Service
The FSBC is a strengthened partnership and collaborative effort between the City of Ferndale, Ferndale DDA, Ferndale Area District Library, Ferndale Area Chamber of Commerce, Ferndale Schools, Oakland County Michigan Works Ferndale, and Ferndale small business owners.
Why?
Dream followers. Risk takers. Passion makers.
Small business owners typically put their entire life savings on the line in order to start their business, allowing them to follow their personal passions. Business owners choose to launch their new idea in Ferndale, the community where the entrepreneurial spirit is welcomed and nurtured.
The FSBC supports all dream followers, risk takers, and passion makers with small business startup, growth, and expansion support.
What We Do
The City of Ferndale has a goal to be a welcoming place to start and operate a business.
The partnership efforts of the FSBC seek to strengthen its palette of services to:
How?
Each FSBC member organization offers a combination of support services including retention, attraction, growth, and expansion services through technical assistance, consultations, training or connections. The FSBC coordinates and cross-supports initiatives to better respond to local small business owner needs and wants.
The FSBC defines small businesses as:
FSBC Founder
The FSBC was initiated and convened by Councilwoman Melanie Piana. She saw a need to strengthen and connect local business owners through each stage of business growth (idea, startup, existing, and growing) among the organizations in Ferndale dedicated to serving small businesses.
Build Institute Basics Course
The FSBC presents the Build Institute’s Build Basic course. The eight-week class provides business training for aspiring and established entrepreneurs. Participants receive education in money management, business planning, market research. and more. Find out more at buildinstitute.org.
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is designed for business owners who have a business poised for growth. Qualifying business owners invest their time in 11 convenient learning sessions that include networking, business support, and creation of a growth plan over the course of the program. Click here for more details on how to qualify for the program.
Invest Detroit – Urban Retail Loan Fund
The Urban Retail Loan Fund (URLF) is a revolving loan program intended to stimulate economic growth and support for residential and neighborhood development in Detroit’s Greater Downtown area by providing loans to neighborhood-based retail, service, and storefront businesses. These businesses, in turn, will provide necessary goods and services to the neighborhood, create and retain jobs, and promote a high quality of life.
Local Meeting Space
Need Space To Hold Your Business Meeting?
Helpful businesses and community stakeholders have made meeting room space available to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the community. Click here to find out where to hold your next meeting.
Do you have space in your building that you would like to make available for other business owners to have meetings? If so, please fill out this form and we will add your space to our database.
Sidewalk Ventures
Sidewalk Ventures offers an alternative to traditional fundraising for local business. Rather than turning to a bank or a very small number of funders making large investments, Sidewalk Ventures works with clients to raise money from community-based investors—local supporters, customers, admirers and advocates who may not have untold riches, but do have the ability to make relatively modest investments in your business for real financial return.
ZipCap
ZipCap is the loyalty program that helps customers reward their favorite local businesses. ZipCap members (the customers that we call Ziplers™) earn their share of rewards, but the biggest one is that their favorite local business can now access funds needed to make their place even better. ZipCap turns customer loyalty into a line of credit. With access to affordable capital, these businesses can hire more people, make improvements (i.e. a new outdoor seating area) or expand their offering in other ways.
City of Ferndale, Michigan
300 East Nine Mile Road
Ferndale, Michigan 48220
