A new computer store selling refurbished laptops and desktops in downtown Ypsilanti is part of a new pop-up program that lets business owners temporarily set up shop in the city’s vacant storefronts to determine if their business model is viable.
“Pop ups can provide a significant boost to the local economy, especially during the critical retail months of October through December,” says Kory Scheiber, intake consultant with the Michigan Small Business Development Center for the Greater Washtenaw Region. “This can bring jobs and additional foot traffic to the downtown area businesses.”
The store, which opened mid-November and will operate through Dec. 17 at 10 N. Washington, is run by Digital Inclusion, a training and computer-refurbishing program for college students and youths through Eastern Michigan University’s The Business Side of Youth program, which aims to reduce the technology gap in low-income areas of Washtenaw County.
The program trains youths, ages 14 to 21, in technical and business skill development, computer refurbishment, and real-world entrepreneurship, while promoting outreach and technical support to the Ypsilanti community.
Their temporary store is a registered Microsoft refurbisher and installs licensed Window 7 Professional on all refurbished PCs. Qualified low-income or disabled residents can receive $225 worth of Microsoft software for free with appropriate documentation.
For more information about the Ypsilanti Pop-Up Business Program, which launched this fall, click here.
