business development

Bean Sprout Babies

Carrie Bishop, owner of Bean Sprout Babies, is answering the questions for today's Small Business Snapshot.What is the primary purpose of your business? Bean Sprout Babies is a locally owned online web shop that caters... more »

The Muslim Market: How can you reach out to this fast-growing group of consumers?

With buying power that's roughly equal to the state of Indiana, the growing U.S. Muslim population--estimated at between 6 million and 8 million people--is an attractive segment for marketers. Reaching them requires an understanding of... more »

Unique artisan store opens downtown

Kathy Huiskamp opened her downtown Belleville business on April Fool's Day - and it's no joke.Rather, it's a unique collective of five artisans working together in conjunction with Huiskamp as owner of a retail gift... more »

Luggage store packs its bags downtown

Scratch another legacy retailer from battered Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland.This time it is Traveler's Shoppes and Cleveland Trunk, a luggage and gift store in the city's Theater District since 1936 that traces its history... more »

If the shoe fits

'Mompreneurs' supplement family income, balance home life. I didn't know it before now, but apparently I'm a "mompreneur."I work as a freelance writer for various publications from home. By doing this, I get to keep... more »

Declarations of Independents

From great to slow to very, very bad, independent retailers provide varying reports of their environments. Regardless of whether they are "giddy" or painting a picture of "gloom and doom," local retailers all finding that... more »

New ownership for Log Cabin

The Log Cabin, a 25-year-old landmark business at the top of Highway 20 in Fonthill, has been sold.Scott and Ursula Penner, owners of Fonthill Pharmasave, will take over the building on April 1, said Lois... more »

Developers adjust to shifting retail landscape

The fundamentals of the public's retail needs aren't changing: People want fast service and convenient shopping options, and they want them close to home.But retailers still face a changing landscape. In Michigan, that includes a... more »