Lecture Helps Proprietors, Entrepreneurs Take Care of Business

The stage of the was all business Thursday night as local proprietors and entrepreneurs attended a lecture in the IGNITE program series.

The program allows business owners and those looking to start businesses learn how to develop and expand their company, as well as provide networking and brainstorming opportunities. Meetings are free and open to everyone.

Chris Ramos, owner of The Night Move and volunteer for the Ferndale DDA and its Business Development Committee, recently restructured the program, adding guest speakers to its format.

He said it was important to give more content that attendees could learn from and give them a reason to come, “other than to shake hands.”

Jim Muir of the Service Corp of Retired Executives, an organization that counsels potential and current business owners, was the night’s speaker and offered new ways of thinking about business planning.

Ferndale’s downtown area is a good place to be, in terms of owning a business, Muir said. Its centralized location, the intersection of Woodward Avenue and Nine Mile Road makes it accessible and with its proximity to the auto industry, which he said was slowly coming back, small businesses get the ripple effect.

Downtown Ferndale currently has more than 350 businesses.

Muir said many people are looking to start businesses because they can't find jobs in an economy that is still struggling. While they have the enthusiasm needed to get started, they have to establish “a foundation to build on” with a good business plan.

“There’s not a single way to write a business plan,” Muir said. “You have to adjust a plan for what you hope you accomplish.”

Michael Hennes, owner of said the lecture gave him new insight to “refocusing” strategic planning. “You tend to make the same mistakes,” said Hennes, a business owner for more than 10 years.

After a lay-off, a hobby became a t-shirt business venture for Christopher Gorski, founder of Detroit GT. He makes and sells the shirts out of a renovated truck, as well as online. He enjoying the event, saying it bolsters the entrepreneurial community by allowing them a chance to meet and brainstorm with each other.

The program is scheduled to meet regularly on the second Thursday of each month at the theater; the next event will be March 10. Future lectures include: Where and How to Obtain Financing, Greening Your Business, Starting Fresh/Tax Options, and How I Did It.