“This was my first SBA-backed loan, so I was in uncharted territory. The RBAC lenders were so professional and patient. They explained everything.”

In the early days of Hyssop Beauty Apothecary, a hand-crafted beauty and skincare producer and store in Nutley, NJ, Mary Spinelli worked from a small production area with a retail space of just 250 square feet. When she was ready to expand, she approached the owner of a neighboring business about renting their space. This meeting turned into a conversation about buying the building—an opportunity that she hadn’t even considered. 

With financing made possible by our team, she was able to purchase her current 1,600 square foot building, expand her wholesale business, increase her retail space, improve her products, and more. Now, with a better product, more space, and greater visibility, Mary is thrilled about where her business stands now and the possibilities for the future. 

Mary’s mission: Buy a nearby shop to expand Hyssop Beauty Apothecary

Mary started small when she opened Hyssop Beauty Apothecary’s retail space and production facility. “It was tiny,” she says, “literally the size of a small bedroom, and we were making everything for our small shop right there.”

As more wholesale clients started lining up, Mary realized that she was going to need a bigger facility. Her husband, Steve, suggested a clever solution: see if the dry cleaner across the street would rent them some space. When the owner offered to sell Mary the entire building, she was surprised. 

“I hadn’t even thought about purchasing a building for our expansion,” she says, “so we were definitely unsure if this was something that was even doable.” She decided to ask around about financing, which ultimately led her to RBAC.

The roadblocks: A new business was too risky for a traditional bank

Even though Mary says that Hyssop Beauty Apothecary had good books and she had nearly perfect credit, she knew that a bank probably wouldn’t take the risk, given that it was a newer business.

Mary started talking to some of her connections, and the Chamber of Commerce president put her in touch with her local M&T banker. When Mary explained her business and goals to them, they noted that she was a manufacturer and would likely qualify for an SBA-backed loan. “We didn’t even know that it was an option,” she says. The bank recommended that she contact RBAC, and the rest of the story unfolded from there.

The route: Shared risk opened new doors

“The bank being able to share the risk with RBAC made it something that they were able to do,” Mary recalls. She was approved for an SBA 504 loan, and we worked with her to find the best terms. 

“I felt like they presented us with multiple options along the way, so we were able to explore different possibilities of down payment and monthly payments,” Mary remembers. This meant we were able to arrive at a deal that really worked for her and her business—which is exactly why we do what we do. 

The destination: Better products, more space, and new offerings

“Working with RBAC dramatically changed our business in several ways,” Mary says. The first was that the new space allows them to make larger batches of their product, increasing their ability to fulfill wholesale orders quickly. The prime corner location dramatically improved foot traffic, and the new space opened up room for larger workshops. There was even enough room to incorporate a scent bar where customers can sample up to 63 different essential oils.

With the addition of a soap climate chamber in the basement, Mary was also able to level up the quality of her products. “Our soaps are curing beautifully, and we’re able to cure them faster and just have a better quality product,” Mary says proudly.

The RBAC experience: The ability to take advantage of unexpected opportunities

“I literally can’t say enough good things about our RBAC experience,” Mary shares. “I’ve already recommended them to several other business owners that have wanted to expand because they were incredible.” When Mary decided to take advantage of an unexpected opportunity, we were right there to help her along the way. And watching Mary’s vision come to life is truly what we live for at RBAC.

‍