Imagine starting and building a successful business, then 20 plus years later, you’ve decided its time to pass it on to the “next generation” within the family. Cross-generational businesses are family businesses which are passed from generation to generation. In other words, one generation decides to retire and pass the reins on to the next….

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) held its third annual 2016 Business of the Year Awards luncheon today. The annual program, which stemmed from the then-known Ethos Week, has morphed into an annual awards program to recognize “the best parts of capitalism” and social responsibility, according to Michael Tidwell, Dean, College of Business (COB). COB students planned,…

Detroit-native and University of Michigan alum, Brian L. Clark moved out to Silicon Valley a few year ago to live his entrepreneurial dream. If you’re a reader of this blog, I have been checking in with Clark periodically to see how the entrepreneurial pursuit is going-away from his hometown. To summarize, Clark abruptly left his…

Detroit-based Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan (JASEM) has been empowering young people to own their economic futures by providing robust, real world financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship education since 1949. With 2,200 volunteers from banks and large and small companies, it currently serves about 45,000 students in the region, almost half of them in…

Detroit is experiencing a renaissance. Or, is it really? Yes, it continues to emerge, with a ways to go. Clearly, there are significant signs of a rebound–with significant investments taking place downtown, Midtown, East Village, Corktown and other pockets of the city. However, several neighborhoods are struggling and not keeping pace. With nearly (reportedly) 40…

As downtown continues its resurgence, many businesses and people are moving in. According to the latest 7.2 SQ MI report (http://tinyurl.com/z3bvf6y) 77 new restaurants and 41 retail outlets have opened in the downtown-area since 2013. The report also states 1,258 new housing units being built and nearly 1800 units being renovated for the same period….

Branding, and/or re-branding, is key to remaining relevant–particularly, in a ever-changing, competitive market. Many organizations will evolve its brand while maintaining its core essence, while others will primarily focus on its core name–without changing or evolving. An example of the former is the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council (GLWBC). It was started 31 years ago…

Detroit has had several dozen new restaurants and businesses open in the past year, with most of the attention in midtown and downtown. However, what about new businesses in the neighborhoods and how are they doing? A year ago, Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles opened in NW Detroit on the Avenue of Fashion, aka, Livernois by…

As the city of Detroit and the State of Michigan continue to redefine itself for the future economy, an area of opportunity is talent enhancement. The city, in the midst of an economic revival, has been called the most poverty-stricken major city in the country and one of the key challenges is preparing and training…

Imagine an entrepreneur keeping the doors open in Detroit for forty (40) years–and, still going strong. George P. Barnes, Jr. has managed to do so and is positioned for continued growth and sustainability. He started out as a staff optician at the now defunct Metropolitan Hospital in Detroit and has built Heritage Vision Plans, Inc….