Oh, Shop It: North End Collective

Just opened this year, the North End Collective is a retail space organized into four units featuring different stores to shop at. Located at 6513 Woodward Ave., the shops for 2017 are Bath Savvy Naturals, Purple Love, United Front and The Traveling Pants Co.!

Photo from North End Collective Facebook

The mission of the collective is to build unity and collaboration through retail sales and by creating entrepreneurial opportunities in the North End of neighborhood of Detroit. They hope to offer an accelerator experience for startups and small business owners, to not only help them gain experience, but to also sell quality products to the community.

The collective consists of over 2,000 square feet of retail space spread out into four units. Each unit is professionally designed, fully furnished and fully functioning, with below market rent. Each store owner is given keys to the space and are allowed 1-2 associates to work under their business model.

The North End Collective wouldn't be made possible without the help of The Kresge Foundation, PNC Foundation, Invest Detroit, IFF, Capital Impact Partners Midtown Inc., Rok Construction, David Cowan Consulting and Cog Studio.

For more information and to see events North End Collective is putting on, check out their Facebook page.

By Alex Donlin

Oh, Shop It: Register for the Mind Your Art Business Training Course

The Detroit Art and Business Institute is partnering up with ACCESS Growth Center for their 3rd semester of the Mind Your Art Business training course.

It's an 8-week program specifically for the creative industries in Southeast Michigan. It doesn't matter if you're trying to grow your business or even start a new one, this training course is for everyone. Join artists, makers, designers and other creative small businesses for a detailed education while getting what you need to succeed!

All 8 weeks will be spent discussing various topics, including:

• Basic business strategies
• Pricing for profit
• Marketing and promotional materials
• Working with clients, and more!

This training course is perfect for artists, makers, designers, event planners, interior designers, creative service providers, non-profits, musicians, filmmakers and all creative entrepreneurs!

The summer semester begins June 7 at the Ferndale ACCESS Growth Center campus, and the cost is $225. For additional information, head over to the DABI website.

Industry Spotlight: Fashion Buyer and International Retail Consultant Turns Small Business Owner in Detroit

Roslyn Karamoko, creator of Détroit Is the New Black, has made her way through the fashion industry working for companies like Saks Fifth Avenue, and really doing it all. Styling, buying and consulting are all careers listed on her resume, and now she can add business owner. Karamoko’s world travels have landed her right here and Detroit, and fortunately for us, she decided to set up shop (literally) and stay a while.

DGG: Tell us about yourself, Roslyn.

Roslyn Karamoko: I grew up in Seattle, Washington and went to college in Washington DC. I love to travel, explore new and hidden gems in the city, and hang out at Belle Isle.

DGG: Tell us about your journey in the industry.

RK: I majored in fashion merchandising at Howard University and moved to New York upon graduation. I worked briefly as a styling intern for Bad Boy records before landing a job as a merchandising assistant at Saks Fifth Avenue. I completed the buying and planning development program and went on to become an associate buyer, then planner in the women's outerwear office. After Saks, I moved to Singapore to work as a retail consultant for an online e-commerce start-up called Zalora, which has since grown to become the largest online fashion retailer in Southeast Asia. During my time with the company, I sourced international high-street labels from the U.S. and Europe to sell throughout Southeast Asia. 

DGG: What are the pros and cons of being a fashion buyer?

RK: The pros are being able to stay abreast on the current trends and the fast-paced environment. It's super exciting to attend market twice a year and see all of the fresh products each season. The cons are managing OTB (Open-To-Buy) budgets and writing orders. Ultimately, you're responsible for sales, and this doesn't always correlate with your individual tastes and/or aesthetic.

DGG: What advice do you have for someone looking to have a career as a buyer?

RK: I would advise them to find a buyers training program through a major department store. Other than Saks, Macy's has a great one and I believe Sears has a program based out of Chicago for those not in NY. Also, Limited brands (Victoria Secret, The Limited, Bath and Body Works) have a great training program that offers a solid foundation for anyone looking to get into retail buying/merchandising. 

DGG: When and why did you start Detroit is the New Black?

RK: I started Detroit is the New Black in 2014. I wanted to offer a message of optimism for the city as well as create a cosmopolitan/upscale feel. I think it's a nice alternative to the Detroit product that's out there, and it reflects a fresh perspective. Long term, I want to create a sustainable fashion label for Detroit that has a warehouse and manufacturing facility in the city, which will create jobs and inspire locals looking to work in fashion to stay in Detroit. 

DGG: What has been the most rewarding thing about starting your business?

RK: I would say the overwhelming response to the brand. I feel blessed that it's resonated with so many people from varying walks of life. I've always sought to bring people together through fashion, and I feel I've been able to strike that balance with the brand. 

DGG: What advice do you have to give about starting a business?

RK: I would say have a solid business plan to start out with, but be flexible as things always change. Also, be resilient and stay the course. There are certainly challenging days when you feel like giving up, but remembering why you started should always give you new motivation to keep moving forward. 

DGG: Tell us about your store in midtown and what you have to offer, besides your iconic shirts!

RK: The store is a high-low mix of luxury labels and local designers. I wanted to create a shop that offers aspirational runway pieces, but still have affordable items for everyday wear. 

DGG: Describe your style.

RK: Classic, easy, signature. Usually black. 

DGG: How do you take your coffee?

RK: Black. 

DGG: Bergdorf Goodman or Barneys New York?

RK: Bergdorf. 

DGG: Crewneck t-shirts or V-neck t-shirts?

RK: V-neck

On The Town: Women Entrepreneurs Revitalizing America

Held at the Renaissance Center, the National Women’s Business Council had a quarterly public board meeting yesterday and DG3, along with other local businesswomen and entrepreneurs, was in attendance. The meeting was informative and empowering, and we learned about all they have been doing for women in the workplace, along with hearing a couple of inspiring stories of women helping women right here in Detroit.

Changing government policies to help women secure funding easily, increasing the number of women making investment decisions and improving outreach efforts to find women entrepreneurs are just a few of the many things they have and are hoping to accomplish. Through the council’s efforts and research, they have found that women are doing more than ever before.

“Another great thing that the council of research determined is that the number of patents obtained by women in the U.S. is equal to men,” said Teresa Nelson, board member, Professor at Simmons College School of Management and Director of the Entrepreneurship Program.

Below are a few quick stats from the NWBC:

1.    The U.S. has over 7.8 million women-owned businesses, earning $1.2 trillion in annual r receipts.

2.    An overwhelming 88.2% of these firms have no employees other than the owner, and 11.8% employ over 7.5 million people and have annual median receipts of $210,000.

3.    Women-owned businesses account for 29.6% of all business and 17.5% of business and 20.2% of business with employees.

4.    The economic impact of women-owned businesses have been estimated at $2.8 trillion, and more than 23 million jobs.

In the next year, the NWBC hopes to engage more entrepreneurship ecosystem stakeholders in the dialogue and the solutions. These stakeholders include policy makers, leaders, media and other influencers in the public, private and academic sectors.

The NWBC is a non-partisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and counsel to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Congress, and the White House on issues of impact. For more information, and to get access to some of the toolkits they have created for women business owners, visit www.nwbc.gov.