Department of Commerce announces measures to aid Michigan entrepreneurs

The federal government is working overtime to help the economy recover and small businesses succeed.

This week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced new efforts to aid entrepreneurs in Michigan and across the country.

As part of this effort, the Department of Commerce has revamped its CommerceConnect web site, which answers small business owners' questions about government programs, and will be opening its first permanent office in Pontiac, Michigan.

The department will also be partnering with MORE - Michigan Opportunities and Resources for Entrepreneurs - which will help the financially beleaguered state's entrepreneurs and serve as a portal to more than 26,000 state-specific resources, including accelerator and educational programs, as well as real estate and financing resources.

This week, Secretary Locke also hosted the first meeting of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The council hopes to develop policies to spur job and economic growth, and its members include entrepreneurs, investors, and university and nonprofit leaders such as co-founder of AOL Steve Case; Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan; and Desh Deshpande, chairman of Sparta Group, A123 Systems and Sycamore Networks.