Brick-and-mortar businesses get boost with new Kalamazoo training program

Editor’s Note: This story is part of Momentum: The people and companies shaping what’s next, a weekly series that explores new ventures, founder support, and the resources powering entrepreneurship and small businesses across seven counties in Southwest Michigan. This project is sponsored by Southwest Michigan First.

KALAMAZOO, MI — Running a storefront business can be one of the hardest jobs.  You handle inventory, staffing, margins, marketing, customer expectations — and you also worry about the economy and online competitors.

Expert help will be available for business owners in Southwest Michigan starting next Tuesday, May 12.  It’s the Brick & Mortar Retail, Restaurant & Service Storefront Growth Lab sponsored by the Southwest Michigan First Chamber, which says, “This was built for owners who are ready to step back, get clear, and build a sharper, more sustainable business.  This is not a seminar. It is not a networking event. 

“It is a working cohort of up to 15 local retail, restaurant, or service storefront owners who will spend six Tuesday mornings digging into their actual numbers, solving real problems, and walking away with tools they can use immediately.

Participants will meet at the Catalyst Center, 180 E. Water St., in downtown Kalamazoo, six consecutive Tuesday mornings from May 12 to June 16.  Each session will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m., and a light breakfast and free parking will be available.

“This program is designed for owners of retail stores and restaurants who are already open and operating, and who are ready to invest focused time and energy into growing smarter, whether you have been open six months or sixteen years. If you want more clarity and more confidence in how your business runs, you belong in this room,” according to a press release.

“You will not be working through hypothetical case studies. You will be working through your own business alongside other local owners doing the same. That shared, yet confidential, environment creates honest conversation, real accountability, and connections that tend to extend well beyond the six weeks.”

The facilitator will be Julie Reinhardt, founder of Brick & Mortar Retail Consulting Group, based in Chicago.  She has more than 25 years of experience, including owning a retail business, leading municipal economic development, and consulting with retail and hospitality brands at every stage of growth.

For three and a half years, Reinhardt was director of downtown community development for Downtown Lansing, Inc.  She left in March last year to start her own business.

Reinhardt says, “My background blends boutique ownership, retail consulting, and community development, so I’ve been on all sides of the storefront — and probably hung the shelves, too.  If you’re launching something new, growing what you’ve got, or just want to talk shop — I’m all in.”

Each week of the Storefront Growth Lab builds on the preceding one:

• Week 1 — Know your numbers, for real.  Break down the prime cost, margins, and break-even using your actual figures. You will know what it costs to keep your doors open and where profit might be leaking.
• Week 2 — Increase sales without increasing stress. Average ticket growth, smarter bundling, pricing clarity, and making your square footage work harder.
• Week 3 — Make your space sell with layout flow, merchandising, revenue per square foot, and small in-store shifts that can increase business.
• Week 4 — Marketing that works. No random posting. Practical campaigns, local partnerships, and repeatable systems that bring customers back and produce sales.
• Week 5 — Tighten operations without burning out. Labor alignment, inventory discipline, waste control, and the behind-the-scenes decisions that protect your margin and your sanity.
• Week 6 — Build your 90-day plan. You will leave with a growth roadmap, defined revenue targets, and a plan you can execute.

In an era when independent storefronts face pressure from inflation, shifting shopping habits, and relentless online competition, organizers say the goal is simple: help local businesses not just survive, but grow stronger.

You can register here.  The cost is $299 for Southwest Michigan First Chamber members and $499 for nonmembers.  The cohort size is limited to 15 businesses.