BATESVILLE — What began as a dream in the back of a cosmetologist’s mind has grown into a thriving small business and a newly renovated entertainment space, thanks to years of determination, long hours, and a willingness to take risks.
Jeri Turner, a Batesville cosmetologist and small business owner, recently shared her entrepreneurial journey, describing how more than a decade of hard work and persistence helped her transform an aging building into a salon, boutique, and a new event venue known as “The Basement.”
Turner has worked in the cosmetology field for about 12 years, spending much of that time renting a booth while quietly saving toward the goal of opening a business of her own.
“I always had this dream in the back of my mind to have something that was mine—a space that reflected my style and vision,” Turner said.
Reaching that goal required more than just cutting hair.
To save enough money to launch her own salon and boutique without taking on debt, Turner worked multiple jobs at the same time. In addition to working in a salon, she also styled hair at a nursing home, bartended on weekends, and spent summers working at a watermelon stand.
Eventually, Turner found a small building for lease and saw the opportunity she had been waiting for. The structure, which had previously been used as a bakery, required extensive work before it could function as a salon.
Turner took on much of the renovation work herself, painting walls, installing sinks, and repairing the interior to transform the former bakery into the business she had envisioned.
Just two years after opening, however, Turner faced an unexpected challenge when the building’s owners announced they planned to sell the property.
Initially, Turner said she had no intention of buying the building.
“I didn’t want the pressure, the stress, the overhead—all the grown-up stuff that comes with owning property,” she said.
But the building, constructed in 1959, presented a unique situation. At some point over the years, concrete had been poured through the middle of the structure, effectively dividing it into two connected sections with a basement below. The owners intended to sell the entire property together.
Faced with the possibility of losing the space she had worked so hard to build, Turner reconsidered.
Instead of walking away, she created a plan that would allow the investment to make financial sense.
Turner purchased the building and remodeled the neighboring section, which she now rents to a tenant. The rental income helps offset the cost of the property and allows her to maintain the space she had already built for her salon and boutique.
But Turner saw even more potential in the property.
Beneath the building was an unfinished basement — a dark, concrete space that she believed could be transformed into something new for downtown Batesville.
As the city’s Main Street area continues developing into an entertainment district, Turner decided to renovate the basement into a venue for events and gatherings.
Using her own funds and completing much of the work herself, she installed bathrooms, repaired leaks, and even constructed a stage as part of the renovation process.
The result is “The Basement,” a newly created venue designed to host parties, showers, and community events. Turner said she also hopes to occasionally bring a touch of speakeasy-style entertainment to the space.
Looking back on the journey, Turner said entrepreneurship has required far more than simply opening a business.
“It’s about problem-solving, sacrifice, and believing in your ideas even when no one else can see them yet,” she said.
From working multiple jobs to purchasing and renovating an aging building, Turner said the process has been filled with moments where it would have been easier to say no.
Instead, she chose to keep moving forward.
“Every ‘yes’ built something that mattered,” she said.
Now, what began as a long-held dream has grown into a collection of small businesses and a revitalized space that contributes to the evolving character of downtown Batesville.
