During the September 2025 Small Business and Policy event, business advocates and a local legislator spoke to small business owners at the Detroit Regional Chamber to engage with local businesses, hear about their challenges, and share opportunities for them to utilize, including the cross-functional partnerships fostered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and those within the city of Detroit, including the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED).
The Value of Partnerships and Streamlining Assistance
Opening the conversation, MEDC’s Senior Vice President for Small Business and Talent, Amy Rencher, discussed the top three concerns of business owners she hears, with access to capital being a primary issue.
She explained the various programs available to support small businesses in their search for capital, including the State’s Small Business Credit Initiative and the Michigan Innovation Fund. Rencher noted that a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem and close collaboration among partners are key to driving the state’s economic growth.
“We have a standing network of hundreds of partners, and we really added on to that in the past couple of years through the [small business] support hubs work,” she said, noting that there are 27 across the state. Through what is dubbed the “hub and spoke” model, their network of partners ensures that both rural and urban communities are not left excluded.
“We have a very strong network of partners for entrepreneurs and innovation in the state,” Rencher said, emphasizing the importance of collaboration to achieve greater impact.
Rencher also spoke about PitchMI, a series of regional pitch competitions designed to support early-stage tech and high-growth companies across the state as part of a broader effort to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in Michigan. The regional competitions offer a total of $250,000 in prizes, with a grand prize of $1 million to be awarded in April 2026.
Removing Burdensome Regulation
State Rep. Joe Aragona (R-Clinton Twp.) spoke primarily on his dedication to reducing regulatory burdens for small businesses. With a background in small business himself, the Chairman of the Regulatory Reform Committee shared that he understands the challenges of owning and operating a small business firsthand.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy,” he said, adding, “Whatever we need to do is just get regulations out of businesses’ way.”
He also shared how small business regulation hinders other areas of Michigan’s economic development, including housing, and how small businesses face different requirements across municipalities, complicating the process.
“It’s amazing the different hoops you have to jump through. There’s one set of hoops through this municipality, one set of hoops through another, and they’re all completely different. And you’re building the exact same house,” he said, emphasizing how housing developers struggle to operate across communities in the same county. These regulatory challenges on a hyperlocal level can have a larger-scale effect on Michigan’s economy as new businesses look to move to Michigan.
Regulation and Compliance in Detroit
Arthur Rushin, the City of Detroit’s Chief Enforcement Officer of BSEED, shared how his program’s efforts to improve the licensing and compliance process for small businesses within Detroit have been successful.
He explained that one of the department’s most powerful tools is the Development Resource Center and its online zoning portal. By simply entering an address, business owners can instantly see whether their intended use for a location is permitted, restricted, or requires special approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals. The portal doesn’t just give a yes-or-no answer; it outlines the exact steps needed to move forward so owners can plan whether or not to move forward with their business there and the steps needed to do so.
“We are a resource,” Rushin said. “No project is too small. That’s one of the things we want to make sure we stress to the public… reach out to us first, and we are literally going to walk you through the process of how to get your business started, so that way you can avoid some of the pitfalls.”
Rushin’s advice to Detroit small business owners is clear: start with BSEED before you start your business, because you can get additional resources like a free preliminary plan review.
“You come to us and say, ‘This is what I want to do, I have part of the plan,’ and we will work with you,” he said. “The department partners with agencies like the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and participates in compliance clinics across the city to help owners get into compliance [and] stay in compliance.”
The Impact
By leveraging available resources and fostering strong partnerships, small businesses can thrive and contribute to the economy’s growth. Continued dialogue between small business owners, business advocates, and policymakers is essential in fostering a business-friendly climate in the Detroit Region.
