Grand River is seeing a lot more activity these days and it’s not because of the moving cars, it’s because businesses are growing here. Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation has served as a key partner in cultivating and incubating new businesses here in Grandmont Rosedale. Grand River WorkPlace, Grandmont Rosedale’s coworking incubator and pop-up retail space, hosts a number of entrepreneur training programs including ProsperUs Detroit to help develop new business in Grandmont Rosedale. ProsperUs Detroit is an economic development program built to help stimulate entrepreneurism in Detroit through their entrepreneurial training program. This program exists to help budding entrepreneurs or sometimes existing businesses learn the fundamentals of running a business with intention of completing a business plan and building business relationships. Entrepreneurs meet with a trainer from the program over the course of 20 weeks, 12 weeks in which are spent in the classroom learning with other entrepreneurs in the program. At the end of the program, entrepreneurs host a graduation to celebrate. But their work doesn’t stop there, they go on to receive technical assistance from ProsperUs Detroit or even receive funding through their micro-lending program.
Some of Grandmont Rosedale’s ProsperUs graduates include Cutz Lounge Grooming Shop, a local barbershop and jazz lounge (located at 19655 Grand River) and The Garden Bug a seasonal garden and home nursery (located at 18901 Grand River). However, not all businesses go straight into a brick and mortar. Grand River WorkPlace offers a short-term lease space for entrepreneurs looking to test their business concept in a white boxed commercial space. Grand River WorkPlace has provided 4 retail businesses an opportunity to grow their business in the pop-up shop with hopes of landing one of those pop-ups in a commercial space in Grandmont Rosedale. The first business to land in Grandmont Rosedale is The Natural Market a health and beauty boutique specializing in natural oils and candles, located next door to Pages Bookshop.
Grandmont Rosedale can expect to see three new ProsperUs Detroit alum businesses opening their own pop-up shops in the neighborhood. Rosedale Interior Design studio opened its doors this past Friday. It is a collaboration between ProsperUs Detroit alum Domeda McCauley (owner of Reinvent Treasurers) and Ken Wolfe (owner of Unclaimed), both Grandmont Rosedale residents. Reinvent Treasurers is an estate sales, liquidation company and Unclaimed is an antiques collector. Together they make a beautiful display of gently used home furnishings from contemporary to vintage at Rosedale Interior Design Studio. Domeda graduated from the ProsperUs program in 2014. Domeda says “This will be a resource center for people looking for unique items and home furnishings. Residents can bring their items in as well get things appraised.” Rosedale Interior Design Studio will be open for 2 months in their pop-up shop. Also coming soon to the Grand River WorkPlace pop-up is Voluptuous Bien’Aime Boutique (a women’s clothing boutique) and Chanel’s Bling (a custom decorative apparel company) as a joint pop-up shop. Both are recent graduates of the ProsperUs program and hope to use the Grand River WorkPlace pop-up as a catalyst to open a permanent space nearby in the neighborhood. “We are excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to open up the shop” says Nicole Bien‘Aime. Stay tuned for the grand opening of this business at WorkPlace in Februrary.
For more information about the Rosedale Interior Design Studio visit 19562 Grand River Ave. or contact Domeda McCauley at reinventtreasurers@gmail.com
For more information about the Grand River WorkPlace pop-up shop contact Larissa Carr at lcarr@grandmontrosedale.com or at (313) 387-4732 ext. 118.