Our new series, “Where are they now?”, was created to highlight the success of businesses that took part in the Launch Lenawee program. As a service within our Entrepreneur Series, Launch Lenawee supports and develops entrepreneurs and small businesses in Lenawee County by providing access to business development services, mentorship, business loans, and networking opportunities.
Where Are They Now? Black Raven Architects
Brenda Rigdon brought 20 years of experience with her when she started her own business, Black Raven Architects, in 2017.
“The owners of Chaloner& Co./Chaloner’s Cigar House hired me to be their project manager, historic preservation consultant, and general herder of cats,” said Brenda Rigdon, Owner of Black Raven Architects. “This project allowed me to start my own firm.”
Launch Lenawee
To help with the business side of her architectural firm, Rigdon participated in the Launch Lenawee program in 2019, the second class to go through the process.
“I learned how much I didn’t know about running a business. I now have marketing strategies, a business plan for expanding my services, and a group of mentors,” Rigdon said.
She notes that anyone who dreams about starting a business should sign up for Launch Lenawee.
“It will help you refine your goals and learn if your business can be viable,” stated Rigdon.“You may come out of the class with a different business than you planned or realize entrepreneurship is not for you. But you can stop thinking about the ‘what ifs’.”
She added that without the program, she would lack focus and a long-term plan for her business, “Instead of thinking week to week, I now think in terms of years.”
Part of the community
One of her favorite memories since the launch of her business was when she walked into Chaloner’s before the official opening to see the completed construction on all three floors.
“Needless to say, Black Raven was first in line for cigar locker and membership at Chaloner’s Cigar House,” Rigdon proclaimed.
Black Raven specializes in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and cannabis facilities.
“Residential projects are a growing market segment for us as people renovate their houses or build new houses because of the lifestyle changes due to COVID-19,” Rigdon said.
One of the best things about starting her own business is her ties to the local community.
“For many years I worked in Detroit or Toledo. Now I know the people in my community and can see how I can contribute to it. I feel like we are all partners,” Rigdon optimistically added.
Surviving COVID and Moving Forward
Rigdon believes they were extremely fortunate during the pandemic because a majority of their work could be done at home.
“We upgraded our IT system and adapted our workflow. We have been consistently busy and had our best year of billings to date,” she said.
But, according to Rigdon, working from home was not new.
“I worked out of my house for the first year. Now I have an office downtown and employees. We continue to evolve our services to meet client needs and upgrade our technology and best practices to improve our efficiency,” she said.
Looking toward the future, she wants to continue expanding into real estate development, focusing on adaptive reuse and affordable housing.
“That opened up a new market for us. I formed a new LLC, Black Raven Development, and my goal is to have 50% of our billable hours come from development services by the end of the year,” Rigdon said.