Mark Maynard | economic development

Michael Shuman… there’s a local business revolution on the horizon, and we can make it happen

By Mark | February 3, 2013

Last week, I had the opportunity to spend a day with economist and author Michael Shuman. Shuman, for those of you who aren’t familiar with his work, is probably our nation’s foremost authority on the importance of cultivating, supporting and investing in local businesses. The stated purpose of his visit to Ann Arbor, which was [...]

Posted in Economics, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Michigan, Uncategorized | Also tagged Amy Cortese, Austin, banks, Book People, Borders, business attraction, business retention, Colgate-Palmolive, crowdfunding, Daryl Issa, Economics, Google, investing, IRA, local investing, locavesting, Michael Shuman, Mission Markets, Oregon, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, self-dircted IRA, self-directed IRA, smart growth, startup investing, tax abatements, Tom’s of Maine, triple bottom line, walkability, Washtenaw County Economic Development, Washtenaw County Office of Community & Economic Development | 29 Comments

The possibility of a farmers market on Ypsilanti’s Water Street

By Mark | November 26, 2012

Over the course of the past week or so, I’ve posted twice about the 38-acre vacant lot at the heart of downtown Ypsilanti commonly referred to as Water Street. In the first post, which was written in response to news that Family Dollar had expressed interest in building on the site, I outlined my objection [...]

Posted in Ideas, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Amanda Edmonds, business incubators, business models, CDC, city planning, Community Development Corporation, dollar stores, Eastern Leaders, Family Dollar, farmers market, food entrepreneurship, food hub, food stamps, funding, Growing Hope, healthy food access, International Public Markets Conference, Jean Henry, John Knott, kitchen incubator, Michigan Farmers’ Market Association, national chains, North Charleston Noisette, season extension, Smith furniture building, sustainable urbanism, visioning, Water Street, Water Street Redevelopment Project | 28 Comments

Grand Rapids shows us how economic development is done right… home-grown food entrepreneurship over dollar stores

By Mark | November 18, 2012

A few months ago, when I was in Grand Rapids, attending the annual BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) conference, I had the occasion to hear a speech given by the city’s Mayor, George Heartwell. I can’t find my notes at the moment, but I seem to recall that, buried somewhere in the long [...]

Posted in Economics, entrepreneurism, Environment, Michigan, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Amway, Ave Maria, BALLE, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, David Frey, false equivalence, farmers market, food entrepreneurship, food hubs, Grand Action, Grand Rapids, hope, infrastructure, local food, local food production, national chains, Tom Monaghan, Water Street, Water Street Redevelopment Project | 41 Comments

Ypsilanti deserves better than a Family Dollar store on Water Street

By Mark | November 17, 2012

Certain kinds of businesses do well in times of great economic uncertainty. Chief among them are so-called “variety stores” and “dollar stores.” As Howard Levine, the CEO of Family Dollar, one of America’s leading chains operating in this sector recently said to the press, “In today’s uncertain economic environment, value continues to resonate… Our strategy [...]

Posted in Economics, Rants, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged AnnArbor.com, Burger King, Charlotte, Chase Ingersoll, cohousing, Core Resources, dollar stores, Family Dollar, Leslie Leland, Mark's big ideas, Mix, national chains, North Carolina, our fragile downtown business ecosystem, Paul Balcom, Paul Schreiber, shipping containers, The Rocket, variety stores, Water Street, Ypsilanti City Council | 124 Comments

Author Amy Cortese on the burgeoning “locavesting” movement, and how we can harness it in Michigan

By Mark | October 25, 2012

Next Tuesday, October 30, Think Local First will be bringing author Amy Cortese to Ann Arbor to discuss her book Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It. Following is my interview with Amy, who, in addition to being a published author, has written for the likes of the New York [...]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Economics, entrepreneurism, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Retail, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Accelerating Community Capital, American Sustainable Business Council, Amy Cortese, Arbor Brewing Company, blood funnel, blue sky laws, butchershop, buy local, CDFI, Chamber of Commerce, Clare, community development loan funds, Cops & Doughnuts, crowdfunding, CSA, Dante Hesse, interviews, investing, Jobs Act, Judy Wicks, Jumpstart Our Business Startups, Kickstarter, LION, lobbying, local investing, Local Investing Opportunities Network, Localist, locavesting, Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It, Main Street vs. Wall Street, Matt Greff, Milk Thistle Farm, move your money to a credit union, Obama, Occupy Wall Street, Port Townsend, Port Townsend LION, private placement, public offering, Rene Greff, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, single-payer system, Slow Money, Small Business Administration, Stacy Mitchell, subsidies, tax loopholes, tax reform, The Big Box Swindle, The Brinery, Think Local First, unaccredited investors, Woody Tasch, Zingerman's | 7 Comments

Tag Archives: economic development

Michael Shuman… there’s a local business revolution on the horizon, and we can make it happen

The possibility of a farmers market on Ypsilanti’s Water Street

Grand Rapids shows us how economic development is done right… home-grown food entrepreneurship over dollar stores

Ypsilanti deserves better than a Family Dollar store on Water Street

Author Amy Cortese on the burgeoning “locavesting” movement, and how we can harness it in Michigan

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