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The Pistons recently announced the SHOP313 program will be sponsored by RingCentral, Amazon and BELFOR Property Restoration this season. As part of the program, RingCentral will provide six $10,000 grants to Michigan businesses that empower their community and embody the values of the Detroit Pistons. Read more on NBA.com. Applications are live now and open for the remainder of the season. For more information about the program click here.

Daymond John, the founder of clothing line FUBU and co-star of ABC’s "Shark Tank," shared some insight he’s learned along the way during BuyDetroit’s Passport to Procurement Conference. “The biggest reasons small businesses generally fail, besides their lack of education, is overfunding,” John told an audience of entrepreneurs during a fireside chat with Detroit Pistons in-game arena host Kevin Irwin. “They actually take out too much too early.” Read more at The Detroit News.

Need help preparing your small business for the holiday shopping season? TechTown's checklist has you covered to make sure your small business maximizes sales this season. "For small businesses, the holiday rush can bring on a new set of challenges. The rise in traffic can be daunting, and it is vital to have the preparation and security in place for the winter cheer. Luckily, this year’s holiday predictions look bright for small businesses!" Visit TechTown's blog for the complete list.

While visiting Detroit to raise awareness for ballot issues ahead of the midterm elections, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker stopped by Breadless, a health-conscious cafe that opened in Detroit in March. The 53-year-old Democrat and dedicated vegan popped into the Rivertown-area sandwich shop to meet with owners Marc Howland, LaTresha Howland and Ryan Eli Salter. They talked to Booker about what inspired them to start a healthy food business in Detroit. "I'm just so impressed with all the vegan options," said Booker. "This is making my heart sing." Continue reading in The Detroit News.

Downtown Detroit has an activity-packed winter on the horizon with Downtown Detroit Markets and Monroe Street Midway. Downtown Detroit Markets, a pop-up of local businesses in Cadillac Square, is returning for its fifth year starting Nov. 10. The program is funded by the Gilbert Family Foundation with support from Bedrock LLC and the Downtown Detroit Partnership. A total of 18 vendors this year will include vintage and sustainable clothing stores, an urban pet shop, independent bookseller, vegan cuisine, luxury charcuterie boxes and more, according to a news release. Read more in Crain's Detroit.

Michigan retailers have good news heading into the holiday shopping season, according to a new report. Some 47 percent of retailers in the state reported a sales increase in September over August, according to the monthly Michigan Retailers Association report. Another 36 percent noted a decrease, while 17 percent reported no change. "This is the type of momentum retailers need going into the holidays, and we know some retailers have already begun holiday marketing and sales," MRA President and CEO Bill Hallan said in a news release. "We know there is the fear from many that they will not be able to get the gift they are seeking, so we encourage shoppers to get out early to their local retailers and buy nearby." Read more in Crain's Detroit.

Data from Facebook showed 28 percent of Michigan small businesses who responded to a survey reporting they were closed as of July, tied for most in the country. "Of Michigan small businesses in July that responded to the survey, 28 percent reported they were closed, according to the report. That's 8 percentage points higher than the 20-percent national average. Joining Michigan at the top of the list are New York and Arizona, both at 28 percent. At the other end of the spectrum were Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, with closure rates of 10 percent, 11 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively." Read more in Crain's Detroit.

A new online resource to help Detroit’s BIPOC- and women-owned small businesses succeed in today’s digital economy is launching soon. "Verizon, Next Street, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) have partnered to present the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready platform, a new online platform that offers entrepreneurs access to free educational resources, business coaches, and networking and grant opportunities. The program is presented locally by LISC Detroit and the organization has tapped the Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance and Detroit Economic Growth Corporation’s BuyDetroit initiative as their “Community Champions.” The two organizations will serve as liaisons, tasked with introducing the platform to Detroit’s small business community." Learn more at Model D.

On October 11th, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and City leaders opened the 140th brick-and-mortar Motor City Match business in Detroit. Welcome Home Yoga & Wellness provides yoga and meditation classes, massage therapy, trauma recovery and wellness amenities including crystals and incense for patrons. The yoga studio is a woman-owned and LGBTQ+ business founded by married couple, Robyn and Melissa Childers, who was compelled to make yoga and wellness practices easily accessible to the community. “I knew my life’s purpose would involve helping others experience the amazing benefits of yoga and wellness in a supportive, inclusive, welcoming space, especially for those community members who have been historically underserved,” said Robyn. Read more in the DEGC Newsroom.

On October 6th, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and City leaders helped to open the city’s 139th brick and mortar Motor City Match business to open in Detroit. The Lab Drawer is an Ed-Tech monthly subscription box full of cross-functional learning experiences for children ages 10-14. Inspired by the look of a chemistry lab drawer, every box includes materials and instructions for a unique STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts & Mathematics) experiment. “Alecia and Dierdre had it in their hearts to have a business that helps to feed children’s natural curiosity and help them learn,” said Mayor Duggan. “I’m so proud that Motor City Match has been able to play such an important role in helping them their dream and build their business right here in the city of Detroit.” Read more in the DEGC Newsroom.

Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week, a 10-day event including more than 20 restaurants with “Latin roots,” returns this week for its third year. Co-founded by Detroit Means Business SBOA member Juan Carlos Dueweke-Perez, the event runs from Friday, September 30, through Sunday, October 9. Restaurants will offer a “heritage dish,” exclusive to this year’s event. Each of the restaurants’ recipes will exemplify a form of the authenticity of its roots; many of these dishes have never been tried by the public before. There will also be an inaugural Food Truck Rally at Batch Brewing Company on Monday, October 3 from 4-10 p.m. Learn more and listen to the full interview with Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week organizers over on WDET.

Good Cakes and Bakes is expanding! The business is opening a new facility — a 5,600-square-foot space at 16180 Meyers Road in Detroit that will serve as Good Cakes and Bakes' new headquarters and fulfillment center for shipping and wholesale orders. The space, planned to open in the spring, will also feature a teaching kitchen for baking classes. "We thought we'd have two to three more years before we outgrew our Livernois space. We started off shipping 20 cakes a day in October 2020. By Thanksgiving that year, we were shipping 75 cakes a day. Now we're up to 100, and that's only that low because we don't have room for more. We're playing Tetris in here. We'll be able to get so much more done in the new space." Read more at Crain's Detroit.