Imagine a single document that lists the business resources and their providers that exist in Detroit. Sounds pretty awesome right? Well imagining such a document is no longer required. The Detroit BizGrid is exactly that and more. Combine the aggregate knowledge of 5 local entrepreneurial support organizations, (including ourselves, Techtown, Bizdom, D:Hive, and the DEGC) […]
In May, InsYght posted “Money, It’s a Gas,” an article about small business financing, in which we promised to follow up later with some tips on how to prepare a loan application or request for investment. Detailed and accurate financial projections for your small business, in addition to being valuable business planning tools, are critical […]
[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Fk08BY9Ks&feature=youtu.be” width=”640″ height=”480″] Dawn Cooke tells her story of opening up her own tattoo shop, Depot Town Tattoo, in Ypsilanti Michigan.
If you are part of an early-stage technology company, the government’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs can be an important source of funding for your project. Through the SBIR/STTR programs, 11 federal agencies award over $2.3 billion in non-dilutive grants and contracts annually through a competitive awards-based process. The programs […]
When starting or operating a small business, entrepreneurs must wear many hats. They must serve the role of the accountant, the human resource manager, and the buyer, as well as dealing with many other issues that arise in normal (and abnormal) business. In order to help out with the daunting task of running a business, […]
Happy Independence Day, America! TechShop is celebrating with a great big thank you to the U.S. Veterans that have made our freedom possible. They’re offering free 1 year memberships and up to $350 in classes to qualified veterans. TechShop, a do-it-yourself workshop and prototyping studio, makes over $1 million worth of design software and equipment for […]
What is a FABLAB? The FABLAB (Digital Fabrication Laboratory) at Mott Community College in Flint, MI is one of the newest additions to the RTC (Regional Technology Center) and is part of an international initiative launched by MIT, to promote innovation and entrepreneurship (for a complete list of FABLABs around the world, click here). Mott’s FABLAB is […]
This past week in St. Louis, I joined other economic developers, business executives, elected officials and members of both regional and federal SBA teams to celebrate the 50th anniversary of National Small Business Week. Registration and attendance for the St. Louis event exceeded 700 individuals. While panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking opportunities filled most […]
In addition to the plethora of digital resources already available to residents through MeL, Michigan’s eLibrary, state funding just made even more research and reference materials available to businesses and entrepreneurs. (A quick internet search confirmed other states offer similar services.) How Do These Resources Help You and Your Business? Research and data are critical at […]
You’ve heard it said time and again, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Through the course of your entrepreneurial journey you’ve no doubt learned the truth of this statement. Maybe it was a professor who encouraged you to take the leap in the first place. Maybe your neighbor helped with the initial […]