Entrepreneurs, Take Note: This City Is for You

Rochester Hills has been recognized as a great place for entrepreneurs, according to a recent study by the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

In a ranking by researchers at iLabs, the school's Center for Innovation Research, the city was among 37 communities across the state said to have a climate for fostering entrepreneurial growth and economic development.

Rochester Hills was one of six communities singled out as top performers. Other cities to receive that ranking were Auburn Hills, Wixom, Frankenmuth, Grand Rapids and Novi.

“We understand what small businesses need to be successful by communicating with them and providing connections to broader resources and insight on trends,” stated Pamela Valentik, Rochester Hills Economic Development Manager, in a press release.

The project surveyed 114 communities from 40 counties in Michigan that are home to 34 percent of Michigan residents and nearly half of its college graduates. More than 125,000 entrepreneurs with more than $3 billion in self-employed income call the participating communities home.

“Our proactive approach in working with small businesses is what makes our economic strategy so successful,” stated Mayor Bryan K. Barnett, who said he was honored to be recognized as a top performing community.

And entrepreneurs are upbeat: in a survey reported this week in Crain's Detroit Business, more than half of Detroit-area entrepreneurs were said to be planning to hire workers in the coming six months, according to The Entrepreneurs' Organization.