Lawrence Tech microenterprise conference set for today

Attracting big business garners big headlines, but Lawrence Technological University is stressing that there is more to creating a sustainable local economy than the General Motors and Quicken Loans of the world.That’s the idea behind its second statewide conference, “Microenterprise: Moving Forward in Michigan,” which is set to kick off today. The premise is that giving lower- to middle-class workers the means to support themselves breathes life into the larger business environment.Microenterprise is a proven economic development tool that provides income-generation for people at the lower end of the income scale. Providing these people with start-up capital or a place to open their own business are key components to helping develop successful small businesses, or microenterprises. Often all they need is a push in the right direction. Lawrence Tech’s Center for Nonprofit Management, the University and Michigan and LISC are among the major institutions working on such strategies for microentreprises. The conference will be held at Lawrence Tech’s Southfield campus, 21000 West Ten Mile Road, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The event costs $20 to attend and comes with complimentary breakfast and lunch. For information, click here, send an email to nonprofitcenter@ltu.edu or call (248) 204-3095.Source: Lawrence Technological UniversityWriter: Jon Zemke