Entrepreneurship

Coverage of those starting up businesses and community resources to help them thrive.

Google Birmingham office to grow staff

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February 3, 2011

Google has some big plans for growth this year and the search engine's Birmingham office stands to benefit significantly.Google recently recorded one of its best quarters ever and has watched some of its smaller businesses, such as its Chrome web browser and Android platform, experience huge growth. The company plans to hire people at its AdWords headquarters in Ann Arbor and its automotive office in downtown Birmingham."We're looking for people who know the automotive game and want to change the world," says Jake Parrillo, spokesman for Google. Check out the job openings here. Parrillo declines to talk specific job numbers, nor would he indicate how many people Google employs in Birmingham beyond saying it has "well over 250 in Michigan." Google currently has two job openings it is currently trying to fill in Birmingham, however, Parrillo adds that the company plans to hire multiple employees for each position. "I can't give specifics but it's not 1-2 jobs," Parrillo says, adding this is part of an effort to grow the operation in a "significant way."Google is looking for people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets who have entrepreneurial aspirations. The idea is to help get the established global tech player back to its start-up roots by attracting people who want to start their own business but feel they can have a bigger impact by working through Google."We're starting to become a big company but we still have the mindset of a small company," Parrillo says.Source: Jake Parrillo, spokesman for GoogleWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

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Expetec Technology Services grows revenue 50%, adds jobs

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Arts & Culture

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February 3, 2011

The Rochester Hills franchise of Expetec Technology Services was moving along slowly but surely until the last couple of years. That's when the 6-year-old firm started to hit double-digit revenue increases. "We grew 20 percent in 2009 and 50 percent in 2010," says Michael St. John, vice president of sales & marketing for Expetec Technology Services. "We've been growing ever since."That allowed the IT services firm to hire two people, expanding its staff to six employees and two independent contractors. It's also in the process of adding an intern. The company hopes to add 2-3 more jobs in 2011.In the face of the recent downturn, Expetec Technology Services beefed up its marketing with a new message crafted around what its existing customers like about the firm. It has also become more involved in the community, which has allowed it to push up its referrals."The phone just keeps ringing," St. John says.Source: Michael St. John, vice president of sales & marketing for Expetec Technology ServicesWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

TextsFromLastNight’s new offerings include apps, TV show

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February 3, 2011

Ben Bator never intended his website hobby to become his full-time job, but that's what happened to the founding partner of TextFromLastNight.Bator and Lauren Leto started the website showcasing funny text messages a little over two years ago when they were attending law school at Wayne State University. TextFromLastNight's popularity quickly took off and before the pair knew it, they had a full-blown business on their hands."The moment we realized we weren't going back to law school was in May of 2009 when we received five unsolicited book deal offers," says Bator.TextFromLastNight now employs four people. The practically virtual company calls downtown Royal Oak home because that's where Bator and his little brother (the website's editor) live. Leto is now based in Brooklyn, New York. The company released its book last year, streamlined the site and devised its social media strategy of one feature text post per day. It receives 5,000-7,000 text submissions each day and profiles 30 of them. Bator and company have more planned for this year, including a smartphone application and a couple of potential hires. "We're close to finding out when our TV show will be scheduled on Fox," Bator says. "We expect to hear on that in the next few weeks."Source: Ben Bator, founding partner of TextFromLastNightWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Fly Delta, learn about Metro Detroit

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February 3, 2011

What's that? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No. It's Metro Detroit, and everything the region is proud of is flying above you in the latest issue of Delta Sky Magazine. The niche publication for Delta Airlines inserted in its planes features a big spread about Metro Detroit and all of its positives. The subjects range from the resurgent auto industry to Jeff Daniels. Check out the whole thing here.

Venture capital gains traction in Metro Detroit

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February 3, 2011

Venture capital is starting to gain some momentum in Metro Detroit. A couple of stories, both local and national, are talking about how local VC funds are gaining more and more investors. Could the VC ground hog finally overcome the fear of its shadow and help thaw the financial markets for local start-ups? Some prominent people are starting to think so.Excerpt:"Leading the cleantech revolution," or "Leveraging the intellectual property of our major research universities" -- such hopeful and visionary statements are just a sampling of various mantras that have echoed the chambers of Midwestern capitals and filled the pages of local newspapers for the past several years. In the face of the recent economic despair that has besieged the regional economy, numerous Midwestern politicians, economic developers and regional venture capitalists have been, somewhat counter-intuitively, touting the notion that Midwest states like Michigan actually present excellent, yet overlooked, venture capital investment opportunities (including yours truly, as I did in "America's Midwest: Cashless Chasm or The Valley of Opportunity?").Skeptics (which predominantly include frustrated Midwesterners, some business journalists and dismissive coastal venture capitalists) have generally disregarded such optimistic economic proclamations as desperate political hand-waving and hopeful, yet hollow hype to win votes, mollify the economically depressed and justify their own existence. I can understand why one would be doubtful -- it is easy to be negative these days. But today, I write to tell you that the skeptics and defeatists look to be wrong, and we have some early evidence to prove it. Read the rest of the story here and a Crain's Detroit Business story about how investing in local venture capital firms is trending upward here.

Rochester Fire Dept goes solar-powered

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February 3, 2011

The Rochester Fire Department has tipped its hat to environmentalism and financial responsibility by installing a solar paneled roof on its building. The project was completed in January and is believed to be the first of its kind in Michigan and one of the first in the United States. "The environmental aspect is obviously an important piece of this," City Manager Jaymes Vettraino says. "But the City Council was really moved by the dollars. They asked to show if money could be saved, and it could." The roof, which generates solar power, came at the recommendation of New Energy Solutions, a consultant hired by the city to identify areas where energy costs could be saved or improved. That relationship began following a free energy audit provided by the Michigan Dept of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth through a clean energy grant program. The roof was installed by Allen Brothers Roofing's recently-founded branch company, LUMA Resources, which formed as a solar products division. Federal and state stimulus grants were used to help LUMA transfer from traditional to solar roofing. The company, based in Rochester Hills, was lauded for its new economy innovation and for adapting to clean and renewable energy by President Barack Obama during the 2011 State of the Union address. The roof cost $41,000, $22,000 of which was covered by DTE's Solar Currents program, which supports efforts to use alternative, clean and renewable energy. Energy from the fire department's solar panels will be returned to DTE's power grid. The final cost to the city was $19,000, and the roof is expected to save $150,000 in energy costs over the next 25 years, he says. The fire department, which was ideal because of its westward-facing roof, is a test vehicle for the city. "We're very excited about where this could go," Vettraino says. "We're very happy with the product so far. Obviously if it keeps going like it is, we'll keep saving money." Source: Jaymes Vettraino, Rochester City ManagerWriter: Kim North Shine

Rust Belt Market artists’ venue planned for downtown Ferndale

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Arts & Culture

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February 3, 2011

Chris and Tiffany Best have been among the crowds drawn to Ferndale's four main art shows over the years so they've seen the pull -- and the market -- that Ferndale has on talented artists and consumers looking to buy local artists' creations. "The shows all have the same great vibe, and we kept seeing the same artists over and over, the handmade merchandise and vintage pieces. We thought it's a shame that they only have four times a year to come out and no place to sell other than wholesale to retailers where they have no face-to-face time with their buyers," says Tiffany Best, a 25-year-old Oxford resident who spends a lot time in Ferndale, including at her job at Flip Salon and with friends on the weekend. And so with the idea of giving artists and their buyers a permanent place to meet, the Bests are launching the Rust Belt Market, a year-round art market and artists' incubator, to be located in the former Old Navy clothing store on Woodward and 9 Mile. The 15,000-square-foot building will be divided and leased, says Cristina Sheppard-Decius, director of the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority. And Rust Belt Market is the kind of development that can add to the eclectic, round-the-clock feel of the city. Law practices and offices have considered the site, but ideally, Sheppard-Decius says, the building will be used for ventures that "contribute to the energy of Ferndale." At Rust Belt Market, artists would lease space on weekends or for longer blocks of time and the lease would include storage space. "The response to this has been overwhelming," Tiffany Best says. She says lease negotiations for the 5,000 square feet -- possibly with the option of expanding into more square footage should artists want a workspace as well -- should wrap up over the next month. After that the building owner will take a month to divide the space structurally, and a month afterwards the Bests would be done with their own renovations. The goal is to open around May, Tiffany Best says. Tiffany Best, the owner of Earthy Girl gardening, and Chris Best, a 32-year-old licensed builder, don't want to compete with Ferndale's outdoor art shows such as the DIY Street Fair in September. They want to complement them by holding special events, perhaps fashion shows or exhibitions, during fair times. Tiffany says she and Chris see staying in Michigan and cultivating an art spot here as a way to pay back their state and to join in with other Michigan residents who are ready for an economic rebound. "We see an obligation to the state, kind of like a marriage. You don't leave when the going gets rough and when you stick it out you get to see what's wonderful on the other side. We feel the state and its citizens are ready for a new beginning. The creative class is here to stay. We want to create a development that will bring people together, get them out of the big box stores and in contact with quality, handmade goods that have a story, products that let you invest in a person by wearing or displaying what that person has made with their own hands." Sources: Tiffany Best, partner in Rust Belt Market LLC and Cristina Sheppard-Decius, director Ferndale DDAWriter: Kim North Shine

Parliament Studios reels out web, TV projects

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January 27, 2011

David London saw the writing on the wall in 2004. That's when he decided to leave his media job at General Motors and strike out on his own with a video and design company. He started his own casting firm, Filming in Detroit, not long after and then merged it with Zanzen Digital Studios two years ago to form Parliament Studios."We saw the Michigan film industry taking off," says London, president of Parliament Studios. "Thanks to the tax credits it had more room for growth than any other industry."The Clawson-based studio now employs three people (London, Jenny Fetterovich, and Vadim Kelizarov) and a number of independent contractors and interns. It has expanded its workload from being a film pure play to TV spots, web video, animation, and documentaries. Parliament Studios was built to be scalable, so its employee base fluctuates with the size of the projects it takes on. The studio also has a 4,000-square-foot free-standing green screen. However, it is eyeing a move to a bigger building this year in order to accommodate more projects.Source: David London, president of Parliament StudiosWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Virtual Advantage develops new insurance industry clientele

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January 27, 2011

Good old organic growth. That's what's fueling the expansion of Virtual Advantage, a Royal Oak-based start-up that specializes in fraud investigation management software for the insurance industry."We have picked up clients here and there," says Justin Lankes, director of business development for Virtual Advantage. "It's a boot-strapped company growing organically."Virtual Advantage got its start five years ago as a collaboration between Vectorform and The Robison Group. It's now developing custom software and applications for the insurance industry that are being used in government initiatives surrounding claims investigations for the BP oil spill. Its software-as-a-service model helps private investigation companies streamline the administrative process."That way they can handle more investigations with less people doing less administrative work," Lankes says. Source: Justin Lankes, director of business development for Virtual AdvantageWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

BTO Solutions launches “Social Media is a Party!”

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January 27, 2011

Sola Obayan didn't plan on staying in Detroit when the Wayne State University graduate returned home from Washington, D.C., last year. That move turned one more member of Generation Y back into a Metro Detroiter and created one more new company, BTO Solutions."I really missed being home," says Obayan, principal of BTO Solutions. "I wanted to reconnect with family and friends, and when I connected with them I decided to stay."BTO Solutions focuses on online marketing, websites and social media. It has two employees and two interns in West Bloomfield. Obayan is also using it as the launch pad of Social Media is a Party!, a new platform to teach people about social media.Social Media is a Party! combines an educational session about the ins and outs of social media, with a mixer at the end. Obayan says the idea is unique because there is a dearth of good mixers out there for business professionals who want to connect both on- and offline."What really brings people together is the connection they make at the mixer," Obayan says.BTO Solutions is working with PeopleMovers, Pain & Rehab Pain Specialists, and Cabresto Tequila to get the idea off the ground. Obayan also hopes to hire a new local college graduate this year when Social Media is a Party! begins to gain some traction.Source: Sola Obayan, principal of BTO SolutionsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.