Southwest Detroit Business Association Inc

Established in 1957, the Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA) fosters innovation, drive, and commitment in our community. We work with investors, entrepreneurs, customers, and neighbors to capitalize on Southwest Detroit's competitive advantage. We support our community's vision for a healthy, vibrant neighborhood. The Association is a coalition of businesses and community interests committed to facilitating the continuation and enhancement of a stable, economically healthy Southwest Detroit. We accomplish this by employing strategies that support existing business and industrial enterprises, enhance the climate for public and private investment and economic growth, and act as a vehicle for cooperative ventures that support economic development in Southwest Detroit.

Southwest Detroit is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the City of Detroit spanning over five zip codes, with the largest immigrant and Latinx populations in the State of Michigan, over 50,000 people of Hispanic descent reside in Detroit and over 100,000 Latinos live in Wayne County (per the 2010 Census). Many of these business owners have been a part of the community for generations and others are newer in launching their business. Due to the large immigrant entrepreneurial community (approximately 60%) there is a large digital gap; few have a strong online presence and even fewer have online ordering or an e-commerce website.

SDBA has identified the need for increased technical support for our local small businesses to help them bridge the digital divide and launch online marketing and purchasing options for their customers as an integral part of their COVID-19 business plans. Specifically, we propose to work with a team of skilled bilingual digital communications professionals to enroll and train 25 local small businesses in a website development project and continue to support those businesses with the presentations and group webinars and workshops. Technical support will also include the creation of an online "mega store" for Southwest Detroit under the existing brand of SAVOR Southwest Detroit. The project includes both website development and ongoing maintenance for an introductory period of at least three months. A big part of this project will be one of discovery for the small businesses in the beginning followed by monitoring and reporting for another three months to ensure the participating businesses are utilizing the system correctly.