KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Like most cities, Kalamazoo has an economic development department geared to work with entrepreneurs to get them through zoning, finances, and all the other hurdles new businesses face. But thanks to the Foundation for Excellence, Kalamazoo is going a step further.
Development Director Antonio Mitchell says they are setting up programs and coordinating with local agencies to help black and brown and female owners grow small businesses as well.
He says while a person can be good at a trade, it takes a lot more to turn that trade into a business.
Mitchell went onto say that small businesses are where most of the new jobs are being created, and that for now, only businesses that have been up and running for a year are eligible for assistance.
But he said also there are plans to open a business incubator this fall along with a program to help micro-businesses get off the ground.
(reporting from John McNeill)
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