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People celebrating an opening of a new business with ribbon cutting

Open for Business Guide is a comprehensive resource for entrepreneurs starting businesses in Detroit

Oct 7, 2019

At the center of Detroit’s economic revitalization is our robust small-business community. Home-grown restaurants, retail and other stores are what make our neighborhoods vibrant and bring essential goods and services to our residents. New businesses are transforming Detroit into a more walkable place–from major thoroughfares like Woodward, to neighborhood commercial corridors throughout the City.

Starting a small business is inherently tough – from securing capital, finding great talent and locating a storefront, to navigating the regulatory and legal environment.

To mitigate these challenges, DEGC has partnered with the City’s Lean Six Sigma program to offer the Open for Business Guide, a comprehensive resource to lead entrepreneurs through the process of properly starting their businesses in the City of Detroit.

Developed by the DEGC’s District 6 Business Liaison, Luz Meza the guide provides necessary information for business owners in the five stages of opening a business:

  • Considering business locations
  • Choosing and securing the location
  • Obtaining construction documents
  • Completing construction
  • Opening for business

Input from each major department that interacts with aspiring business owners along their journey – including the City of Detroit Buildings, Safety, Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED), Assessor’s Office and Department of Public Works (DPW) – are reflected in the comprehensive guide, aimed at helping entrepreneurs avoid common pitfalls.

The benefits of small businesses to our local economies are limitless. Every new business that opens in the City brings more unique offerings and personalized experiences, jobs for residents and more money circulating in local neighborhoods. When a small business is successful, its success spreads among other businesses – by outsourcing services like landscaping, accounting and social media – ultimately benefiting the entire community.

There’s a movement of small businesses popping up across the City, breathing new life into the neighborhoods and commercial corridors where Detroiters have lived and played for generations. The DEGC is honored to support new and existing business as we continue to foster a sustainable, robust and inclusive economy.

For questions about the Open for Business Guide, contact Luz Meza at lmeza@degc.org.

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