Entrepreneur Lu Spaine and Region 7 SBA Administrator talk about her experience with the SBA’s E-200 Program earlier this year in Des Moines.

Salute to Black History Month…

Successful Des Moines Businesswoman Still Improving on Her Passion

Lu Spaine, an African-American business owner of the widely-known business, Zumi Collections LLC, in Des Moines, Iowa, turned her love of fabrics and vibrant colors into a shop at 42nd and University, which she fills with imported merchandise from around the world. Lu Spaine grew up in Des Moines. Her West Coast career in computers came to an end due to corporate downsizing so she started a business in Los Angeles. When her mother fell ill back home, she moved her business home, too. She sells women’s clothing, accessories, home decor and Fair Trade products from Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. Spaine was one of the 20 “ready for growth” small business owners chosen to participate in the 2011 SBA E-200 program through the Des Moines District SBA office. The program allowed her to take an in-depth, long term look at her business in order to navigate both temporary challenges and rapid growth.