Detroit Regional Chamber > Small Business > Why the Detroit Pistons are Continuing Award-winning SHOP313 Program to Boost Michigan Small Businesses

Why the Detroit Pistons are Continuing Award-winning SHOP313 Program to Boost Michigan Small Businesses

December 1, 2022

NBA
Grace Reyes

Nov. 25, 2022

April Anderson opened Good Cakes and Bakes in 2013 to provide fresh baked goods to the northwest Detroit community.

During a summer visit to the café’ located on Livernois Avenue in the heart of Detroit’s historic Avenue of Fashion district, it’s apparent that she’s still achieving that goal.

During the 2021-22 season, the Detroit Pistons helped her with that goal through the SHOP313 program.

Anderson sat down with Pistons.com to explain the impact of the program while customers lingered in the shop that smelled of fresh baked goodies.

She explained that she and her wife, Michelle, applied to the program. They were accepted, which was a help to her business.

“The SHOP313 program puts our business in front of people who might not have been able to see us before,” Anderson said. “The initiative has helped because they go outside the program to utilize us for other events as well.”

The SHOP313 program puts the spotlight on small businesses through Little Caesars Arena exposure, community events and social media promotion. The immersive platform was developed to promote and support small business owners and entrepreneurs at no cost.

Good Cakes and Bakes was one of many Detroit area small businesses to benefit from the program, which earned recognition from the NBA with the Team Partnership of the Year Award.

With Small Business Saturday coming this weekend after Thanksgiving, the Pistons recently announced the SHOP313 program will be sponsored by RingCentral, Amazon and BELFOR Property Restoration this season. As part of the program, RingCentral will provide six $10,000 grants to Michigan businesses that empower their community and embody the values of the Detroit Pistons. Pistons fans will also have the opportunity via Twitter and LinkedIn to vote on which businesses will receive the $10,000 grant and participation in on-court recognition at a Pistons game.  Accepted applicants to the SHOP313 program will be involved in the vendor fair later this season. They will also get a chance to receive BELFOR’s VIP experience and emergency response systems, as well as earning a place in Amazon’s SHOP313 networking summit.

Such programs are important for small businesses. According to ZoomInfo, there are more than 83,000 small businesses in Detroit and surrounding suburbs.

“Our community is incredibly important to us,” Pistons Director of Corporate Partnerships Sarra Barnes said. “The goal is to help as many local businesses as possible.”

Last year, the program helped more than 100 small businesses in the state.

Such exposure is priceless, according to Anderson.

With the Pistons’ support, Anderson said she was able to participate in events as well being a featured small business during Pride Month.

“They are true to their word about supporting small businesses,” Anderson said. “It isn’t just a campaign to the Pistons.”   Applications are live now and open for the remainder of the season. For more information about the program click here.

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