We are Heather and Dione, and we own and manage Chubby Chique Boutique on Main Street in Zumbrota, Minnesota. We began our journey as two Chubby Stay-at-home Moms.
I am a married Mother of 3 who loves bowling, watching the Vikings play football, and my coffee as dark as a black hole. I also enjoy the occasional round of Bingo, and a good night of Karaoke. Before the business, I was a dedicated care giver to my 3 children who all fall on the autism spectrum, which was a full-time job. After meeting Dione through a mutual friend, and talk of plus-size exclusion, we realized that we had the opportunity to change the lives of many women in the area.
Dione was a Stay-at-home Mom for her two Step Kids, and a new Mother to a Baby Boy. She likes spending time with her family, fishing, swimming, and soaking up the sun on a boat. She likes to cheer on the Packers, while fighting with Heather about their superiority over the Vikings. Before starting the business, Dione has over 20 Years of experience in Retail Customer Service, Sales and Recruiting, a Degree in Business with a Marketing focus. After being introduced to me, we concluded that we could offer something to women that is highly ignored in the fashion industry: body positivity, and self-confidence.
We grew up and graduated high school in Pine Island, a rural farming community in southern Minnesota known for the Land 'O Lakes plant and holding the world record for the largest wheel of cheese ever manufactured. While being separated by a few small years, we have found a mutual love for finding trending, in-style clothing that won’t break the bank. We pride ourselves on being at the height of new fashions, but in a way that makes a curvy girl feel confident and secure in their own body. We hope to continue to grow, and let women know that most of the women in the world have rolls, cellulite, and a deep insecurity for how the fashion industry has made them feel. Our goal is to make it "normal" to be ANY size.
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Choose a borrower
Browse categories of borrowers— people looking to grow businesses, go to school, switch to clean energy, and more.
Make a loan
Select a borrower who you connect with and help fund a loan with as little as $25.
Get repaid
Receive updates on your loans and see the dollars return to your Kiva account.
Repeat!
Use the repayment to support another borrower, or withdraw your money.
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Funded
A loan helped 2 Chubby Chicks offer more products for their plus-size demographic.
Heather's story
This loan is special because:
More about this loan
Business Description
We started out traveling to craft on the road with our small selection of plus-size clothing. W began picking up the moniker "The Chubby Chicks" when attending venues locally, and started to have quite a following. We have grown from traveling around with one rack of clothing, to a small retail space, to a bigger retail space! We started with used clothing racks, Marketplace mannequins and shelves, and a plywood hand painted sign.
The need for affordable clothes for ladies with a little more junk in the their trunk proved to be an untapped local need! We wear everything that we offer, and don't have time to mess around with expensive clothes, yet still want to look fashionable! We want to help other chunky gals realize that they are so much more than the current fashion industry makes them feel. It is our mission to help other ladies, like ourselves, to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin.
We pride ourselves in offering a safe and comfortable environment for people of all shapes, sizes and lifestyle. Shopping with us is an experience, and we want to continue to offer that to our customer, but on a bigger scale. We also support the community in any way that we can. Hosting and contributing to fundraisers, community events, and being involved with our little town in general is something that we hold very dear.
Check us out on Instagram! @chubbychiqueboutique
What is the purpose of this loan?
We moved to a new building about a year ago. Since moving to our new space, we would like to update to a REAL sign on our new building. The current need for new POS equipment and an expanded inventory of plus-size clothing are also current goals for the business.
Our retail space was vacant for 3 years before we moved in, and many of our customers don't realize that we have relocated. We would like to use to the funds to secure new signage out in front of our new building. Many customers are used to seeing a vacant building in town, and we want to spread awareness! We have also been diligently learning how to increase our online presence and geographic footprint. Affectionately known as The Chubby Chicks to our followers, we want to offer confidence and comfort universally!
And lastly, we would like to expand our Plus Size offerings for our ladies and community! We have many women/men/trans people that wear sizes that go up larger than a 3X. Usually anything that is larger than a 3X costs a premium upgrade price. We like to offer all the sizes that our target market has a hard time finding! We have been very successful in providing for customers up to 3X, but feel that carrying extended plus would be a game changer for us. Being able to have those sizes available in store for our customers to try on would be such an incredible service!
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Lending Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Lending Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Lending Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Lending Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Lending Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Lending Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Lending Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Lending Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
What is a risk rating?
The Lending Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Lending Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Lending Partner section of every loan. Lending Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Lending Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Lending Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Lending Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Lending Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
About Chubby Chique Boutique, LLC
Lenders and lending teams
Country: United States
Trustee
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Tags
Loan tags help lenders find loans that match certain areas of interest.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Lending Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Lending Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Lending Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Lending Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Lending Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Lending Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Lending Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Lending Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
What is a risk rating?
The Lending Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Lending Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Lending Partner section of every loan. Lending Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Lending Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Lending Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Lending Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Lending Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
Trustee
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
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