Comerica Bank Is Creating a 'BusinessHQ' Collaborative Space for Small Businesses in Southern Dallas

Southern Dallas small business owners are about to get a new space to connect, collaborate, and help grow their companies.

Comerica Bank is transforming the first floor of its R.L. Thornton location into Comerica BusinessHQ—a collaborative space that will provide integral services and value to small businesses.

The 8,000-square-foot BusinessHQ will offer a mix of coworking spaces, incubation fellowships, and technical assistance, Comerica said, addressing three essential needs of aspiring small businesses: “capital, cultivation, and connectivity.”

It’s a model the bank hopes to replicate across the U.S., according to a Dallas Morning News report.

“Comerica has long been invested in the South Dallas community, and we are taking our commitment a step further with the creation of Comerica BusinessHQ,” Irvin Ashford, Jr., Comerica Bank’s chief community officer, said in a statement. “It is imperative that we help provide solutions to the challenges facing entrepreneurs in this footprint.”

A robust lineup of partners

Brandon Q. Jones.

Brandon Q. Jones, Comerica’s regional external affairs manager, serves as project lead for the BusinessHQ.

Jones has secured a growing lineup of partners for the project, including the city of Dallas, community incubation partner the Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center, BCL of Texas, the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, DreamSpring, Impact Ventures, the National Youth Chamber of Commerce powered by Project Still I Rise, Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Texas DFW, the State Fair of Texas, and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

“To ensure this initiative is truly community-driven, we plan to empower our broad network of strategic community partners to facilitate programming and assist in identifying small businesses for BusinessHQ opportunities,” Jones said.

The external affairs manager said the findings from Comerica’s community-based focus groups and meetings with local leaders, stakeholders, and small business owners “indicated we should focus on the following areas—technology and connectivity, access and security, and membership and exclusivity—to make the most impact as we continue to contribute to the Southern sector’s economic revitalization efforts.”

Opening in March 2023

[Image: Comerica Bank]

The BusinessHQ, located at 5201 E. R.L. Thornton, is already undergoing renovations. When it reopens in March 2023, it will feature “clear, engaging signage” illuminated with blue lights at night.

Comerica says the space will offer:

Technology and connectivity including free, flexible, temporary workspaces and turnkey access to high-speed, uninterrupted Wi-Fi; information security and privacy; printing; scanning; large-scale projection video conferencing rooms; as well as space furnished with equipment for small-scale content creation needs. Technical assistance services also will be offered, open to all small businesses and led by a strategic community partner.
Access and security: BusinessHQ will be in a secure location and open Monday through Friday with extended hours and some weekend hours to reflect the reality of entrepreneurs.
Membership and exclusivity: There will be a “conscientious registration and vetting process” for small businesses to gain access and membership to BusinessHQ.

Membership opportunities will include:

Incubators: BusinessHQ community partner Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center will select small businesses for membership and administer the program. Incubators will receive dedicated/private office space, one-on-one cultivation support, and consultations with small business capital providers, as well as exclusive access to the content creation studio.
Coworkers: Strategic community partners will refer small businesses enrolled in or have completed formal technical assistance training. These entities will have access to private and/or shared office space or open workspace twice a week (subject to availability), one-on-one consultations with small business capital providers, and exclusive access to the content creation space.
Community Coworkers: Any small business operating in a high-need, high-opportunity area, with revenues less than $1 million, will have the opportunity to take advantage of the space. A BusinessHQ staff member will meet with a small business that is requesting access to help identify key need areas. Once a membership is confirmed, the community coworker can use shared, open workspaces (subject to availability) and BusinessHQ’s library of resources for six months.

All small businesses that use BusinessHQ will be able to grow as members and gain access to additional benefits once the initial duration of their membership has ended, Comerica Bank said. A Comerica BusinessHQ Success Manager will oversee general operations of the center, including client scheduling, event planning, and membership operations.

GALLERY