Technology

Overview: Community Tech Workers (CTWs) offer free one-on-one training to help business owners better integrate technology into their businesses, to improve the business’ efficiency and increase profitability. 

Community Tech Workers are available to meet by appointment Monday-Thursday from 9:30-4:00 p.m. Both in-person and virtual meeting options are available. Get started by scheduling an intake appointment with a community tech worker on the Detroit Means Business website.

Services: Community Tech Workers specialize in:

• Update websites
• Create social media images 
• Automate social media posts
• Optimize point of sale systems
• Automate electronic inventory systems
• Integrate third party apps (e.g. scheduling, delivery, project management)
• Establish cybersecurity protection

Community Tech Workers don’t do content creation for websites or social media or routine updates to websites, but they can teach you how to update your own website, or how to use free software to make effective social media, and how to read the back-end analytics to see if your posts are working.

Cost: Free

Time commitment: Brief (approximately 1-3 meetings). Business owners set up an appointment to meet with Community Tech Workers per their availability. Based on the business' needs and scope of work, additional follow up appointments are scheduled as needed. 

Do I need to sign up, fill out an application, or write a proposal?
Signup. Businesses can schedule an intake appointment with a community tech worker on the Detroit Means Business website. 

Questions? Contact [email protected] with any questions. 

Overview: Business owners can receive help on their website through the User Experience Lab or “UX Lab.” The UX Lab is led by U-M School of Information graduate students and provides user experience and web consulting services to Detroit businesses. The UX Lab is currently on hold at this time; interested business owners can learn about other UX consulting opportunities here. 

Services:

• Reviewing and user testing a website or web-based application
• Testing websites for their usability
• Consulting on customer discovery
• Evaluating the user experience of products or services
• Advising on customer-facing designs

Questions? Email [email protected] to learn more.

Overview: Point of sales systems (POS), inventory management systems, and other software subscriptions are essential to running your business’ everyday operations. However, picking the right technology bundle is tricky and time-consuming, and oftentimes, it is difficult to figure out the true cost of a POS system. Consequently, small business owners end up overpaying and underutilizing software features, as well as trying to navigate a complex system of various softwares. DNEP’s POS/Tech Optimization Team focuses on helping business owners select a POS system that best fits their business needs, understand what each POS service offers, and use additional softwares and add-on features most efficiently.

Services: To see samples of previous projects, click here.

• Recommending the most appropriate POS system
• Creating a pricing breakdown that helps business owners understand the true cost of each POS system
• Designing a technology bundle that helps businesses cut down on unnecessary fees 
• Integrating the POS system with other softwares to increase efficiency and track up-to-date data to make real-time decisions

Cost: Services are Free. Any relevant software licenses/ subscriptions are the responsibility of the client. 

Time commitment: Typically requires communication and/ or site visits multiple times a week for 2-4 weeks. 

Eligibility: You must be a Detroit-based small business, entrepreneur, or start-up.

Do I need to sign up, fill out an application, or write a proposal?Application. To apply, fill out the Client Prospect Form.

Deadline: Express interest in March/ April. Projects start in May each year.

Questions?
Contact [email protected] with any questions. 

Overview: Now, more than ever, the form and function of your website is critical to establishing the credibility of your business. Whether it is communicate your brand’s message, automating your marketing, or integrating your operations - if your growth strategy depends on your website getting a facelift - DNEP is here to help.  

Services: To see samples of previous projects, click here.

• Identifying the preferred web hosting platform 
• Communicating the brand’s value to target customers
• Implementing colors, fonts, and language per Brand Guidelines 
• Gathering client testimonials
• Taking/ curating photography 
• Setting up E-commerce functionality
• Integrating scheduling features
• Automating email marketing

Cost: Services are Free. Any relevant software licenses/ subscriptions are the responsibility of the client. 

Time commitment: Typically requires communication and/ or site visits multiple times a week for 4-6 weeks. 

Eligibility: Clients must have a Branding Guide completed before, or in conjunction with, Website Design services. The Branding Guide can be developed either by an outside designer/ design firm, one of the DNEP student teams in the winter semester, or the summer +Impact Studio for Local Business.

Do I need to sign up, fill out an application, or write a proposal?Application. To apply, fill out the Client Prospect Form.

Deadline: Express interest in March/ April. Projects start in May each year.

Questions?
Contact [email protected] with any questions.