Forged in Flint

Small business owners and entrepreneurs in Flint have decided to start building the future they want to see. And it’s working.

THE FLINT YOU KNOW

Flint became famous because people there figured out how to make things. First, it was finished lumber, and then, when the trees ran out, it was carriages, and then it was automobiles. Flint became Vehicle City, Detroit’s little brother that could compete with it in every way.

When GM started closing plants in Flint in the mid-1980s, unemployment skyrocketed. As crime and drug use went up, more people left town, draining the city’s tax base. And after years of missteps and questionable decisions by the local government, there was the water crisis. That put Flint back in the national consciousness again, but not for reasons it would have ever wanted.

THE FLINT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Flint is far from hopeless. It’s mounting a comeback because after decades of hoping for a silver bullet from a large corporation or the government, people here have decided to start making the future they want to see. And it’s working. Today, 81% of businesses in Flint have fewer than 10 employees. Sales at small businesses using Square in Flint have increased 250%.

The entrepreneurs could have left town for greener pastures but instead, they are making their own pastures a little greener. It’s not the easy route, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

THE COMEBACK MAY NOT MAKE THE NEWS

And that’s okay with everyone in Flint. Because the folks like Oaklin (GoodBoy Clothing) and Erin (The Local Grocer) aren’t doing it for press. They’re doing it for their families. And their town.

For more stories, visit square.com/dreams.