Retail Boot Camp

TechTown’s Retail Boot Camp is an intensive, 10-week program that prepares serious entrepreneurs for the opening of their brick-and-mortar establishments in Detroit. The program curriculum is designed to strengthen businesses from pop-up stage to permanent location as they look to thrive in today’s retail environment. Retail Boot Camp has gained a reputation for supporting the launch of successful businesses in neighborhood commercial districts, including House of Pure Vin, Mama Coo’s Boutique, Third Wave Music, Plum Health, Voluptuous Bien’Aime Boutique, Urbanum, Rebel Cycle Studio, Mongers’ Provisions, and Hatch Detroit winners Live Cycle Delight and Toma Detroit.

Retail Boot Camp covers

Developing quality retail operations and routines
Designing impactful visual merchandising
Selling through customer service
Selecting a point-of-sale system
Understanding your pricing and inventory mix
Identifying startup costs and funding sources
Selecting a permanent location based on market data
Navigating brick-and-mortar regulations with legal guidance
Utilizing an architect for the design-build process

How it works

Ten weeks of in-person sessions facilitated by business development and retail experts
At final showcase event, participants have the opportunity to pitch for up to $5,000 in technical assistance
All graduates receive post-graduation coaching from the TechTown team for six months

Who is eligible

Participants must have evidence of previous retail activity (pop-up or e-commerce transactions, trunk shows, job experience) and must be intending to locate their business in Detroit within 12 months of graduation. Applications for the spring cohort are now open until February 11, 2019.