Small Business Takes Off with Ingenuity—and a Dash of Sparkle

Things are shaping up well for a local woman who re-imagined the common headband, complete with genuine gemstones, crystals and pearls.

Like all great ideas, it started in her head. Well, with a pencil in her hair, to be precise. As a teacher, Kacey Ortoski would put her hair up throughout the day, using a pencil to hold it in place. Her students thought it was funny, she said, but it served its purpose. Still she wanted something stronger, a bit more decorative. So she set out to find hair sticks that fit her vision. And when she didn't find them, she decided to develop them herself, creating a stronger stick with a better shape than what was already on the market. "People liked them," the 25-year-old Wesley Chapel resident said. So she began selling them at craft shows. Her first show was in February of 2011. She made a batch of hair sticks 24 hours before the show and "…

• Photos (5)