Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project
We provide free services and resources to Detroit small businesses and entrepreneurs.
The Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project (DNEP) connects Detroit small businesses with University of Michigan faculty-supervised student teams to collaborate on business’ legal, financial, marketing, operational, design, and technology challenges. Students gain life-changing consulting experience working with real businesses and come to know and love Detroit; business owners gain access to additional data and capacity that helps them scale. Services are offered at no cost to businesses.
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How can DNEP help?
YEAR ROUND
Accounting Assistance
One-on-one consultation with accounting students to help get your books in order and get command over your business’ numbers. We can help you set up and use accounting software, read financial statements, prepare financial projections, and connect you to microlenders to get the capital you need! Open to any stage of business or non-profit.
FALL / WINTER
Student Team Support
Teams of students from 7 different U-M schools help second-stage businesses scale by completing strategic consulting projects under faculty supervision in the context of a U-M class. Services include legal advice, marketing campaigns, business model refinements, workflow and space layout designs, operations improvements, and more.
SUMMER
+Impact Studio for Local Business
Summer interns work full time with a select portfolio of clients to implement strategies proposed by prior student teams, with an emphasis on Point of Sale optimizations, Customer Retention strategies, and comprehensive branding implementation.
They were effective communicators, professional in every way. Thank you. Because of their work I feel such a weight lifted. The program that you all are running over there should be a national example.
Jevona Watson
Owner of Detroit Sip, 2021
Interested in becoming a client, or working with one?
Reach out to [email protected], or fill out our Client Prospect Form
