It takes more than a good business idea and hard work to grow it into a thriving enterprise. It also takes the right business climate, and that climate is what the City of Grand Rapids Economic Development Department wants to create for second-stage businesses in the city. "Economic gardening," an economic development process touted by Governor Rick Snyder, the Small Business Association of Michigan and the Edward Lowe Foundation, helps existing businesses grow by providing them with the information they need to succeed, community partners that can help them get to the next level, and by developing a culture of growth and change. "It's about cultivating what you already have in a community in terms of the business mix before trying to attract new business," says Economic Development Director Kara Wood. "It's a lot of what's happening in East Hills, on Wealthy Street and other places in the city where there are more small businesses. It creates a sense of place, and that's what helps us create and attract new businesses."Wood says the city has already used state tools and incentives to keep growing businesses like Dematic and DornerWorks in the city, but "economic gardening" is also about raising awareness that Grand Rapids is a great place to start a business and be an entrepreneur. "There will be no wrong door for entrepreneurs," she says. "All service providers will be equipped with resources to help them, so if they approach the Chamber or the SBTDC or another of our partners they'll be able to get the direction they need."The city has reached out to a handful of its 30 service providers to-date, including Local First, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and Neighborhood Ventures, who have all taken leading roles in developing the initiative. Next steps are the creation of measurables for the program with the help of the Edward Lowe Foundation, and then launching the program in the next 60 to 90 days. Source: Kara Wood, City of Grand Rapids Economic Development DirectorWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News EditorRelated ArticlesGrand Rapids approved $235M in new development projects in 2010, reaps $1.5M in new tax revenue

Brewing up a batch of India Pale Ale, cherry wine, hard cider or even champagne could be easier in a couple of weeks when O'Connor's Home Brew Supply opens in Grand Rapids' Midtown neighborhood.The store (613 Lyon NE) is the first retail effort of entrepreneurs Ben and Allison O'Connor. Ben, 29, a Grand Haven native, quit his job in Raleigh, N.C. as a computer mapmaker for engineers and architects, and Allison, 28, a native North Carolinian, quit hers as a high school history teacher to move to Michigan and become part of what Ben O'Connor calls a "mini stimulus" economic solution. Setting up shop just doors from Martha's Vineyard, a favorite haunt of wine and beer connoisseurs, could be a good start. "When I was living in North Carolina a friend told me how fun it was to brew," says O'Connor. "I went to a home brew shop and bought a starter kit and just kept getting more and more into it." The 800-square-foot shop has a rustic feel with its painted wood floors, a functioning antique Kenmore freestanding gas stove and custom-made wood shelving. Product offerings range from starter kits for wannabe brewers of beers, wines and hard ciders to equipment and fresh barley and other grains for advanced brewers. "We'll sell a couple of premade mash tuns for all-grain brewing, and specialty parts like valves, high-temp rubber tubing, keg systems, stirring paddles and fermenting buckets," O'Connor says."We wanted to do something different with our lives and we were blessed enough to be able to do it," he adds. "I was tired of hearing everyone write Michigan off as dead. I wanted to do my part and I wanted to let people know it's not over and we can get out of this rut we're in."The O'Connors hope to open in mid-March. Their hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tues. through Fri., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Source: Ben O'Connor, O'Connor's Home Brew SupplyWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

The Dean Energy Harvester, a new invention by Dean Rosendall, has the potential to make an impact on sustainability efforts in several sectors. According to the article in MLive: Dean Rosendall felt there was a need to reclaim wasted energy from certain processes, and no one seemed to be filling that need. So he invented the Dean Energy Harvester, DEH for short, which utilizes wasted process energy in mining and similar industries. You can read the complete story here.

Cybergolf.com reports that the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame has elected four new honorees to be inducted in May. Among them are two golfers who have influenced golf in West Michigan for many years. According to excerpts from the story:Public links veteran Jim Briegel, golf course architect Arthur Hills, journalist Terry Moore and Don Perne, co-founder of the PGA of America's Professional Golf Management at Ferris State University have been elected to the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. Hills was captain of the Michigan State University golf team while working toward a degree in Agronomy, and Lansing native Perne was a teammate and served three years prior to Hills as captain. Hills designed 16 courses in Michigan, including the Arthur Hills Course at Boyne Highlands, Bay Harbor in Petoskey, Egypt Valley in Ada, Hawkshead in South Haven, Shepherd's Hollow and Pine Trace in metropolitan Detroit, and Red Hawk in Tawas. Read the complete story here.

Grand Rapids-based business consulting firm DPT had a great year in 2010, resulting in growth of their on-premise staff by 50%, according to Henry Morley, managing partner.   Giving credit first and foremost to "excellent client relationships," Morley indicated that two of their service offerings, customer relationship management (CRM) and project management, were the driving forces in 2010.    Ironically, the poor economy played a big role too. "CRM is primarily based around business development," Morley says. "Our services help our clients drive sales." Morley indicates this is especially important for businesses in a downturn as many organizations need to do more with less. Morley also explains that many of today's businesses tend to be leaner and project-driven, which requires a more sophisticated project management process, another of DPT's core consulting competencies. Morley states that their organization is constantly looking for talent. "We're looking for people that can effect business change," he says. Morley also points out the equally critical importance of having the ability to effectively communicate. "Communication skills are paramount for us, both verbal and written," he says. For individuals interested in working at DPT, Randy Shier, a principal at DPT stresses face-to-face networking, especially for recent graduates. "We do a lot of recruiting through business networking sites and events," he says. "Younger people typically have limited exposure to these events, so go get exposure. You can't rely on social media totally to build those relationships." To learn more about DPT, both as a service provider and as a potential employer, you can visit their website or check out their corporate profile on LinkedIn. Source: Henry Morley, Randy Shier and Jennifer Jenks, DPT Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Editor

Word-of-mouth can be a powerful influence. For the owner of Jeffrey Richard Salon in Grand Rapids, it has influenced the next step in the growth of his business. Jeffrey Richard Cipcic started the salon 11 years ago in a 1,000-square-foot space at 1033 E. Fulton St. But after repeatedly hearing from friends Rick Powell and Behnje Masson about how great it's been to move their From The Heart Yoga & Tai Chi Center and their personal residence to the Wealthy Street business district, Cipcic decided to buy and renovate a 4,400-square-foot property at 742 Wealthy St. SE. "It was an incredibly difficult decision because I've been in love with this (Fulton St.) building and it's been a great home," says Cipcic, who lives above the salon with his partner, Marty Kiefer. "We just literally have outgrown our space. We did double shifting for the past four years, then opened Saturdays, so we've utilized every hour and every square inch of our space."The new salon will occupy 2,200 square feet on the main floor, with the same size apartment for Cipcic and Kiefer on the second story. Cipcic and Kiefer designed the salon with a mix of common and private spaces that incorporate warm earth tones and architectural elements such as curved walls, archways and interior windows. The salon will feature an Aveda retail store at the front and 10 styling chairs, four more than the current salon, in the guest service area. Each room has its own lighting and audio controls so stylists can set the mood for relaxation and a "get away from it all" experience. The salon has added two stylists in anticipation of the move and will add more in coming months.Cipcic says he'll invest some $500,000 in the renovation and building purchase. Construction is underway and the new salon will open in April. Source: Jeffrey Richard Cipcic, Jeffrey Richard SalonWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News EditorRelated ArticlesRGTV – From The Heart Yoga Center finds breathing space on Wealthy Street