DETROIT – Michigan has a small but tightly-knit community of startup entrepreneurs. Michigan has a long history of technology and construction, with the local engineering college established in 1854.
In recent years, Michigan has been described as the “Silicon Valley Of Mobility Tech” by publications such as Forbes – with pioneering companies such as May Mobility and M.I.T. spin-offs such as Derq located in the Great Lake State. As the state drives forward the implementation of autonomous vehicles, the Michigan Computer Science & Engineering department is a world-class source of talent that populates many of the pivotal roles both in California’s Silicon Valley and Michigan itself. The success of Michigan-born engineers comes as no surprise to residents of the state, which has the greatest number of mechanical and industrial engineers anywhere in the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Michigan is no stranger to highly successful tech startups either. Along with leading automated vehicle companies, Michigan is home to award-winning startups, including StockX, Guardhat and global conversational A.I. training platform provider Clinic.
Benefits of Remote Entrepreneurship In Michigan
If the covid-19 pandemic has any silver lining in the long term, perhaps it will be the mainstream transition of knowledge-workers to hybrid and remote working models. The daily commute, for many people, is touted as an energy-sucking, stress-provoking choir that is extremely bad for the average office worker’s health.
More time commuting (and feeling stressed) means less time to exercise, cook healthy meals and less time with friends and family. In one study carried out in Europe, the researchers found that if one spouse commutes more than 45 minutes to work per day, a couple is 40% more likely to get divorced.
Remote work is not necessarily all good, however. Many lockdown remote workers have complained about the lack of a divide between home and work life, along with isolation from working alone.
When it comes to working remotely from Michigan, according to NerdWallet.com’s “cost of living calculator,” the cost of living in Manhattan is 155% greater than in Detriot. This disparity is quite surprising when you consider how Detroit is renowned for innovation.
With many workers leaving the metropolitan areas to take advantage of a lower cost of living and a more relaxed pace of life in the suburbs and central states, Michigan has much to offer. With its wide range of geographical features, beautiful National Parks,
Although the population of Detroit has fallen dramatically since the closure of several major car factories, the city is enjoying a renaissance, with downtown Detroit now boasting a great art & music scene, along with their famous sport’s stadiums.
With mentoring programs & organizations such as the Kauffman Foundation, access to government support, tax incentives and a word-class labor talent pool!
With a remote business in Michigan, an entrepreneur can enjoy a supportive infrastructure, amazing networking opportunities and a relatively low cost of living.
With a remote work setup, your “lifestyle options” expand dramatically. For example, if you are not a morning person and more of a night owl that find themselves sluggish in the mornings but highly productive in the evenings, then a remote business or position might make life more productive and enjoyable.
Remote Work Technology
The pandemic has initiated a crash course in remote technology, its implementation and limitations. Cloud storage has become a necessity for most businesses that work online and with computers. Digital data is said to grow at 40% year on year, and cloud storage is a crucial tool and utility for every remote tech business.
Block Express from A.W.S. has simplified block storage and is essentially a cloud storage area network. The technology makes mission-critical storage and migration of databases easier and resolves issues that customers were having with SANs and being stuck with legacy architecture and infrastructure. Block Express is said to provide the performance of a SAN with a pay-as-you-go model. This means that enterprises will no longer need to “over-buy” storage in order to prevent running out and getting stuck!
If you manage a remote team of employees, then you may consider making the most of outsourcing. Outsourcing can have a dramatic impact on your productivity and working day. For example, hiring a telephone answering service such as Moneypenny is an excellent way for solopreneurs and entrepreneurs without a full-time receptionist to prevent unwanted calls that can hinder productivity. With a 24/7 answering service, you can also have clients in different time zones and ensure that a polite and friendly receptionist answers their calls promptly, regardless of the time of day.
Virtual assistants are also a wise investment for many remote workers and business owners. They can allow you to offset many of the administrative tasks that can take up much of your day so that you can focus on the core of your business. With the remote working infrastructure in place, you can also hire graphic designers, programmers, and digital marketing experts from anywhere in the world by taking advantage of a platform such as UpWork or PeoplePerHour.com.
Productivity and project management tools are also crucial for staying focused and connected in a remote working environment. Tools such as Around, Trello, Slack and Krisp are great tools for staying connected wherever in the world your clients and employees may be.
How to Start a Business in Michigan
To start a business anywhere in the U.S. – you don’t necessarily have to establish a Limited Liability Company or “L.L.C..” However, if your remote business has serious ambition, it can be a good idea to form an L.L.C. to benefit from personal liability protection.
If you don’t want to form an L.L.C., you can get started quickly as a sole proprietor. However, you will still have to file specific documents and get licenses for certain businesses for everything to be officially recognized and legal. If your business is starting as a side-hustle or side-job, you may want to avoid some of the formation fees and reporting fees that come with L.L.C.s.
Assuming you do want to form an L.L.C. in the state of Michigan, at the time of writing, it costs $50 for the initial L.L.C. filing fee, and there is a recurring fee of $25 for filing an annual statement. It usually takes around two weeks for the business to be officially founded after the paperwork is submitted.
You will need to file the articles of organization with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau. You can set up your L.L.C. yourself via the state website, hire an attorney or use one of the available online tools.
Incfile has an excellent checklist for starting a business in any state, and this YouTube video provides a handy step-by-step guide to using the Michigan state website when forming your L.L.C.
This guest column was provided by Hannah Madison.
