D:hive and TechTown are helping distribute another resource that economic development officials say will help local businesses find even more resources.
Detroit BizGrid is a poster filled with information about local business development resources available to local companies of all shapes, sizes and stages. It claims to feature "54 organizations offering services ranging from business planning and strategy to real estate assistance, funding, co-working space, and beyond. Its crisp, simple design enables an entrepreneur to find names and contact information for assistance organizations based on the entrepreneur's business stage and needs."
"It lets you know what is out there," says Spencer Olinek, business development manager with the
Detroit Economic Growth Corp. Olinek was one of the organizers who helped create the poster. "More importantly, it lets you know there are business resources out there and that there are a lot of them."
Detroit BizGrid was created by the Detroit Business Support Network, which is made up of
Bizdom,
D:hive, the Detroit Economic Growth Corp,
InsYght and
TechTown. Its creation was funded by the New Economy Initiative of Southeast Michigan.
Detroit BizGrid can be downloaded
here. Twenty thousand copies of Detroit BizGrid were printed. Free copies of it can be found at D:hive and TechTown. Olinek explains that making hard copies available, instead of just digital copies, is important so the resources can be found by more local entrepreneurs.
"We need to acknowledge there is still a digital divide," Olinek says. "Plus, it's convenient to take to a meeting or to keep at your desk."
Source: Spencer Olinek, business development manager with the Detroit Economic Growth Corp
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.