By Mark Bashore, WKAR News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-935175.mp3
EAST LANSING, MI –
As Michigan emerges from its "lost decade" of economic upheaval, economic development professionals are increasing their focus on small-business start-ups. One example of the trend has just been launched near Lansing. The aim is to spark business formation by helping idea-driven entrepreneurs with infrastructure and programs. As part of our ongoing "reworking Michigan" series, WKAR's Mark Bashore takes a closer look at the plan.
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There's a certain breed of business guru who feels that, lurking within many people, there's a great business idea and an entrepreneur ready to put it to the test. MSU economic development professor Dr. Barb Fails is one of them.
"When we believe we can do something when we have the energy behind it to actually roll up your sleeves and act on it what is not to be excited about?," she asks. "I love this stuff!"
As director of the "Creating Entrepreneurial Communities" program at MSU's Land Policy Institute, Fails has ample opportunity to preach the resurgent gospel of entrepreneurialism. Her team has just begun working with Dewitt, Bath and Watertown townships on ways to help entrepreneurs get small-businesses rolling. Fails says that in the internet-driven "new" economy, one person with a good business idea spreads wealth potential throughout a community.
"She hires the local marketing person to help her develop her marketing plan and maybe she hires two of the local high school students to help her with something," she explains. "Is she gonna need an attorney? Absolutely, so there's a job created for the lawyer nearby. Will she need a CPA? Absolutely."
With this grass roots template for growth, the CEC team will devote the next three years to launching programs and infrastructure that help these entrepreneurs ramp-up. They'll employ a "community coaching" technique with staff that offers assistance, connections, encouragement and follow-through. Many consider this local approach the future of economic development, especially in the state's smaller communities.
Bill Goedert may be among the first in Bath to benefit from this idea. He and his wife run a small, packaged-dip and soup-making business. Right now, they drive 150-miles to a fully-equipped commercial kitchen to create their products. So the township's recent approval of a 30-thousand dollar community kitchen stands to improve his operation. Standing outside the community center that will house the kitchen, Goedert says it will help his business save money and grow.
"To have something local would be great, if I could drive five minutes or ten minutes to a place, I would love that. It would save us time and energy and gas," he chuckles.
Since CEC personnel function as liasons connecting the townships, they'll make others with food-related business ideas aware of the kitchen and do what they can to leverage the new resource. Meanwhile, residents could use the kitchen for parties, receptions and other gatherings.
About a dozen miles west, different priorities emerge. There, Watertown Township Manager Jennifer Tubbs has launched an effort to locate prospective rental space for new businesses.
"Maybe if they can lower some rates for some start-up space in the future as these businesses are starting out, that it'll generate more of a long-term tenant and then be able to pay a higher rate later," she says.
CEC officials say developments like these are ways the townships can help spark small-business formation. For now, participants continue to spread the word about the program. They'll convene focus groups soon to learn more about prospective entrepreneurs' needs. Jeff Garrity is the Bath Township treasurer. He says the focus groups could lead to one of the program's biggest benefits:
"What we want to do is build networks and we have a lot of entrepreneurs in the area and we expect there are more people thinking about ideas, but what we need to do is connect them with each other," he explains. "We need to connect producers with markets and to connect producers with producers so they can exchange ideas and maybe work together on things."
The first focus group should be meeting in a few weeks.
CEC leaders feel they're part of a greater transformation---helping steer Michigan's work culture in a more self-reliant direction. With the decline of manufacturing jobs, they say communities would gain by nurturing the entrepreneurial impulse---one marked by an old-fashioned willingness to dream of ideas and then run with them, prepared for the risks and rewards.
reWorking Michigan
For more on job creation and workforce evolution in Michigan, visit WKAR.org/reworkingmichigan