Tiffany Blackman knows a thing or two about retail as an experience. She owns Bread & Basket Marketplace, a boutique-style public market, where she gathers over 100 small business brands under one roof and creates a welcoming space of tranquility for customers and vendors year-round. This unique marketplace offers shelf space and shared resources to entrepreneurs in the Battle Creek/Kalamazoo area and sources products from small business brands across the U.S. 

One of her top goals as a business is “retail equity,” which means striving to source from and create space for a diversity of makers that might not otherwise have a chance to be on retail shelves at “big box” stores such as Target or Walmart. “We showcase the unique character of small business brands and what it means to shop and support local. We’re the bridge to the market for our makers, curators and creatives,” said Tiffany.

The concept has taken off.  Tiffany has garnered support from the City of Battle Creek Small Business Development Department and Battle Creek Unlimited, won first place in a Michigan Women Forward pitch competition, and received a sizeable grant from the Olga Loizon Memorial Foundation.

When Tiffany found her first space inadequate for business growth, she sought to relocate and scale her business model. She re-engaged with the Michigan SBDC Southwest Region, hosted by Western Michigan University, and met Senior Business Consultant Wendy Spreenberg. Wendy assisted with financial counseling, marketing and developing human resources processes for hiring team members.

“What I love about working with Tiffany is she’s such a go-getter. She’s won funding and money for her business because she’s been diligent in working on her story, which includes both past successes and a future vision of what she hopes to accomplish,” said Wendy.

Tiffany continued, “Working with the Michigan SBDC has been a godsend and life-changing for my business. It’s helped me evaluate my business model, determine where I wanted to go and helped me make the decision to move locations. You really need to stack resources when you’re building a small business and the SBDC has helped me reach out to other [organizations] to help me fund my business in the way I need and to secure it.”