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| Michigan Small Business Development Center | |
|---|---|
| Name | Michigan Small Business Development Center |
| Formation | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Lansing, Michigan |
| Region served | Michigan |
| Services | Business advising, training, market research, capital access |
| Parent organization | Michigan State University Michigan State University |
Michigan Small Business Development Center
The Michigan Small Business Development Center provides advisory services, training, and technical assistance to entrepreneurs across Michigan and coordinates with statewide and national partners to support small enterprises. It operates as a networked resource linking academic institutions, financial institutions, and economic development entities to assist startup founders, family businesses, and growth-stage companies. The Center leverages collaborations with universities, federal programs, and private sector partners to deliver market research, capital access, and export assistance.
The Center functions as a statewide network of business advisors embedded within academic institutions such as Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Grand Valley State University, and Western Michigan University, while coordinating with federal programs like the Small Business Administration and regional organizations such as Economic Development Corporation of Livingston County (EDCLC), Ann Arbor Spark, and Detroit Regional Chamber. It provides services including one-on-one counseling, workshops, business plan development, market research tied to databases like IBISWorld and Dun & Bradstreet, and financing guidance linked to lenders such as Community Development Financial Institutions and commercial banks like Fifth Third Bank and PNC Financial Services. The network aligns with initiatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and export assistance programs tied to Export-Import Bank of the United States.
The Center traces its origins to the national expansion of small business assistance during the 1980s, influenced by federal efforts associated with the Small Business Administration and cooperative outreach models at land-grant institutions like Michigan State University and research universities such as University of Michigan. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s it expanded regional hubs in metropolitan areas including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Flint, forming partnerships with municipal initiatives like Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and regional planning commissions such as the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. In response to post-2008 recovery programs associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Center scaled advisory capacity and began tracking performance metrics aligned with standards used by national networks like the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC).
The Center operates as a partnership among universities, state economic development agencies such as Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and federal programs including the Small Business Administration. Its governance includes advisory boards with representation from local chambers of commerce like the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, corporate partners including Dow Chemical Company stakeholders, and nonprofit partners such as ProsperUs Detroit and workforce organizations like Workforce Development Board of Oakland County. Funding sources include competitive grants from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, fee-for-service engagements with entities like Kalamazoo County, philanthropic grants from foundations such as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and sponsorships from regional banks and investors such as Huntington Bancshares.
Programs encompass startup incubation support connected with university incubators such as TechTown Detroit and MTRAC (Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization), manufacturing assistance coordinated with the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and export assistance linked to U.S. Commercial Service offices. The Center offers access to market research via partners including Hoover's and Statista, financing navigation through collaborations with Michigan Economic Development Corporation Capital Access Program and community lenders like Opportunity Finance Network, and specialized programs for underserved entrepreneurs modeled on national efforts such as SCORE (organization) and Women’s Business Centers. Training formats range from workshops in partnership with local libraries like the Detroit Public Library to accelerator cohorts hosted with organizations such as StartGarden.
Regional centers operate in association with institutions such as Northern Michigan University for the Upper Peninsula, Oakland University for southeast Michigan, Ferris State University in the west, and community colleges including Grace Christian University partners and Kalamazoo Valley Community College collaborations. Strategic partnerships extend to economic development organizations like Midland Tomorrow, municipal partners including the City of Detroit Economic Development Department, and workforce and supplier diversity programs linked to corporations such as General Motors and Ford Motor Company. The Center also engages with regional angel networks such as Detroit Venture Partners and venture capital groups including Plexus Capital.
Impact reporting follows metrics used by national networks including job creation, capital accessed, and business start-ups retained, aligning with reporting frameworks from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Annual outcomes often reference collaborations that produced measurable results in regions like Wayne County, Kent County, Washtenaw County, and Oakland County. The Center benchmarks success against peers documented by the Association of Small Business Development Centers and leverages client surveys similar to those used by Kauffman Foundation research on entrepreneurship.
Notable engagements include advising technology ventures spun out of University of Michigan research, assisting manufacturing firms in partnership with the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center to secure Department of Defense subcontracting through the Defense Logistics Agency, and supporting food and beverage startups scaling via connections to distributors such as KeHE Distributors and retailers including Meijer. Success stories have involved collaborations that led to expansions in Grand Rapids's maker economy, revitalization projects in Flint linked to community development organizations, and export wins from firms in Traverse City working with U.S. Commercial Service trade specialists.
Category:Organizations based in Michigan