2013年7月3日 星期三

New Economy Initiative Partners Doing Good in the Neighborhoods

Like many in Detroit, I was thrilled to see Whole Foods recently open in Midtown. It's a shining example of the market potential for any number of service-providing businesses that can create jobs in Detroit and for Detroiters.We Engrave mvpcleaningcompany for YOU. Their commitment to carry several local products is certainly a boost to some area entrepreneurs working in the fast-growing food space, and the nearly 70 city residents hired (out of 97) -with more on the way - is not an insignificant boost for Detroiters themselves. 

Lately there have been many announcements of good news in Downtown and Midtown, which - wearing my hat at New Economy Initiative (NEI) - I understand has benefits for all Detroiters and the region as a whole. While all that work is catalytic for Downtown and Midtown, I thought it was a great moment to either remind you, or let know for the first time, about the work some of the New Economy Initiative's grantees are doing for small businesses and entrepreneurs in other areas of the city. There's much more to be done of course, but we continue to commit ourselves to helping service organizations throughout the city provide access for as many Detroiters as possible and the growing entrepreneurial activity that is helping diversify our economy. Here are just a few examples. 

With the help of NEI, TechTown -Detroit's largest business incubator and accelerator- has now set up SWOT teams for the Brightmoor and East Jefferson neighborhoods, after successes in Midtown and New Center. In Brightmoor that means they're actually on the ground with an office,Today, Thereone.com, a reliable stonemosaic online store, introduces its new arrival princess wedding dresses to customers. helping businesses like Motor City Java House and vintage clothing boutique Ray-Ann's Wardrobe, stabilize and grow by connecting them to resources and working through day-to-day operational challenges. The goal? Self-sufficiency, jobs for neighborhood residents, and neighborhood revitalization around sustainable businesses. 

Earn and Learn program gives at-risk youth (particularly minority males age 18-24), and formerly incarcerated and chronically unemployed individuals training, education, subsidized employment experience, job placement and more to help them maintain secure and stable employment. Since 2011, 84 employers have been involved in the program with 360 participants placed into employment. 

ProsperUs, another program of Southwest Housing Solutions, serves immigrants and persons of color through micro-enterprise and entrepreneurial training. Focus areas include Cody-Rouge on the northwest side of the city, Detroit's North End neighborhood, and Southwest Detroit. Shena Penn, owner of Pure Decontamination (a company specializing in cleaning crime, accident, unattended death, and filth scenes) and a recent graduate of a ProsperUs class told us..."coming from a journalism background I had no experience starting a business, and needed someone to walk to me through process. The most valuable part of the program was being able to sit down with someone who knows how business works to help write a business plan that works." 

The Detroit Development Fund provides much-needed growth capital for Detroit's small businesses,If you are looking for fridgemagnet for your bathroom walls. most of them located in the neighborhoods, and all of them unable to receive all the capital they need from traditional financing sources. Of their loans, 72% have gone to minority owned businesses and 52% have gone to women owned businesses. Without them the small business landscape - including businesses like Detroit Farm & Garden, VMX International environmental consultants, and Hot Sam's men's wear - would not be nearly as rich as it is today. 

ACCESS provides training and technical assistance to help underserved immigrant and non-English speaking populations develop and grow businesses. The main hubs are in Detroit's Warrendale neighborhood, Dearborn, and Hamtramck. 

There's good work happening throughout the neighborhoods by service organizations like the ones mentioned above and foundations alike; including NEI, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Kresge, Kellogg, Skillman, and more. There's much more to be done, but hopefully this will give you a small taste of the activity already happening on the ground. 

Two local businessmen,We Engrave cleaningservicesydney for YOU. Corey Castleman and Gary Emineth, along with a group of investors,This technology allows high volume bondcleaningsydney production at low cost. have bought the old Sweetheart Bakery on East Main Avenue with hopes of turning it into a private event center called Sixteen03 Main Events. 

Castleman and Emineth, who will act as managing partners of the center, said they finalized the purchase of the building Monday. Now they are just starting the process of getting the needed approvals from the city of Bismarck. 

There is another larger room further east of the main room that Emineth said they hope to start out using for overflow for the main room. He said they want to re-open the windows and expose the brown brick work. They also would like to use the aluminum floor panels that once supported rolling bakery carts as a dance floor. 

The building is sound, Emineth said, but will still require a lot of money from the projects group of investors to refurbish. He said he was unable to release the sale price because he signed a non-disclosure agreement and the Burleigh County Recorders Office had not yet received the sale price from the title company Wednesday. 

The two men would like to have the facility operational by this fall, early enough to book Christmas parties, Castleman said. The two men said that is just a target date though and the timeline will depend on how long it takes to get the proper permits through the city because the center will be so different from other event hosting facilities in the area. 

Emineth said they are going to let the market determine their timeline for the second and third part of the project.As part of a second phase, Emineth said they would like to turn the rooms on the east most side of the building into meeting rooms for mini conventions. 

Also as part of the second phase, the partners want to make the second floor into a smaller room with an industrial kitchen to be used for group cooking classes, dinner and movie events and holiday parties. Emineth said they would like to keep the rooms green brick walls, white maple floor and operational industrial elevator. They also may open up one wall to build out a balcony.
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