Small Businesses Love This Michigan City
Entrepreneurs in Muskegon and the Lakeshore region share their success stories along with the vital support they receive.
The Muskegon Lakeshore region is home to a robust community of young entrepreneurs who have figured out the formula for success.
While the Muskegon region’s affordable neighborhoods, incredible outdoor amenities and welcoming communities make it a great place to put down roots, people have discovered it’s a great place to launch and own a small business, too.
In This Article
Terrific Tamales in Muskegon Heights
“In 1978, there weren’t places where you could find Mexican kitchen staples,” says Marisela Sierra. “My grandparents, Angel Luis and Connie, filled that gap by opening a Hispanic grocery store.”
In 1985, when Sierra’s mother Francisca (better known as Panchita) was just 18, she took over the business, expanding the menu into a takeout-style restaurant.
When Panchita passed away unexpectedly in 2020, Sierra and her husband took over. Along with its storefront in Muskegon Heights, Navarro’s sells its tamales, salsas and sauces at the year-round Muskegon Farmers Market.
Sierra plans to expand into Bridge Street Market in Grand Rapids. Navarro’s recently received a $20,000 grant from Start Garden, a Grand Rapids-based organization that assists entrepreneurs.
The business plans to invest in production equipment to scale its capacity and improve consistency. Sierra was recognized as part of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce’s Future 15 awards program.
“My grandpa is a very proud man and we are happy to be able to continue his family name,” Sierra says. As for Panchita, she had an artist create her likeness (with curly hair and beauty marks) as a tamale that now graces everything at Navarro’s, ensuring that she’s still part of everything the family does.
Fresh Start with a Fresh Coat
Alexandre Fonseca emigrated from Brazil to attend Grand Valley State University, studying advertising and public relations, but upon graduation, faced the challenges of immigration. He got a job at a local Sherwin-Williams store, working his way up to a management role.
“I started thinking it was going to be temporary, but I kept getting promoted,” Fonseca says. “When the pandemic hit, I decided to do something I’ve always wanted to do, which is to own my own business.”
Fonseca took his years of expertise working with paint and opened a franchise of Fresh Coat Painters, a commercial and residential painting company.
“I already knew a lot about the products, the processes, the headaches customers had,” Fonseca says. “I had experience on the advertising side, which trickles down to good customer service – but I was the guy professional painters would call when they had issues with a product.”
Fonseca says one of the most important things for his business is giving customers the confidence to turn a project over to him and be assured that the job will be handled in a professional manner.
This year, Fonseca was recognized as part of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce’s Future 15 awards program, became a U.S. citizen and also welcomed his first child.
From Sister’s Taxes to Booming Business
Eighteen years ago, Ashley Forrest started out doing her sister’s taxes. In the military, her sister spread the word and Forrest soon had a robust roster of military clientele.
Ashley Forrest
It was at a cookout where she offered to help explain a friend’s audit that she decided to expand. It was her sister, in fact, who gave her the boost to rent office space to take her business full time. Today, Forrest Tax & Accounting Services has nine full-time employees with an additional four during tax season.
“Sometimes, you need someone who says, ‘I’m going to invest in you because I believe in you,’” she says. “Especially when you’re an entrepreneur – because being an entrepreneur is hard!”
Forrest received the Muskegon Chamber’s 2022 Service Excellence Award. What’s her secret to success? “I treat every client like they put their pants on one leg at a time – everybody gets the same respect, no matter what their financial statements say,” Forrest says.
Incubators Fuel Entrepreneurs in Muskegon
Helping entrepreneurs mold their talents into business ventures that flourish is what incubators, accelerators and business development centers are all about. The Muskegon Lakeshore region offers several such entities to help entrepreneurs advance.
Organizations like the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber, Muskegon Inventors Network, SCORE, GROW, Muskegon Angels, Baker College, Muskegon Community College, Michigan Small Business Development Center and others help businesses launch and grow.
A unique accelerator is FARM – for Food, Agriculture, Research and Manufacturing – which supports growth in the food processing sector. FARM offers individual suites in industrial spaces for entrepreneurs to take their new innovations and technologies to commercialization.
Another incubator is Western Market, located in downtown Muskegon. WM features 17 small chalet buildings lining West Western Avenue. Tenants are entrepreneurs solely involved in retail endeavors.
One tenant is Samuel Birkenkamp, owner of Teaologie LLC. His shop specializes in selling a variety of gourmet teas from around the world.
“Western Market is unusual because most incubators assist entrepreneurs involved with tech ideas, but Western Market is specifically for retail businesses,” Birkenkamp says. “We’re a family of new business owners here in the 17 chalets, and we all try to help one another succeed.”
Birkenkamp became a Western Market tenant in 2020 and says things are going great.
“Customers can sample as much tea in my shop as they want – unlimited free samples, so they can find what they like and don’t like,” he says. “My customers represent all demographics and range from college students to senior citizens. Like all the chalets here in Western Market, I feature items you’ll never find in a grocery store or big box store.”
Other current occupants at Western Market include Blue Pineapple Café, which sells Hawaiian-based baked goods, Muskegon Inspired, which features home décor and jewelry with Muskegon nautical themes, and Portcitees, which sells T-shirts and mugs that highlight West Michigan and the Great Lakes.
“Western Market is a wonderful place for entrepreneurs, helping to make Muskegon a more vibrant and diverse community for businesses,” Birkenkamp says. “That’s what this community needs to grow.”
Muskegon Innovation Hub
Also assisting entrepreneurs is the Muskegon Innovation Hub, which offers services and space to entrepreneurs and local artists looking to create. Affiliated with Grand Valley State University, The Hub provides startups with advice such as naming a company, incorporating and registering, working more efficiently and securing patents, copyrights and trademarks.
Recent clients at The Hub that have become successful companies include Acoustics By Design, Chart House Energy, LongerDays, Smart Vision Lights and PedEssentials. Current clients include Med5 LLC, LawCounsel PLC, Jumping Jack Ski Seat and Practical Products.
Muskegon Innovation Hub opened its doors in 2003 and helps 30 to 40 new entrepreneurial ventures each year. The Hub’s LEED Gold Certified building has open workspaces, private offices, a conference room and audio visual equipment.
– Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.
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