Joel Newman, left, and Monique Merriweather, right, with the TSBDC Jackson-Center pose with LD2-owners Leah and Lesley-Daniel.

On Tuesday, June 23, the TSBDC Jackson Center awarded the owners of LD2 Consignment and Jewelry the Rising Star award. Co-owners Leah and Lesley Daniel purchased the business in 2017 with the assistance and guidance of the TSBDC.

According to Monique Merriweather, director of the TSBDC Jackson Center, the business receiving this award has taken the advice and counsel offered to them by the TSBDC. The business has a well thought out business plan, a successful business model, and are profitable.

“Leah and Lesley have led the way in small business and are taking the Jackson area and surrounding counties by storm with their innovation and willingness to help others,” said Merriweather. “We are proud of their enthusiasm and accomplishments over the past 3 years and wish them continued success.”

In May 2017, Leah and Lesley Daniel, with the help of the TSBDC Center – Jackson State Community College, purchased the M&M Consignment Shop on Vann Drive, in Jackson, Tennessee. They were able to secure a $55,000 SBA loan and the seller financed the $10,000 balance. The store opened in August 2017 after completing all of the renovations themselves. Two new jobs were created and three jobs retained.

Within 6 months, the store became a destination and the name was changed to LD2 Consignment and Jewelry. Leah and Lesley spent considerable time changing the concept of the business by accepting only quality merchandise for consignment. It did not take long for them to build a strong customer base. The volume in 2018 was $285,000; in 2019 it was $375,000.

In September of 2019, Leah’s and Lesley’s success enabled them to fulfill a dream of opening a store in downtown Jackson. Their goal was to make this store so unique that it would inspire others to move into the downtown area. They renovated a building with a $12,000 equity investment and created LD2 Market Shoppes that offers booths to mostly home-based businesses.

The downtown “Shoppes” opened in November of 2019 with 28 vendors. Today, this number is in excess of 70 vendors with room to add more. LD2 also provides its vendors with business services by recording the sales and paying sales taxes for the businesses.

Eventually, the plan is to add a coffee shop and to create an environment where people can relax and hang out before or after shopping. Leah and Lesley are still excited at the prospects of their downtown venture and look forward to many years of growth in the area.