Small Business

Hear the sweet sound of success at Expressions Music Academy

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December 19, 2013

The three-year-old Expressions Music Academy in Novi is taking its show to another road, this one a new studio and music lab in Troy. The music school opened in 2010 and has built an enrollment of about 500 students in all sorts of music lessons, including show choir and and band. Growth happened so fast, with students from 6 to 66 coming for group and private lessons in voice and about a dozen instruments as well as other musical programs that owner Jessica Schatz expanded the Novi location into adjoining space after just two years. A year after that expansion there's such a demand from students across metro Detroit and Ann Arbor that she's adding the Troy location. The new Expressions Music Academy will open in January at 4000 Livernois Road in Troy. The Novi academy is located at 43370 W. 10 Mile Road. The music lab is equipped with iPads and keyboards for music education programs. "Our mission is to provide all students with the opportunity to enjoy a complete music education. While private lessons are the central focus of our educational approach, we also expose students to the big picture of music through additional programs such as Studio Class, early-childhood music classes, choral groups, an interactive music lab featuring iPads loaded with educational apps, access to our music library, a music appreciation program, and opportunities to participate in our mixed instrumental and vocal concerts and recitals," says Schatz, a pianist who once taught 30 students from a home school. "Our students are inspired to master their own choice of instrument while we nurture in them a lifelong love for music in general. We truly believe in the power of a holistic approach to music education. We do not have a storefront or sell books or instruments. We are dedicated 100% to music education, and we are good at it." Source: Jessica Schatz, founder and owner, Expressions Music Academy Writer: Kim North Shine

Latest in Small Business

Plymouth’s Mattress 4 U brings organic to the bedroom

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Community Development

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December 19, 2013

In the 1980s, Mattress 4 U was into the waterbed craze and since then it's followed trends in sleeping, the latest being organic mattresses and a desire by consumers to know what's inside their mattress and what chemicals have been used to treat it. The store started in Greenville in western Michigan and expanded to Plymouth in the summer of 2013, opening a store at 44717 5 Mile Road. It serves mostly Northville and Plymouth and calls itself Michigan's only certified organic mattress retailers. Shoppers can find mattresses made from 100-percent organic cotton, natural rubber latex, renewable products, cruelty-free Eco Wool and with no chemicals. It's a growing business, and unlike waterbeds of the 1980s, may be here to stay, says owner Billy Pennington. Source: Billy Pennington, owner, Mattress 4U Writer: Kim North Shine

Eco-minded cleaning co. in Plymouth expands

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Economic Development

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December 12, 2013

When Nicole Mezel-Bernath got into the organic cleaning business in 1996, organic was not nearly so mainstream. As time went on and her customers wanted clean homes without the chemicals, her business, Nicole's TLC Cleaning, grew. Nearly 20 years after expanding to five cities near her company's home base of Plymouth, she's now adding a South Lyon`office as her two-person cleaning teams take on more residential accounts. The office in downtown South Lyon opened in early November. "There is a need out here," Mezel-Bernath says. She says it's a desire to keep chemicals out of the home that's driving the business and creating jobs for her employees. Instead of using toxic chemical products, Nicole's TLC Cleaning cleans with substances such as tea tree oil, citrus solvents and essential oils. "We think simple choices in cleaning products can make a big difference in your family's health and our communities," she says. Source: Nicole Mezel-Bernath, founder and president, Nicole's TLC Cleaning Writer: Kim North Shine

Downtown Royal Oak going to the gourmet dogs

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Arts & Culture

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December 5, 2013

The new year will welcome at least one new restaurant to downtown Royal Oak. Detroit Dogs will serve gourmet hot dogs made with Dearborn franks and buns made in a Hamtramck bakery alongside other Detroit-bred products: Better Made chips and Faygo drinks among them. Hiring and renovations on the space at 200 W. Fifth Avenue are underway and expected to be completed in early January. The owners bring with them extensive restaurant experience in Monroe County and were asked by local investors to roll out the gourmet dog concept in metro Detroit. Source: City of Royal Oak Writer: Kim North Shine

Abundant Living art gallery adds to downtown Wyandotte’s biz line-up

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Arts & Culture

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December 5, 2013

Wyandotte, with its annual art fair that draws thousands, is becoming an art-lovers destination all year long with yet another downtown gallery opening. Abundant Living Gallery opened last month at 113 Elm Street. It's a place for collectors, gift-givers and home decorators. Owner Pam Riley sells paintings and sculpture in wood, metal and concrete from a West Michigan artists along with photos, jewerly and other creations by local artists and artists in other parts of the world. All are handmade and have a story to tell, says Riley. One of the best parts of being a gallery owner, besides meeting customers, she says, is getting to know the artists. "Every chance I get, I go to where they create their work, their studio or their home," she says. I'm don't want to make a pest of myself, but I want to pass on their stories to the people who come to the gallery. I think the story behind the art is what makes it meaningful." Riley sees downtown Wyandotte, known for its annual art fair that attracts thousands of metro Detroiters, as an ideal place to show and sell works of art. "I think Wyandotte's is the second largest art fair in the state," she says. "There's a lot of interest here in art and a lot of word of mouth going out." Hers is at least the fourth gallery in downtown Wyandotte, something she sees as a good for business and the city. Before her came River's Edge, Glowfish Studios and Firehouse. "The nice thing is there's room for all of us. I don't feel like we compete. I think we complement each other," Riley says. There are so many niches in art, and I'm careful not to sell the same things as they sell. What it does, having all of us here, is make Wyandotte more of a destination." Source: Pam Riley, owner, Abundant Living Gallery Writer: Kim North Shine

Pierogi Gals’ pierogi take off in Metro Detroit stores

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Community Development

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December 5, 2013

Pierogi Gals, a fledgling business based in Grosse Pointe Woods, got its start like so many food businesses do: from a family recipe. For many years the pierogi-making fell to the family matriarch. When she became terminally ill her daughters, Karen Andrews, Victoria Les and daughter-in-law Helen Les, realized they should learn from the master before she was gone. Eventually they were giving away dozens and dozens of pierogis until they finally heeded repeated advice that they should sell their family's version of Polish dumplings. "People would ask for them and we'd say sure. We'd give them as gifts. Our list kept getting a lot longer and longer. Since people kept saying,, 'These are so good you should sell these,' we thought what the heck. I was getting close to retirement, my sister was getting close to retirement. "That was 2011…it took us a couple of years before that to figure out how to start a businesses, what licenses we needed, what did we have to do. We'd never done anything like this." The trio -- two of them teachers, the other a computer tech -- initially sold pierogi online and by phone orders. It didn't take long before they were in the freezer case of the first store, Oxford Beverages in Grosse Pointe Woods. They got major help from Michigan State University's Product Center and also from MSU packaging students who helped them correct their original, less-than-ideal container. Once the business was going and they were selling pierogi at farmers markets and such, more stores came calling: three Randazzo's markets in Macomb County and more recently Holiday Market in Canton. Now suddenly, sort of, the commercial kitchen and mixer where they make several varieties -- their family's favorite farmer's cheese, sauerkraut and mushroom; potato cheddar; redskin truffle; spicy potato cheddar; and seasonal apple and blueberry -- are no longer large enough and they're looking for more space, more supplies and help. "We're just amazed at how it's gone, and we don't know how far it will go," she says," but it's been a wonderful experience so far." Source: Karen Andrews, co-founder, Pierogi Gals Writer: Kim North Shine

Blumz growing Ferndale-based flower biz with new Ann Arbor store

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Arts & Culture

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November 21, 2013

Blumz by JRDesigns is expanding its floral and event planning services to Ann Arbor. The owners, Jerome Raska and Robbin Yelverton, have established the business by becoming known for a knack for locating exotic blooms and for a fun attitude. After cementing sales and a following in downtown Detroit and Ferndale they felt the obvious move was to extend its reach to Ann Arbor. The new store is located at 540 Avis Drive, and if like the other stores, it will connect it to major university and community events as well as become a go-to for weddings, funerals and special occasions. Blumz is a staple on the charity party scene and is connected to major events in Detroit and Ferndale. Its Ferndale space is rentable and the floral design studio in Ann Arbor will also be a place for students to learn from the owners who are certified floral educators. Source: Jerome Raska, co-owner, Blumz by JRDesigns Writer: Kim North Shine

Tasty health food stirs up interest in Berkley’s new Republica restaurant

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Arts & Culture

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November 14, 2013

The owners of the new Republica in downtown Berkley are calling their endeavor a food and drink revolution. The menu is designed for meat lovers, vegetarians, and gluten-free eaters. The idea people behind the menu are a family with a history in restaurants from metro Detroit to Chicago. The idea is to serve rich, memorable meals that don't leave your stomach feeling rich and fatty afterward and to serve food and drinks grown or made locally, from Michigan farms to nearby bakeries and to focus on healthy, natural food, not processed, not fried. Craft cocktails and Michigan beers are served from a bar that was one of many major, stylish renovations to the restaurant that was formerly the Berkley Bistro & Cafe. It's located at 1999 Coolidge. Comments and reviews on Twitter, Facebook and Yelp are showing locals are loving the fresh food like the urban farm sandwich and fresh fruit cocktail drinks from the bar. Source: City of Berkley Writer: Kim North Shine

Treat Dreams ice creamery expands into specially-flavored donuts

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Arts & Culture

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November 7, 2013

Treat Dreams, the Ferndale ice creamery that opened three years ago and expanded its space earlier this year, is diving into another sweet endeavor: donuts. Wicked Donuts will open inside the Treat Dreams store at 22965 Woodward Avenue on Nov. 16. Diners can wash down the creatively flavored dough with Detroit-based Great Lakes Coffee. Like the ice cream, the donuts will come in unusual flavors -- at least 12 to start with -- and some classics. Initially customers will have 12 flavors to choose from: Kooky Monster, Chocolate Covered Coffee Bean, Classic Chocolate Frosted, Pumpkin Bourbon Gingersnap, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip. German Chocolate, Chocolate Candy Pieces, Boston Cream Pie, Peanut Butter Cup, Coconut Lemon Curd, Creme Brulee, Maple Bacon and Pumpkin Pie. Owner Scott Moloney, who calls himself the chief dreamologist, says the donuts have been in the research phase for awhile. "We have wanted to bring unique donuts to the Detroit market for quite some time, and with our recent expansion and the beginning of fall this seems like the perfect time," Moloney says in announcement of the launch of Wicked Donuts. "Along with the addition of Great Lakes Coffee and espresso drinks, free WiFi and ample guest seating, we hope that Treat Dreams becomes a destination for remote offices and off-site business meetings." Source: Scott Moloney, owner, Treat Dreams and Wicked Donuts Writer: Kim North Shine

Dynasty Media Network opens office in downtown Ferndale

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Arts & Culture

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November 7, 2013

Dynasty Media Network has turned a closed storefront located in downtown Ferndale into an office, sound stage, production area and all-around workspace for digital designers, marketers and technological engineers to design all manner of promotions and communications. Owner and Founder Michael Rott has a long list of well-known clients and promising start-ups and plans to add to it from the new space and with staff that builds websites, develops apps, produces videos, TV commercials and digital business presentations. DMN plans to add six full-time positions in 2014 and is also partnering with the College for Creative Studies to offer paid internship opportunities that can nuture a future generation of digital designers. DMN also offers technology consulting, business strategy, audio visual systems, motion graphics and 3D animation, live streaming, corporate webinars, social media management and Apple computer education as a certified member of the Apple Consultants Network. Rott previously served as one of Michigan's lead creatives for Apple Inc. for several years prior to forming Dynasty Media Network. "My passion for business, special event production and cutting-edge technology has led me to this point in my career," Rott said when he announced plans to open the new office for Dynasty Media Network last year. "At DMN we support individuals and businesses through creative design, effective marketing strategies and innovative technology solutions." Source: Michael Rott, owner and founder, Dynasty Media Network Writer: Kim North Shine