Iliana's Nail Salon

Industry: Retail
Years in operation: 6 months - 1 year
Website: vagaro.com

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Loan details