Advancing Community Businesses - Michigan Central

Advancing Community Businesses

The Advancing Community Businesses program, presented by Michigan Central in partnership with Build Institute and ProsperUS, is designed to assist small business owners with customized training in digital skills and web development, capital education, and direct access to new grants and business loans. Participants will also receive one-on-one coaching with proven business mentors to identify and accelerate their top business priorities.

Please refer to the Program Guidelines for full program details including FAQs and eligibility requirements.

View of downtown Detroit & Corktown via Michigan Avenue

Partnerships

In the spirit of collaboration, Michigan Central is working in partnership with Build Institute and ProsperUs to bring the Advancing Community Businesses program to business owners in the neighborhoods around Michigan Central. Build and ProsperUs bring extensive experience in assisting Detroit entrepreneurs and small business owners with education, mentorship, technical assistance, and capital resources.

Offerings

To ensure a customizable program experience, the Advancing Community Businesses program offers a variety of educational training courses, mentorship options, and access to loans and grants.

The program design allows for participants to select which offerings they would like to participate in based on their availability and interests. While we encourage businesses to take all the courses that are offered, we recognize that some may be more applicable to your particular business needs. As such, the menu-style program design will allow selected participants to choose what works best for their needs.

Digital + Web Training

Build Institute and GoDaddy are offering ‘Empower by GoDaddy,’ a national program for business owners to grow their online business presence and knowledge of e-commerce platforms. Topics include branding your domain name, business evaluation, search engine optimization, content creation, e-commerce, best-customer marketing, customer service and sales, cyber-security, and social media.

Capital Education

Build Institute’s Capital Education Workshop is designed to help business owners with obtaining additional insight of capital loans & grant processes. Participants will increase their understanding of capital lending products, capital terminology, stages of business, steps to capital readiness & access, and solutions for helping their businesses develop, sustain, and grow.

Business Mentorship & Coaching

ProsperUs Detroit’s business mentorship program offers business owners individualized coaching sessions and the co-creation of individualized technical assistance action plans to meet your priority business goals. Business owners will work with a mentor to assess business operations, management, finance, digital practices and their physical space (if applicable) – as a basis for implementing an action plan.

Capital Grants & Loans

Build Institute and ProsperUs will co-manage all grants and loans through the Advancing Community Businesses program. Each partner organization offers specific training courses that enable participating business owners to be eligible – please see Program Guidelines for details. Eligible participants may access capital in the form of grants and loans. Final capital award amounts will depend upon the number of program participants and their level of participation. In addition, Build Institute and ProsperUs will evaluate and allocate exact Grant and Loan award amounts for their respective program participants.

 

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Contact

Program Eligibility & Details:
Clarinda Barnett-Harrison, Michigan Central
cbarn136@ford.com