Kiesque is a new, innovative company touting the edgy tagline, “Beauty with Brains.”
This company bridges the gap between beauty and thoughtful ingenuity. Kiesque creates
products that are simple to use and easy to master. Their flagship product, Liquid
Palisade, is the brainchild of founder and owner Jacqueline Smith. This patented product
supported by a savvy business model charmed its way into many of the largest U.S.
cosmetic retailers. And then in true 21st century style, all good new products go global from the very beginning and Kiesques'
Liquid Palisade is no exception.
Not too long ago, Smith was contacted by one of the largest European cosmetic retailers asking if they could launch the Liquid Palisade product into their online and brick-and-mortar stores across the entire region. Suddenly things got very complicated very fast in a very good way. And like any good business leader, Smith reached out to her network to find expert advice to help guide her through the export side of her business. She connected with Zachary Person and the COD International Trade Center -- a grant funded network dedicated to helping small and mid-sized companies sell internationally. Over the course of many months, Person worked with Smith on many aspects of the Kiesque expansion into Europe. On the working table has been distributor contract negotiations, global logistics and general market entry strategy just to name a few.
“Zachary has proven to be a great resource for me from a consultative and sounding board perspective. He is resourceful, quick and a high-level thinker,” Smith said.
With the help of a lot of great people, the Chicagoland international business community and a savvy leader, Kiesque is now firmly on their way to becoming a global brand -- one country at a time.
Congrats to the City of Wheaton on a successful business.
If you are a client at our center and would like to share your success, contact your advisor.
Contact Information
Business Development Center
535 Duane Street, Office 233
Glen Ellyn IL 60137
(630) 942-2600
Email: bdc@cod.edu
Regular Hours
Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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