Featured photo: FWD Community Cleanup with Kettering
Written by Tanya Terry
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Business Owners in Flint need access to resources, opportunities and spaces to start small, grow large and move forward at their own pace. The reason Liberty Management has acquired seven buildings on the Court Street corridor is because of peace from God that that is where they should be planted, in order to make help local entrepreneurs’ transform their dreams into reality, according to Bernard Drew, president of Liberty Management, LLC. Drew said they believe God is big enough that at a certain point He will allow them to empower other business owners expand to other areas. Drew hopes this will involve renovating and beautifying 10-12 buildings on the north side, east side or south side of Flint. By renting out spaces in Liberty Management’s building, business owners are able to very often pay much less than they would in their own buildings.
It also gives Drew great joy when Liberty Management’s spaces serve as an incubation center where people are able to build up their strength, their understanding and their businesses so that they can expand to rent or even own their own buildings in other parts of the city.
Liberty Management has been existence for five years, and at its current location for three years, with the entire existence being on the same corridor of West Court St, near downtown Flint – across from Powers Catholic High School.
Liberty Management is responsible for seven locations in about a three quarters of a mile stretch.
Drew divided Liberty Management’s goals into three pieces.
“One is just beautifying some empty properties that were otherwise left neglected and probably would have only gotten worse,” Drew explained. “Two is meaningfully and intentionally engaging with the other neighbors, businesses and organizations that are in the neighborhood. I think we’ve been a source of inspiration to one another to continue to do good work in this area. The third piece…I think we’re most proud of our FWD Center initiative by which we’ve been able to renovate some buildings to create space for Kingdom minded business owners.”
According to Drew, the FWD Center Initiative is “where faith meets business to keep the community moving forward.”
Liberty Management’s goal is to occupy twelve building in the corridor they are in and to equip 50 business owners to occupy and thrive in those spaces for the betterment of the community and for their families.
They are hosting a community celebration for the Three Year Anniversay of the FWDcenter, from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. May 28 from at 1200 W Court St, Flint.
“Our biggest thrust is towards kingdom business owners, regardless of ethnicity,” Drew stated. “We just want to see the gospel penetrate community. It doesn’t mean that it has to have a scripture on the wall. It doesn’t mean a person gets preached to every time they go in to somebody’s business. But, you see it demonstrated in the way we operate. That by itself can transcend race. But the reality is though, in our community, there is a dire need to help bridge the gaps for Black owned business owners that deserve better spaces. They deserve space that allows them to be authentic in their culture – and we cultivate those spaces.”
Drew said Liberty Management plans to achieve these goals by cultivating the right culture to attract the right business owners who want to help build the Flint community. They will do this through cultivating community, as well as through nurturing the untapped gifts of social entrepreneurs through classes.
“Proverbs 4:7 in the amplified version talks about ‘The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom.’”
In addition, the goals will be met though offering coworking space. This could help people transition from working out of a trunk of a car or working out of a house into an office or commercial space – even if its shared harmoniously with others. They may start their business with a “pop-up” or vendor location yet have an opportunity to be truly “being planted.”
“We believe that prayer will change the city and it’s our hope that these will not only be places of commerce, but they will also be places where prayerful leadership and discipleship that will help bring hope in our community.”
For more information on Liberty Management, please contact libertypromanagement.com, or call 810-432-0270.
