The Neighborhood Business Initiative (NBI) Worktable’s Digital Divide Committee worked with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) and the University of Michigan’s Center on Finance, Law & Policy to create this workbook with support from the New Economy Initiative (NEI).

The DEGC is dedicated to Detroit’s growth. The organization designs and implements innovative solutions that drive investment, create jobs, and advance the economy of the City of Detroit through public-private collaborations. DEGC’s Small Business Team provides a host of resources to help startups and established businesses grow, succeed, and generate even more economic vitality.

The University of Michigan’s Center on Finance, Law & Policy (CFLP) is an interdisciplinary research center based at the Ford School of Public Policy that draws together faculty, staff, and students from across the University to create a financial system that is safer, fairer, and better harnessed to the real economy. Through its largest program, the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project, CFLP staff match faculty-supervised student teams with Detroit micro-enterprises to help overcome business owners’ legal, financial, marketing, operational, and design challenges.

The NEI is a philanthropic collaboration and special project of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan that is working to build a regional network of support for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Its mission is to grow an inclusive culture of entrepreneurship in southeast Michigan that benefits all residents and strengthens the regional economy.

DIY Digital Guide for Small Businesses – Released June 2022