Open for Business: Sport Clips

Sport Clips
A local ownership group opened their newest franchise location of Sport Clips on March 27 at 545 E. Elm St. in Republic. Co-owner Andrea Roland said the new hair salon is the eighth Springfield-area shop for herself, as well as James and Vicki Hancock and their son, Tom Hancock and his wife, Becky. The franchise has nearly 1,900 locations in the U.S. and Canada, according to its website. Roland, who began as a stylist with Sport Clips 20 years ago at the age of 19, said she became the area leader in 2018 and joined the ownership team last year. She said Gabriella Merkel leads the six-employee staff as manager of the Republic shop, which is in the Town Center Plaza next to Village Inn. The store fills 1,500 square feet previously occupied by Black Lab Coffee Co., which moved to 1037 E. Township St., Ste. 100, in Republic. Roland declined to disclose startup costs or the five-year lease rate with Jared Commercial & Management LLC. Sport Clips also has local shops in Springfield, Nixa and Ozark.
Phone: 417-647-5019
Web: SportClips.com/us-mo-republic-mo808

Junior League of Springfield
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Dec. 6 for the new location of Junior League of Springfield, Missouri Inc. The nonprofit women’s community service group relocated to 1740 S. Glenstone Ave., Stes. Q and R, in Glenstone Square. JLS officials said the shopping center was the original office location for the organization in 1977. It previously was located at 1616 S. Eastgate Ave., where it moved in 2023 after selling its longtime building at 2574 E. Bennett St. to New Moon Studio Space LLC. Rachel Fuhrman, president of the local nonprofit, said Suite Q houses its Plaid Door resale boutique and Suite R is the administrative office. All net proceeds of the boutique support the organization, according to its website. The two suites comprise a total of 1,250 square feet, Fuhrman said, adding JLS signed a one-year lease for $800 per month with landlord Joel Hood. Relocation and renovation costs were around $800, she said. Founded in 1959, the mission for JLS is to advance women’s leadership for community impact.
Phone: 417-887-9422
Web: JLSpringfield.org

What’s Likely
Journalist-turned-entrepreneur Jacob Brower said May 13 was the official launch date for What’s Likely, an artificial intelligence model designed to deliver the percentage-based likelihood of success for business and life decisions. Brower, who previously opened Archer’s Bow Media and Marketing LLC in 2018 and ABM Strategies in 2021, said he developed What’s Likely as a custom web-based solution based off existing AI models, with data he’s collected over several years as a marketer and consultant feeding it. With a journalism background that includes serving as publisher and editor of The Monett Times, Brower said he would interview What’s Likely clients to give the AI model as much information as possible on upcoming decisions. What’s Likely is designed to deliver the percentage-based odds on the best decision for a problem the client is facing. He declined to disclose startup costs, noting expenses are tied in with the books of Archer’s Bow Media and Marketing.
Phone: 417-720-2500
Web: WhatsLikely.io