Category Archives: Economics

Jessica Meissner on assisting non-venture capital backed companies, and expanding the role of co-ops in Michigan

By Mark | May 5, 2013

Among the people in the audience at Thursday night’s “Doing Business in Ypsilanti” panel, was a woman who has been tasked by Washtenaw County to study the needs of non-venture capital funded entrepreneurs, and make suggestions as to how we might better support them. Her name is Jessica Meissner, and what follows is our email [...]

Also posted in Michigan, Ypsilanti | Tagged access to capital, Alternative Energy, BALLE, BEC, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, co-ops, collaboration, cooperation, cooperatives, corporatocracy, Costa Rica, Dug Song, economic anthropology, Jessica Meissner, local procurement, Maker Works, Organic Valley, Paul Saginaw, purchasing, sharing assets, Small and Mighty, small business, sustainably, The Shed, Tom Root, triple bottom line, underemployment, unemployment, University of Michigan, venture capital, Washtenaw County, Wisconsin, workforce development | 9 Comments

Raising the minimum wage in Michigan is the right thing to do

By Mark | April 15, 2013

At the end of last week, Democrats in Lansing, led by State Senator Bert Johnson, proposed that we increase Michigan’s minimum wage to $10 an hour, from $7.40, where it’s been set for the past five years, in spite of the rising cost of living. Given that it would make Michigan’s the highest minimum wage [...]

Also posted in Michigan, Uncategorized | Tagged ALEC, Bert Johnson, Elizabeth Warren, Idaho, income inequality, minimum wage, Obama, poverty, shifting the tax burden to the working class, slavery, Subway, trickle down economics, Wal-Mart, Washington State, wealth inequality | 15 Comments

The wealth inequality meme may finally be going viral… Let’s hope it makes a difference

By Mark | March 4, 2013

I’m sure that most of you have seen it already, as it’s been all over the web today, but, just in case you haven’t, I’d highly recommend that you take a few minutes and watch this short animated video on the subject of wealth disparity in America. I suspect that our readers on the far [...]

Also posted in Civil Liberties | Tagged American aristocracy, class warfare, Detroit, Emergency Manager, frogs, Harlem Shake, income inequality, memes, Mitt Romney, Rick Snyder, the top 1%, wealth inequality | 30 Comments

It might be too early to announce the company’s death, but good riddance to Groupon

By Mark | March 2, 2013

I’ve never liked Groupon. Rightly or wrongly, I’ve always thought that the company, and it’s well-known “daily deals,” were bad for small businesses. My sense, and I’ve had it verified by a few business owners, is that they gravitate toward Groupon when they’re desperate, offering deep, unsustainable discounts to Groupon users, who, for the most [...]

Also posted in Local Business, Marketing, Other, Retail | Tagged Andrew Mason, business ideas, business models, coupons, getting fired, Groupon, small business | 16 Comments

Big Business vs. Small Business…. who’s right?

By Mark | February 28, 2013

Today, in response to an interview that I’d posted recently with the founders of the Ypsi/Arbor small business support group Small & Mighty, a reader by the name of KJC posted a link to an article titled “Small is not Beautiful,” implying, I think it’s pretty clear, that many of us are misguided in our [...]