Support small shops and big ideas

College of Business graduate student Zoe Holsinger wanted clothing that fit her style — playful and comfortable, but still fashionable. When she couldn’t find what she liked, the Plymouth resident learned how to use her grandmother’s old embroidery machine and began making her own. When she wore her creations, people would stop to ask her where she bought them.

“I saw a business opportunity there,” she says. “But I wasn’t sure where to begin.” Then, in 2025, Holsinger heard about the UM-Dearborn at the College of Business’ Small Business Showcase. “The showcase is where I made my first sale when a student bought one of my sweatshirts,” says Holsinger, who graduated from COB with her bachelor’s in December and is now pursuing a master’s in business analytics. “It’s what gave me the inspiration I needed to put my business idea out there.”

Just one year later, Basic Babe Boutique — a cheeky reference to Holsinger’s love of mainstream things like sipping vanilla lattes and wearing hoodies — is booming. So far in 2026, she’s sold her embroidered sweatshirts at the Detroit Auto Show, created custom athletic swag for a fitness center and she spends her Saturdays filling online orders. But, even with her busy schedule, she’s still planning on attending the 2026 Small Business Showcase.

This year’s showcase will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Renick University Center’s Kochoff Hall. Holsinger will join nearly 40 small businesses — owned by students, faculty, staff and community members — who will offer a variety of items like custom clothing, food items and jewelry.

“It has a fun street fair vibe,” Assistant Director of iLabs Kari Kowalski says. “Each business owner will have a table as their storefront and everyone is selling something different. This event gives students first-hand experience on how to interact with customers and highlight their products and services.” The showcase, which is in its second year, is open to all community members and is free to attend. It’s organized through iLabs, a center that connects students, industry and community partners to innovation, startup and small business resources. iLabs assists partners both within and outside of the university.

“It’s important to encourage students to think creatively when solving problems and have a mindset that looks for opportunities when needs aren’t being met,” Kowalski says. “This is important no matter what career you want to go into. You don’t have to be a business major or a business owner to find those skills useful.”

Kowalski says the showcase concept was developed following the success of smaller vendor shows the college has previously held at the university with special events, like during Women’s Entrepreneurship Week. In addition, a recent iLabs “Post-Graduation Expectations” survey showed 20% of UM-Dearborn student respondents had a side gig or business. With that collective entrepreneurial mindset, it’s important for the university to create opportunities for students to take their ventures to the next level, while also bringing local independent shops to campus, Kowalski says.

Holsinger says interacting with other shop owners is a way to expand networks and find inspiration. “Small business owners have been marketing themselves for longer than I have and  there is so much to learn. I look to see how they set things up, watch how they interact with customers and ask them questions,” she says. “People are often very willing to help.”

Here’s one tip Holsinger gleaned over the past year: “Before signing up to do a vendor show, especially one that costs money to participate, check to see how the organizers are marketing it. What channels are they using? Who is their audience? That can help you see if your items would be a good fit.”

Kowalski says the vendors involved with the Small Business Showcase are a great fit for the UM-Dearborn community. For example, Sakina Scrubs is a local medical-clothing business that offers hijabs designed with stethoscope-use in mind and long-sleeved scrub tops with pockets. It’s owned by Dearborn resident Huda Abu Sabha, a former nurse. “We have a strong pre-med program at UM-Dearborn and Sakina Scrubs has products that some of our students may be looking for,” Kowalski says.

In addition to hosting events like the showcase, UM-Dearborn business faculty and staff help students get their ideas off the ground. Holsinger says her COB professors assisted her while she established Basic Babe. Lecturer of Strategy and Entrepreneurship Marcus Harris’ lessons guided her when developing her business plan. And Lecturer of Business Law Michael Molesky’s expertise helped her set up an LLC. She also bounces questions off Molesky, like how to design clothing — Detroit sports team-inspired fan gear, for instance — without infringing on copyrights and trademarks. 

“When I have business questions, I have great professors who can help me get answers. I love UM-Dearborn. You aren’t just a number here,” Holsinger says. “My professors know my name and they stay after class to answer questions. They support my business too. Professor Molesky visited me at last year’s showcase and bought a sweatshirt.”

Since that first UM-Dearborn show, Holsinger has upgraded her embroidery machine thanks to her sales numbers. The new one allows her to make more intricate and customized designs. She’ll keep her grandmother’s machine, of course. Holsinger says it is what made Basic Babe happen — well, that machine and a few opportunities found at UM-Dearborn.

“So much has happened since the showcase. I can’t say enough good things about my time at UM-Dearborn,” she says. “Most importantly, the people I’ve met here have encouraged me to take chances and to continue to look for ways to be the best version of myself.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury, photos by Matthew Stephens