The MORE Program – September   2011 newsletter

The Hot Topic:

The MORE Program’s online entrepreneurial resource matchmaking engine, InsYght, is up and running and attracting users at an impressive clip.   Anyone can access InsYght, a 100% free service, via WSU’s TechTown, the Brightmoor Alliance, the Walsh Institute and the City of East Lansing.  InsYght can match entrepreneurs with thousands of low cost services ranging from accounting help to warehouse space to fundraising assistance made available by hundreds of nonprofit organizations throughout Michigan.

MOUs In The News:

To date, The MORE Program has received over 100 MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) from nonprofits and municipalities throughout Michigan.  Each of these MOUs permits the InsYght portal to appear on the home page of the nonprofits and municipalities, thus offering all the advantages of InsYght to more and more people through more and more websites, specifically the populations within the municipalities and the constituencies of the nonprofit organizations.  One of the latest organizations to offer InsYght online is the City of Novi.  Novi is eager to build an entrepreneurial culture and has found a powerful ally in The MORE Program and InsYght.  At no cost to the City, Novi has partnered with The MORE Program to provide free access to the InsYght resource matchmaking platform and soon any entrepreneur who visits the City of Novi website at www.cityofnovi.org. 

“Novi is one of the strongest entrepreneurial cities in Michigan,” states MORE Program Executive Director Ken Agacinski, “And we couldn’t be more thrilled than to have InsYght available to their citizens, free of charge, on the City of Novi website.  With thousands of easy-to-find catalogued resources, InsYght will help Novi’s entrepreneurs find exactly what they need, almost instantly, to turn their big ideas into real, money-making businesses.”

Novi Mayor David Landry sees InsYght as a powerful tool for Novi’s future.  “What InsYght does is shorten the time it takes for entrepreneurs to connect with the resources they need.  Time is everything and InsYght saves days if not weeks of time. It’s absolutely fantastic.”

User FAQ - New Launch Communications/Training Package

How do I…

Register:  Click the InsYght link on a partner website or go to www.insyght.co to be directed to the login page.  Enter your email address and create a password.  You will be re-directed to login page and can proceed from there.

Create a profile:  Answer a few basic questions about your idea or business pursuit.  If you’re unsure about how to answer, you can click the ? icon to read more about the intent of each question.

Update or manage my profile:  You can use the Profile tab or the Manage Your Company Profile option on your Dashboard to access your profile.  You can edit your answers from either place.  From your Find Providers match page, you can sort your search results by checking or unchecking profile questions, but this will not apply edits to your saved profile.

Find specific organizations:  InsYght does not currently permit you to search the organization list by name.

Find specific resources:  The current version of InsYght provides broader level organization data based on the categories of resources the organization provides.  Information about specific resources will be more readily available in the next release of InsYght.

Report a problem:  You can provide feedback about your InsYght experience by clicking one of the three feedback buttons under each Resource Provider on your match list or you can send comments to info@themoreprogram.com. 

Report out of date information:  Should you find inaccurate or out dated information on your match list, you can alert The MORE Program by clicking the Inaccurate Info button under each Resource Provider.

Request Help:  You can click the ? icons at any time to read more about the intent of questions or definitions on InsYght.  For more direct assistance using the system, you can request help at info@themoreprogram.com

Entrepreneur of the Month  -  Dr. Lawrence Brown

Dr. Lawrence Brown has been a practicing podiatrist in Southeast Michigan for nearly 30 years.  Through his interactions with patients ranging from schoolchildren to professional athletes to ballet dancers, Dr. Brown has seen the punishment the human foot must endure.  That’s when he conceived of Soleair, a unique shoe insole product that cushions, supports and protects the foot with hundreds of small air bubbles encased in a durable, airtight synthetic insole.  “I had the idea about 8 years ago and obtained a patent, but didn’t know where to turn,“ says Dr. Brown, “ Then, about a year ago, I met Bonnie Fahoome at The MORE Program and now we’re really moving .  The MORE Program connected me to three different local manufacturers who are developing prototypes and working on the pricing structure.  We should have product to market by winter or spring 2012 and we anticipate sales of 40,000 units by end of 2012.  And we plan to manufacture Soleair in Michigan.  That is our goal.” Other support insoles are on the market, says Dr. Brown, but there’s nothing that can match the comfort and support of Soleair, and he sees great opportunity for this unique product.   “The MORE Program was the game changer for me,” claims Dr. Brown, “They knew who to talk to and the right questions to ask.  Now we’re on our way.”

Entrepreneurial Resource of the Month - Invest Detroit:

If you aren’t familiar with Invest Detroit, you should be. Invest Detroit is a leading source of private sector gap financing and utilizes a variety of funding tools through managed for-profit and non-profit targeted funds to support economic and community development in underserved communities primarily in the City of Detroit. The efforts of Invest Detroit are intended to promote job creation, expansion of the tax base and an improved quality of life for the communities it serves. Representing $125 million in funds and tax credits, Invest Detroit serves as a platform intended to meet a broad range of financing needs to support business expansion and real estate development, the creation and retention of jobs, and the revitalization of distressed areas. Invest Detroit represents the vision of the Board of Directors and management of the Detroit Investment Fund (DIF), which was created and funded in 1995 by members of Detroit Renaissance, now known as Business Leaders for Michigan.

Invest Detroit’s financing tools are intended to support businesses through financing for a variety of needs including:

• Business expansion and purchase of equipment
• Real estate development and redevelopment
• Predevelopment costs
• Neighborhood retail
• Emerging business’ development costs
• New Markets Tax Credits

To learn more about Invest Detroit go to www.investdetroit.com

Appearances and Upcoming Events

On Sunday, August 14, MORE Program Executive Director Ken Agacinski appeared on Street Beat, WWJ Channel 50’s local current events television program.  During the lengthy interview, Ken described the InsYght entrepreneurial resource matchmaking took and invited viewers to the site.  Learn more and see the interview here.

 On Monday, November 14, Michigan Emerging will take place at Cobo Hall in Detroit.  For the second year, this event brings together the people, the resources and the connections required for entrepreneurs to prosper. Michigan Emerging motivates entrepreneurs and business leaders alike to collaborate with one another to attain business success.

The day will begin with keynote presentations highlighting the opportunities that are available in Michigan, both at the state and grassroots level. Educational clinics will follow, focusing on the necessities of running and growing a business in the state. The curriculum has been designed to inform and enable business leaders and entrepreneurs who are shaping Michigan’s future. The day will finish with a business plan competition and award ceremony recognizing and celebrating individuals and companies leading the way to success. If you are interested in attending Michigan Emerging 2011 or would like more information on how you can be a part of this event, please contact us at info@arzika.com.

On Wednesday and Thursday, November 16 and 17, the 2nd Annual Accelerate Michigan competition will take place at the Eagle Crest Conference Center in Ypsilanti with a Gala Awards Dinner November 17th at The Henry Ford Museum.  Accel­er­ate Michi­gan Inno­va­tion Com­pe­ti­tion is an inter­na­tional busi­ness plan com­pe­ti­tion which high­lights Michi­gan as a robust and vibrant venue for inno­va­tion and busi­ness oppor­tu­nity. The com­pe­ti­tion fuels innovation-based busi­ness growth by uncov­er­ing the best and bright­est new busi­ness con­cepts from local and global entre­pre­neurs, expos­ing those oppor­tu­ni­ties to poten­tial invest­ment cap­i­tal and fos­ter­ing their growth within Michigan.

The Accel­er­ate Michi­gan Inno­va­tion Com­pe­ti­tion tar­gets mid-to-late-stage busi­ness start-ups with poten­tial to gen­er­ate an imme­di­ate impact on Michigan’s econ­omy, as well as stu­dent con­cepts with longer-term busi­ness viability.

With more than $1 mil­lion in cash win­nings, plus in-kind awards of ser­vices, staffing and soft­ware, the Accel­er­ate Michi­gan Inno­va­tion Com­pe­ti­tion is the world’s largest busi­ness plan competition.

 
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