Testimonials SBAM Weekly Podcast: Recent Episodes
Small Business Association of Michigan
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Listen weekly to learn how your fellow business owners leverage the value of their involvement. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “It's a great networking tool, and it's a great networking organization and it's a great political advocacy organization.” Bob Spence is the executive vice president of Spence Brothers Construction. “Talk to a number of different entrepreneurs and small businesses from across the state and just talk to them about how they do business and their challenges, how they're dealing with things, it's been very valuable for me, in particular getting the entrepreneurial type perspective from some really small businesses, is kind of energizing for me. Because you know, we're a little bit larger and deal with different things than let's say a start up would. So it's to get that sort of diversity of thought and approaches -- I don't see anywhere else where I could get that other than SBAM.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Who else can I talk to who understands my daily struggles.” Kim Bode is the owner of 8THIRTYFOUR, an award winning communications strategy, event planning, social media, media relations and design firm based in Grand Rapids. “I joke and say it's almost a support group, but it's almost like going home. You see a lot of the same business owners, you're all there to support each other, you're there, we all give advice to each other freely. But then, SBAM staff being able to know what's going on, on the legislative side of things, and how that's going to affect my business, is incredibly important.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The Small Business Association is just really an asset to help small businesses become better businesses and learn from one another and in really embellish, you know, what you've learned and how I can take some of those best practices within my own organization.” Ginny Seyferth is the founder and president of nationally-known public relations and communications firm SeyferthPR in Grand Rapids. “I think it's the opportunity to have somebody looking out for small business from whether it's taxes or you know, workers comp issues. It's a resource. I think when we get too limited into what we do every day and we don't look at the bigger picture I think it's problematic.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “SBAM within the state of Michigan, hands down, has developed the best level of content and leadership material and networking for me and without SBAM, I don't know that I would know where else to go get it.” Dave Moore is president of VP Demand Creation Services, founded 50 years ago in Traverse City. “The best thing SBAM has done for me in terms of delivering content, delivering knowledge, because at the top of every organization, there's a president/CEO, and it's very lonely. And you no longer have a mentor. Unless you formed a board of directors, you no longer have a boss. And so where do you go for those resources? SBAM has developed that for me.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “It's an amazing opportunity to just speak to someone that's been there, and done that, to see that, you know, you're on the right path, and you're doing the right stuff.” Justin Caine is the co-owner of Good Fruit Video in mid-Michigan and he appreciates the opportunity the organization gives him for owner-to-owner interaction. “Being able to talk to someone and when you think you’re drowning, and you think you're doing a horrible job, and then you talk to someone and they say, oh no, you know, yeah, I feel the same way or blah, blah, blah, you know, I did this and this is how I do this.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “For one thing, I really value the expertise of the people who are leading the organization.” Cynthia Kay is a past board chair of SBAM and owner/president of Cynthia Kay and Company, a full service media production and communications consulting company in Grand Rapids. “What I love about SBAM is that they understand the issues sometimes before we even know it's an issue as a business owner, they take a really even handed nonpartisan approach to what they look at what is good for small business, and they come back and they give you the pros and the cons of things.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “There's so many wonderful things about it. But I think one of the highest value pieces for me is the involvement in the legislation and the communication that comes out of that.” Sarah Hall is the owner and president of the Griswold Group, a health insurance agency and employee benefits consulting firm based in Grand Rapids and a member of SBAM’s Leadership Council. “For any person, you know, living a busy life running a business, some of us are not as able to stay as closely on top of the changes and the needs. So just being able to be made aware of what's going on and then in addition to that, obviously, being advocated for as a whole it's it's really a wonderful thing.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The staff at of SBAM is phenomenal, world-class. Would put them up against any association or leadership team in the country.” Bonnie Alfonso is the President/CEO of Alfie Logo Gear for Work & Play in Traverse City and a past chair of the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The connections that they have helped me build through a peer network within the organization, the opportunities I've had to serve, and the people that I've met along the way have now become lifelong friends. And I so value the connections and the opportunities that I have to learn and grow from other business leaders across the state. And it is just been phenomenal.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The fellowship of something like SBAM is remarkable.” Bob Fish is co-founder of BIGGBY COFFEE and a past chair of the Small Business Association of Michigan. “As a board member, I was just exposed to other board members, and then broadly, members of SBAM. And, you know, when anybody can create, you know, the word I like to use is scaffolding. That is that there are people around you where you can share your ideas, and you can listen to their ideas, and you can simply listen to them, because you might hear something differently that can really influence your thinking and allow you to grow.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Oh, I think as SBAM is a remarkable organization.” Gary Kushner is CEO of Kushner & Company in Portage and a past chair of the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The biggest value I saw was that SBAM was nonpartisan, or I shouldn't say partisan, but only to small business. It was not a Democratic or Republican organization like others in Lansing. But what I found that that allowed them to do and allowed all of its members and myself included to do was provide input on both sides of the aisle. Didn't matter who was in the, you know, which party was represented in the governor's office or the House or Senate. Up in Lansing, we were able to represent small business, probably at the greatest level of any organization in the state. And so I saw SBAM as this remarkable entity now in its 50th year. I've been involved with them for probably 30, 40, for almost 35 years or longer, and just saw them as remarkably effective, open to ideas and helping improve the small business climate in the state of Michigan.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Erick Stewart, CEO and President of Stewart Industries in Battle Creek, recently set up a Foreign Trade Zone division at his company. He credits his SBAM engagement with helping to give him the confidence to move forward. “The owner experience has really helped us, given me more clarity, in terms of being aggressive, to be the entrepreneur that I know that I am, and looking at opportunities like this.” Stewart says he ran the Foreign Trade Zone idea past one of his fellow SBAM Board members, Gina Thorsen of StormyKromer. “And you know, her endorsement means a lot to me, because we throw a lot of things around, and she's one of my favorite folks from the U.P. and around the state. But, you know, in her textile industry, they deal with a lot of foreign materials and things of that nature. And her input, in terms of what I was thinking about doing, was really important. So, you know, you got people like that, that are part of SBAM. And, you know, within their given discipline, they don't have to be in manufacturing, they just have to be in business. And you get to kind of toss things off of people, and have, as I said, a great peer-to-peer experience. And it gets you closer to, you know, making a decision that in the past, I would have probably had to do on my own.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Well, it goes back to the relationships.” Mike Busley and his wife Denise founded Grand Traverse Pie Company. “I mean, the opportunity to get together and talk about issues, not only listening to Brian and Rob and your team, but also all the great people that are members. And when you're sitting in a room, you know it's very hard to not have conversations that are in the group, is very willing to listen and to offer support. And then the relationships that might lead to I could point to many cases where folks that that I did not know are referred to me through SBAM meetings.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Focusing in on the mission, that is very important to me.” Christina Roehl is vice president of Gray Brigade and a past board member of the Small Business Association of Michigan.
“And that's really what I've learned through osmosis with being involved with as spam and on the board. I noticed how everyone on that board and the people I’ve networked with a SBAM really focused in on what they want it to do. And the work here, there was that one mission that they wanted to get their business going, or whatever it is, they set their mind and their goals on. They have programs to help small businesses by the networking with other businesses, even if they're not similar businesses to yours. All businesses have the same problems and the same rewards as every other business. So that is where SBAM is very good. And it has evolved so much. And really anybody who joins SBAM. through osmosis you will learn from other business leaders.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “SBAM has been truly a highlight in my life.” Frank Lopez is the founder and Chairman of Aztec Manufacturing Corporation, a tier-one supplier to the automotive industry, and a past member of the SBAM Board of Directors. “When I go to any meeting, or any seminar, I meet people that are engaged, and have the desires and and are looking at the future the way I do. So the past is just great. So I get energy, get energized when I associate with SBAM. A lot of organizations look at a different viewpoint but SBAM is very, very ahead of the game in terms of coming up with great items that drive those members to do better themselves. And I can see that every time I go to a meeting.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Jerry Grubb is the co-owner (with his wife Rhonda) of Wee Discover Child Care and Enrichment Center in Waterford, and a past chair of the SBAM Board of Directors. One of the things he really values about his engagement is the way that SBAM gives him opportunities to connect with lawmakers, from state representatives to the governor. “It's great to call an office, it's great to be able to write a letter. But when you can talk to those people face-to-face and let them know we’re the small business people here in Michigan, we're the people who do a majority of the employment here in Michigan, this is what I think about that particular bill or this would really help if you did that -- those types of things -- the advocacy has been really strong for me.” Grubb also gets a lot out of participating in SBAM owner-to-owner activities. “When you go to the SBAM owner-to-owner meetings or the Leadership Council, you're talking to people who own a business who have the same problems as you would have and who might have solutions you can get. So it's very helpful to me to be able to talk to other business owners about solutions, problems, techniques, ideas that they use.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Cam Gnass is the owner of brand positioning firm Traction in Lansing and a past member of the SBAM Board of Directors. “This is just one of those opportunities and chances I found to meet some of the really great minds around our state, of people not only just running great small businesses, people that are running great small businesses that are interested in being involved on these other committees, are being on that board and help making a difference and being as insightful as we can about helping our businesses find their success. And that, to me, has been one of the most rewarding and kind of things I'm most grateful for.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “SBAM is a terrific organization. There's so many things that SBAM does well that I appreciate. But I'd say the thing that I appreciate most is its true dedication to support the success of small business owners in the state.” Loch McCabe is the founder & CEO of Shepherd Advisors in Ann Arbor, and a past board member of SBAM. “It is focused on small business success. And you know, I may disagree with pathways to success. You know, I may have issues with SBAM policies around this or SBAM positions around this policy or that policy. But I have no doubt that SBAM as an organization is focused on the success of Shepherd Advisors, the success of our other clients. And that is, I think, one of the things that really makes SBAM special as an organization, as a nonprofit, you know, such a trade association or membership organization, who could be focused on many other things but turns out happens to be focused on enabling me and my peers to be as successful as we can.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “It's the ability to meet with others, who are executives, small business owners, talk to them get to know them, and, you know, see how they run their business and learning from them.” David Fant is the owner of Market Mapping plus Inc. in Grand Rapids and served on the SBAM Board of Directors. “I find that the political role that SBAM plays in helping small business to make sure that there are laws in place that benefit us or that don't damage us or hurt us as small businesses is critical in this day and age. Legislators, it seems, tend to wander off and do what they want. And they need somebody looking over their shoulder. We need somebody looking over their shoulder to make sure that what they are doing isn't going to hurt small business.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “We had a meeting recently, in Ann Arbor, and I was able to meet with other small business owners, and I think those things are the most important to me, just talking with other people who are sort of like minded, you know, and hearing how they go through some of the different challenges that they have.” That’s Toni Krowisz, president and CEO of Ann Arbor-based Barnes Information Technology Solutions and a VIP member of SBAM. “I do like, what I see, I like keeping abreast on some of the policy changes that are out there, are potential changes, so to speak, so that I can kind of be proactive myself with not only helping my efforts, but also efforts of other business owners that I'm supporting.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I'd say the best benefit is being in the know and hearing what's on the horizon that we can help be aware of and be prepared for as a small business person.” Barb Lezotte is the owner of Lezotte Miller Public Relations in Lansing. She is a past member of the SBAM board of directors, and she really values the way that organization helps her make a difference on public policy issues. “I always look forward to the Legislative Council meetings because you get an insider's view of the workings at the state capitol, and what challenges are facing the business community and trying to push legislation that's going to make for a better business climate, and how we can be helpful.” “I remember when I was first on the board, we had to fight the battle of the Services Tax, which would have had a huge detrimental effect on small businesses, especially in my industry, service industry, and many others that fall into that category. And it would have been detrimental to the economy. And that battle may come back again.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Jennifer Jurgens, CEO/Founder of 1 Bold Step, is an SBAM VIP Member. “Really enjoyed the just general networking and camaraderie at the events --- going by myself and I won't be standing by myself so long. It's just been a combination of great connections, not only potential clients, but potential partners, and helping get some of these crazy small businesses up and up and running.” Jurgens also gets a lot of value from public policy engagement. “I have really enjoyed the connection to our legislators that I didn't realize would be a part of being part of SBAM, understanding how businesses are driving policies, and how policies impact businesses. Suddenly, I feel like I have a voice in some of the legislation that is, you know, on the docket that's going to affect how we how we run and if we're successful, really or not. So that's been huge.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I like the way that they are dedicated to the small business community, both politically and community wise.” That’s SBAM VIP Member Teresa Renaud, owner of Outsourced Sales Management Services LLC. “They have a number of fantastic events that I've attended throughout the last year. And from a networking perspective, it's been great to be able to meet other business owners meet other people that I might be able to serve as well, or that can serve me. So the bi-directional support I think has been fabulous. It just seems like every time I go to an event or meet additional people within the SBAM organization, I'm delighted by the caliber of their business acumen and feel like they offer a lot in terms of knowledge, and I guess networking.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Law firm Warner Norcross + Judd uses their engagement to stay connected to the small business community. “The smaller businesses, our sweet spot, we have to know what's going on with these companies, what's keeping them up at night.” That’s Warner Norcross + Judd attorney Robert Nolan. “By way of our participation with SBAM, be it the the meetings where we're getting together the Leadership Council that we're a part of, we're interacting face-to-face with people. They may not be our client, but we're hearing it face-to-face as to what are the issues that are disconcerting for them, or wondering where are we going in this direction. And we get to interact face-to-face. So that's been that's just been great for us.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Barbara Muller-Wilson is an attorney with Muller, Myers, & Ferran PC in Ada.
“Small Business Association of Michigan does a stellar job of keeping up on legislative changes, and they are sending emails out to their constituents about what is new, what is happening and how they lobby on behalf of their members. They are very engaged organization and I don't think one thing that goes by that involves a small business in Lansing that they don't report on and I find that very, very helpful.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The Small Business Association of Michigan is a phenomenal group, 26,000 members in the state of Michigan, wide variety of businesses, everything from dairy farmers to software implementers. It's a group of very intelligent and strong business people who want to work together to make small business prosper.” Kevin Heinl is an intellectual property attorney with Brooks Kushman in Southfield. “It is very difficult to find out about Michigan State politics, but I found in the SBAM that they have a great focus on Michigan legislative issues, which affect small businesses immensely. Working with the people that do the publications has been very rewarding and they've been very cooperative. And it's been a great experience all-in-all.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The quickest word is alignment. So as a community based bank here in Michigan, each of our little branches that are across the state is an individual business. If there's a branch manager that has the goals of maintaining profitability, if you will, in the branch, of providing quality customer service, that's directly in line with every business owner that we work with.” Marc Judge is VP Community Banker for Independent Bank in Traverse City. “The sponsorship arrangement that we have with the Small Business Association is the subset leadership group that we've partnered with. And what's really just encouraging is a lot of the same business owners that I work with and see and deal with on a daily, weekly, monthly basis are the same folks that are participating in that. And I would just encourage any business owner the value that you can get out of the Small Business Association of Michigan, you know, from just being plugged in, you kind of get not lost. But you get focused on your day to day business operations, you forget how big legislative impact or how big some of the policy impacts can have. And this group is a wonderful advocate for the abilities for our small businesses to be successful in Michigan.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Build a different relationship because you know that the people in that group, they're trying to better their business. And I think for me, that's a big point, like that's one thing we have in common.” Adam McCauley is a member of SBAM’s Leadership Council and co-owner of Sandlot Sports in Bay City/Saginaw. “We didn't come in here to be business owners, we came here to be screen printer embroiderers and that type of thing. It's nice to have somebody around us that has experience running companies handling 22 employees that we can bounce ideas off of. That's been to me, you know, the most rewarding thing on my end, and I've got other people in SBAM and even the Leadership Council [who] will tell you something completely different. But for me, that's what's more valuable now. In a year from now, there may be something totally different that's more valuable to me. But right now I'm happy with being part of Leadership Council.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Matthew Anderson is Chief Brand Officer for Engaged Education in Lansing and a member of the SBAM Leadership Council. He’s been involved in a lot of leadership activities, and one of the things he appreciates the most about his engagement with SBAM is the opportunity to give back. “[That’s] the thing that's been the most surprising and valuable to me about SBAM in particular. And having the opportunity to serve on the Leadership Council has been really truly focused on giving to the members. I mean sometimes I leave Leadership Council meetings and I'm like, man, what are you guys really getting out of this from me, like you're giving so much to me when what am I giving to you? It is truly the place that I feel so, so passionately appreciate it.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Well, SBAM has been great. For me, I think that generally speaking, many of us are joiners and so I'm pretty selective when I join a group and certainly when I’m going to bring my business into that group.” Paul Mead owns Clear Path Strategic in Traverse City and is part of SBAM’s Leadership Council. “I was exposed to it through other local business owners that encouraged me to explore SBAM and it's been a wonderful experience. I certainly, you know, as you would expect been able to network with fellow business owners, which is very valuable but also from my own needs, insurance or economic data, things like that. SBAM’s been a great resource for me in getting that and the team that works there will bend over backwards to try and help you with what you need. So it's really been a positive experience for me and and I look forward to continuing working with SBAM for quite some time.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “My biggest benefit is my peer-to-peer relationships.” Erick Stewart is president and CEO of Stewart Industries and a member of the SBAM board of directors. “Because SBAM is, you know, a room full of mostly A-type personalities that are business owners and have been through a lot. But when you can walk into a safe environment, and ask the tough questions and get honest answers, that just makes you better as a person, and which translates into making Stewart industries better as a business. So I'd say that's my biggest benefit, that peer-to-peer relationship.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Number one would definitely be the peer to peer interaction.” SBAM board member Ginny Sherrow and her husband Matt founded the award-winning Fenton Winery & Brewery. “Networking events and different conferences that they do, I really enjoy getting to know other business owners around the state. These are business owners that I wouldn't otherwise meet locally in the community while working. So that's awesome. The second thing I would think is that SBAM provides me with some summaries and snapshots of what's happening in our state, and what's happening politically and what's happening with laws and different things that would affect my business. So that's really nice, having quick resources. They send something out regularly or whenever new things happen, and that's really nice to know that they're kind of watching out and will send me information and make sure I'm up to date on all that kind of stuff.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I learn every time I'm with SBAM.” Sheri Welsh owns Welsh & Associates executive recruiters in Kalamazoo and serves on SBAM’s board of directors. “Whether it is from other business owners, or from the staff and the leadership of as spam keeping me informed about what's going on in Lansing or statewide. I learn all the time and I value that lifelong learning, I value the opportunity to take that and put that into practice in the way I run my business and just grow as an individual. So that is really what I love about it. The work of SBAM I think, is so, so powerful as an advocate for small business. There's just nothing like it anyplace else in the state of Michigan. And I'm so thrilled and honored to be a part of the board and to help move that work forward. It's really a joy.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I love the Small Business Association of Michigan.” Lorri Rishar is the CEO of Edge Publicom and a member of the SBAM board of directors. “I watched the Small Business Association go from kind of a second-tier player several decades ago to now the voice, truly the voice of small business in Michigan and throughout very active on the national scene as well. And so the opportunities that business owners have, no matter how many years you're into it, what you can learn from our colleagues. And that's what I take most from my SBAM involvement and then again the involvement on a policy level -- to be able to have an audience with the governor and with decision makers and legislators and SBAM provides that.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. SBAM board member Gina Thorsen is the president of iconic hat maker Stormy Kromer. “It's 100% the ability to sit down with other business owners from across the state and to pick their brains, to hear about their successes, their challenges, bounce ideas off of them.” That owner-to-owner connectivity is particularly valuable when you’re a company like Stormy Kromer that’s located in Michigan’s far western Upper Peninsula. “I think it's particularly helpful given our geography. You know, we are far away from other bigger communities. There’s obviously other businesses here, but to get that more rich and diverse opinions and outlooks of other business owners, it's been fantastic and it's well worth the time I spend in a car to get to Lansing or other places where some of these meetings are. The people are phenomenal, they've helped me tremendously and once you've made these connections with them at some of the in-person events, you're able to get this whole roster of folks that you can pick up the phone or shoot an email to say, hi, have you ever dealt with this before, I'm struggling. And to a person they've all been incredibly willing to offer their advice and their assistance and that's just a huge value. I think business owners, we often feel alone or like we’re the first person to have dealt with this challenge or that everyone else is super successful and I'm the only one with this challenge. And so to have that reality with other folks is hugely helpful.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Well, the people certainly are incredible.” SBAM board member Park Kersman owns Lorin Industries in Muskegon. “Both the staff of SBAM, and the board members, the Leadership Council members, and then it’s just all the members. I've had the opportunity to meet so many people that have an incredible passion for Michigan and for small businesses in Michigan and work very hard to find ways to to work effectively not only with other businesses but with everyone in Lansing. Just working hard to make Michigan a better state. And I really appreciate the hard work that goes into that and just the the people are very ethical and thoughtful in their methods of doing this.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Oh, my gosh. So I wish I knew exactly what year I got involved with SBAM. Because it changed the way I looked at my company. It changed the way I looked at leadership.” SBAM board member Sue Tellier, with her husband Jon, owns JetCo Solutions in Grand Rapids. Their firm helps small businesses sell to government agencies. “SBAM as an organization gives me direct access to other small business owners. The fact that you really need to be a small business owner to be involved in SBAM makes it a very, I don't know, a special place to be around. I know that there are people that have had the same pains that I'm having. If I come into work one day, and I have a challenge or I need something to add to overcome something, I can reach out to one of the other small business owners that I've met through SBAM and I can either avoid a failure or get an idea or something from them. And every time I'm at an SBAM event, I either walk away with something either that I can do, as soon as I get back to my office, something actionable and productive that I can do to make my business better or I got inspired by somebody else that is killing it in their own business. Or I just, I just get some kind of cathartic conversation with someone that understands how lonely it can be to run a business and to be a small business owner. It's at the same time just a great lifestyle. Some days it can be pretty lonely. And it's nice to have a network of people that are there and that understand that and I just, it's made our company grow because of that.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “SBAM has opened me up to a lot of opportunities. I've met lots and lots of great very, very interesting people and have learned a lot. One of the things that I would say about being with SBAM and being on the Board of SBAM, you get, it is such a great experience you get to meet the most incredible people in the world. I will say SBAM, like, if you're going to belong to any organization as a small business owner, SBAM is gonna be right up there.” Anita Abrol is a principal with Lewis & Knopf CPAs in Flint and also serves on the board of directors for the Small Business Association of Michigan. One of the things that she enjoys about her SBAM engagement is the opportunity to network with her fellow business owners. “It's very rare to have an organization where you can actually have, as Rob Fowler calls it, owner to owner conversation. But they happen directly at every single meeting you go to, and it's just a great experience because you can listen, learn and take really good ideas back to your own business and back to your own life to improve improve what you have already.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Steve Trecha is Chief Results Officer for Integrated Strategies, Inc. and a member of SBAM’s Board of Directors. “I've got great respect for for business owners, small business owners, and the way that they have been able to contribute, and I get to learn how they think about things, I get to learn how they do that. And I think that's number one.” Steve also admires the way that the SBAM organization operates. “If you look at the leadership team at SBAM, and you look at how they think about what they do, they really run like a small business. And they really do that in a way not only to best service their members across the state, but they do that in a way where they're continually improving how small businesses can attract, how small businesses can do work. And I find that really, really exciting. It's not an organization that sits on the shelf and and basically beats their chest -- and they full well could do that because they're the most influential small business organization in the state of Michigan. They are the go-tos, and it's neat to be affiliated and it's neat to learn.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Bill Grubb owns STAR EMS ambulance services in Oakland County. “I'm on the board of SBAM, which is humbling to me, because truly when I go to these meetings, and I listened to the business leaders from around the state, and what they do, and how they do it, and how they talk, I learned something from them every single time that I have an interaction with other business leaders in SBAM.“ Grubb shares these lessons learned with his STAR EMS employees. “When I would say that I've learned something at SBAM and I tell our staff I learned this it at SBAM, it does lend some credibility because SBAM is such a great organization and somebody else is saying this thing that we want to do.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I've had the privilege of working side by side with some incredible business owners from all over the state in all different categories that deal with a lot of the same problems.” Russ Knopp and his wife Leslie own Comfort Keepers Home Care Agencies in Traverse City. Russ is a past chair of the SBAM Board of Directors. “It's the coolest thing in the world to be in a room with other small business owners who are living the same things that you're living and to have those conversations about, how do you deal with this? have you dealt with this, or, oh, you're selling product through Amazon? How does that work?, These are conversations you just can't have, unless you're mixing it up with other small business owners.” Russ says that “owner-to-owner” connection makes all the difference. “It's a different conversation that you can have when you're talking to the owner. Unfortunately, what happens at so many local chamber events and those type of things is you've got a lot of marketing and sales people in the room and they should be there, that's their job. But they don't have a lot of decision makers in the room. So that's what makes it so important is having this owner-to-owner and knowing that you're talking to other business owners when you're in there, not people just trying to sell you something. So that that's one of the things that SBAMas Dan has that is a complete differentiator and I couldn't be more proud of it.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Rich Tegge is the owner of Wealth Strategy Group in Marquette. “Well, you know, being up here in the UP, at times you can feel like you're having a little bit of an island when it comes to what's happening in the state. And what I found is that my association with SBAM has really connected me well with the rest of the state.” Tegge is involved with SBAM as a member of the association’s board of directors. “From a business climate, from a business standpoint, but also on the political front, understanding more about the things that are affecting small business throughout the state, the network of business owners that I've been able to get introduced to and network with on a regular basis, through the board and through the Leadership Council has been phenomenal. It's helped me grow as a business owner. I get ideas every time I connect with these folks, always a lot of energy in the room. And I think for any business owner, the value of SBAM is in the network that you can build and the conversations that you can have with like- minded individuals.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Drew Veach is Vice President for Corporate Color Graphics in Grand Rapids, a custom signage and retail decor fabrication company that specializes in large format printing and creative signage and branding. He says the owner-to-owner connection he gets through SBAM is really important to him. “Big time, that is a big time value that I get out of it.” Veach is a part of SBAM’s Leadership Council. “Yeah, the biggest value I get out of this is really networking with other similar business owners and people [who are] managing businesses. It's kind of the old adage that we're all in the same boat together and it feels good to be able to network with those other people that are going through those similar business struggles. And I can connect with them, kind of get better ideas of how to how do I solve my business needs. Other people have gone through it, I'm not the only one dealing with that issue. So, it's nice to have that collaboration and that reassurance that SBAM’s that resource and support when I need it.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “It makes me feel like I have a voice.” Jason Verlinde is President of RFT Search Group in Farmington Hills and a member of the SBAM Board of Directors. “You know, as, as business owners, we kind of a lot of times sit in our own little world and don't have other owners to talk to. So our owner-to-owner networking, our Leadership Council, gives us an opportunity for that involvement with other business owners. And then on the political side, you know, it helps us feel like we have a voice. We're a very small percentage of the overall population. And a lot of times, we feel like nobody's out there fighting for us, but SBAM is. So I really enjoy it.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The biggest value is everybody in the room is a business owner so it's the perspective that you can't find it anywhere else.” Jim Foucher is Vice President of RBV Contracting in Detroit and a member of the SBAM Leadership Council.
“We have all the same issues, we've all seen problems, we all bounce things off each other. No matter what industry, everyone kind of has the same few issues so it's great just to have that group to rely on, to be able to go to and [ask] how did you handle this? How did you handle that? So for us [that’s] the greatest thing with SBAM.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I think SBAM represents small business. There’s not a lot of organizations in the state of Michigan and or, you know, certainly broader than that, that can make that statement.” SBAM board member Bill Kimble is the President and Infrastructure Group Leader for Lansing based architecture and engineering firm C2AE. They have nearly a hundred employees. “And even at 100 in staff we still consider ourselves, and the federal government still considers us, a small business. And so we need an advocate to speak for small businesses because our voices individually are not loud enough but our voices collectively are very loud. And that’s really what SBAM does is tie those organizations together and represents them in a lot of different ways. Not just in advocacy but also in sharing business-to-business ideas -- how each of them can improve their business. So that's what I've always appreciated about SBAM. They're really vested to help everyone grow their business.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The primary value that I get through being involved in SBAM are the relationships with other business owners.” SBAM board member Dan Cherrin is the owner of North Coast Strategies, an independent public relations-public affairs consultancy based in Royal Oak. “When I got involved a few years ago, my priority in joining SBAM was not to get health insurance or discounts for UPS, it was to meet people and to network throughout the entire state. And now I can go all the way to the tip of the UP, to the corner of Michigan and Indiana, and know a business owner that I can reach out to and learn from, and there's so many businesses that we have in the state. It's really the diversity. It’s incredible.” And, Cherrin puts a lot of value on SBAM’s nonpartisan public policy agenda. “We have tremendous opportunities to engage public policy leaders from both sides of the aisle and bring them together for conversations. And so I get a lot of value out of that and the advocacy that SBAM focuses on. And then it's not only the networking, but it's being able to learn from other business owners, the issues that they're facing, and how we can all work together to help address these issues. It's a great community that we have in this state around small business and the networking is fantastic and worth everything in my involvement of the organization.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “There is no other organization out there that combines the advocacy, the government relations side of small business protecting us in Lansing and in DC now.” Milan Gandhi is Vice President of Med-Share, Inc., and 1st Vice Chair of the SBAM Board of Directors. “Combine that with influence over all levels of government relationships at all levels and government. I use this SBAM as my lobbying firm now when I want to get something done in Lansing.” Gandhi also values the member-to-member benefits of SBAM. “You know, chambers of commerce that I've been a part of forever, you end up meeting people from all parts of different organizations. In SBAM it's owner-to- owner and and I can't stress how important that is. When we go to Leadership Council events, SBAM board meetings, PAC board events, nobody trying to sell me anything. We are all in our own businesses and have our own busy lives. And we’re only there because we care and care to help each other and contribute collectively. So SBAM has been a wonderful venue for me to learn from others to make great relationships and to have a deeper connection to what goes on in Lansing.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The greatest value for me is being immersed in a network of like minded people.” Rebecca Cox is president of the Savant Group of Midland and a member of SBAM’s board of directors. “I get great ideas, great energy from my involvement with SBAM. That’s allowed me to think outside the box and to see things that other people have done that are successful and learn from mistakes that they've done so I don't have to repeat them. And, you know, just that a more practical side as SBAM has a really great suite of of products and services that it offers small businesses. So, all the way around, it's just a really great concept for being able to offer small businesses a lot of assistance as they're navigating their way through.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “If you want to have a voice and you want to join other small business owners in having a voice in small business, there's no better organization.” Chad Paalman is SBAM’s 2018-19 Board Chair and CEO and co-founder of NuWave Technology Partners. “I had the chance first of all, just to just work alongside a number of people that are very, very talented business [people], some of the brightest and most talented business people because of SBAM. I've learned so much from from these individuals, they are running just really neat businesses. I've also had the opportunity to get involved in legislative issues, things that I would have never dreamt that I'd be involved in and have the opportunity to have a say in it. And now fast forward years later, I'm now the Board Chair of SBAM. And I tell individuals that are looking to get involved or have a say in what's happening in business issues, especially even on the legislative side, is get involved in SBAM. I'd say certainly I'm a little biased but I think the single best advocate for small business in the state Michigan.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “When you have the ability to to work with each other for common causes.” Denny Ware is an SBAM member and the owner of Mission Point Resorts on Mackinac Island. “When you can talk with other people who have related issues they've learned how to deal with when you can band together and be a voice with respect to being involved in in state and local government. It makes life so much more interesting and improves the quality of the business that you have in a small business. You can can't always afford to get all of the expertise you need on your staff. And so you need a place where you can go take advantage of the the synergy that you can develop with other people with similar problems. And since similar challenges that you're dealing with, and small business organizations are good for America. They're good for each of us.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “First one I would say is advocacy on behalf of the small businesses that don't have, you know, the time or resources to learn and communicate with legislators, regulators, do research into other topics.” Henry Morley is the founder and senior solution consultant for DPT Solutions in Grand Rapids and is a member of the Leadership Council for the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Second value is tied to that information source. I think SBAM provides great sources of information, not only of apprising what's happening in Lansing and maybe Washington that impacts small businesses, but back to my best practice and good practices of understanding what other small businesses are doing in certain areas. And that collaboration, both online and offline. And like you said, mentioned, the Leadership Council, having a group there to be able to interact with other owners and leaders. I would kind of put that as a third piece, along with the information, that's collaboration -- sounding board sharing best practices, what's working, what's not working in their businesses. SBAM really facilitates that, particularly the people on the Leadership Council I've gotten to know that are in the same boat. Oh, we were looking for that, and we're looking for this kind of resource as well, have you had, yeah, we've worked with this group, we’ve worked with that group. I think that's a huge facilitation and collaboration piece, so I'm really happy with that.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Sassa Akervall is a member of the SBAM board of directors and CEO/majority owner of Saline-based Akervall Technologies. Her company was recently named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing private companies for the third year in a row, and she gives some credit to her SBAM involvement. “Surrounding yourself with a great advice or with people who are smarter than you [is] just generally is a good concept. Just to have a good network is very important. That's why I've enjoyed SBAM so much, because not only is it a fabulous learning tool, and I've learned so much since I joined because of all the fabulous programs that SBAM puts on, but also because of the people you meet, and the advice and the exchanges you have. It's been a great, great, great experience for me.” Sassa also appreciates the fact that SBAM helps give her a voice in helping to shape the success of the small business community. “I think it is a great tool for not only knowing what's going on, you know, on the federal and state levels that affects businesses but also be able to take a part of that and be a voice. How else would you do it? You know, absolutely, it's easier to be in a group than just alone.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Adam Zuwerink is the owner of West Michigan Law in Muskegon and a member of the SBAM Leadership Council. “The Leadership Council, I love it because I go there and I’m just a small business owner, I’m just a guy who has to pay rent, I’m just a guy who writes the front of the paycheck. And I get so much back out of it just talking with other small business owners who are going through the same problems that I am -- you know, how do you find a new employee, what accounting software do you use, things like that. Which is why I’ve so enjoyed my time with the Leadership Council, just relaxing and chatting with other small business owners in the same spot that I am. Especially in the professional services setting a lot of times we forget we’re also small business owners.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. John Kolbasa is the founder of Value Engineering with locations in Lansing and Detroit. He’s a member of SBAM’s Leadership Council. “I think the Leadership Council has been very helpful for me, because I'm surrounded with other business leaders that are in the trenches of operating their businesses and doing a lot of the same things I'm doing.” John says he values the collaboration opportunities he gets from his involvement. “I found that the people on the Leadership Council are very generous with their time. I've always been able to sit down with folks that I felt would be a good fit, would be able to give input on what I'm doing and help me. They've always been willing to sit down and meet one on one. There's lots of opportunities in the different events that the Leadership Council plans, to get around and talk to other business leaders.” SBAM’s political muscle also means a lot to John. “I feel like SBAM is very influential and has an opportunity to give input in the political realm there, well respected by a lot of politicians. And their input matters because they represent a lot of small businesses. And so that gives the opportunity to get around and hear from different political leaders, whether it's presentations or speeches or lunch, you know, just informal gatherings, to understand where they're at, what their position is and understand who the candidates are that are running for different positions. I've also found that SBAM has a good opportunity to give input on legislation and on changes that are coming down, that are happening. Their input is highly regarded. And so the different subcommittees that are part of SBAM and the opportunities to get involved in those and give input and kind of shape that direction that is passed on to the political leaders is a great opportunity to have a voice in what the business climate is and what it's going to be in the future.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Jason Miller is a VIP member of SBAM and CEO of BytLyft Cybersecurity, a managed security-as-a-service company with a focus on security incident and event management. “ I'm excited and a proud member of the Small Business Association. We heard about it and went to one of the events and started digging into the information that was available to us as a small business member. And so I signed up because I seen the membership not only valuable to us as a business, but also the ability to get in contact with the other businesses that are inside of SBAM.” Jason says he look forward to tapping into SBAM’s owner-to-owner community. “That's truly the the hope and the encouragement that I would not only expect, but also hopefully receive out of the Small Business Association, that we can continue to get together knowledge, share, help one another. Because as we're cyber security experts, we're going to need other help that we're not an expert at, whether that's accounting or legal help or other partnerships that maybe we haven't even thought of yet that are existing inside of SBAM. To leverage that is quite the quite an amazing thing.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Andy Gutman is president of the Farbman Group in Southfield, a VIP member of SBAM. “We especially like participating with the Small Business Association, because many times, companies that are smaller, don't necessarily have the representation or feel they should have that until they grow to a certain size. And we think everybody is entitled to great representation.” In this election season, Andy says that he values the way that SBAM gives him exposure to political candidates. “The Small Business Association helps so many small businesses with their needs, and it's really a wonderfully friendly, talented community of businesses. And we're just so honored to be a part of it. We've really enjoyed our membership. We've we've got an active group that is started to attend more and more things and, and every event everything we're able to participate in the value that's brought to us even through segments like this. I can't say enough good things about where we are. We are so grateful to be members in the Small Business Association.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Dr. Karen May, chiropractic sports physician and owner of Momentum Health Centers in Mason. Dr. May is a member of SBAM’s Leadership Council and talks about health, wellness and entrepreneurship.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Oh my gosh. So the biggest thing for me is that it was owner to owner.” Dr. Karen May is the owner of Momentum Health Centers in mid-Michigan and a member of SBAM’s Leadership Council. “I've been a part of other organizations and it could be employees sitting there and it was difficult because as owners, we have such a unique, unique set of circumstances and talking to an employee is very different than talking to an owner. So when I went to the Leadership Council meeting last fall, it was just a breath of fresh air to talk to other people who know what we're doing know the level of involvement that we're in and the ground level with our own businesses. But then it was great to see those leaders who have gone ahead and they have bigger businesses, growing businesses and everyone is accessible. If I reach out to somebody within a span because I think that they have a knowledge base that I need everyone is so kind and takes the time to work with each other and to help each other out.” Karen also values the way that SBAM keeps her informed on important small business legislative issues. “I have never been in the political realm because I've always been focused on my business. So sitting at the different legislative meetings helped me to understand what's out there who is out there, what are our candidates. So it's taken an opportunity for me to educate myself at a deeper level outside of my little microcosm. So that's been wonderful to us. SBAM has been been well worth our investment.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Kristine Kletke, owner of PMSI marketing and social media, puts a high value on member discounts. “Some of the discounts that they have. That's been amazing. So they're extremely helpful for business owners in the state.” Kristine is a member of SBAM’s Leadership Council and enjoys the networking opportunities it provides. “Having the expertise, being able to connect with with other businesses and other leaders who have expertise outside of what we do and bounce ideas off from them and work together to have some synergies and help us to grow. That’s been amazing. The Small Business Association of Michigan, whenever you have a question or need something for your business -- as we grow we've had some HR things and human resources needs and the ability to be able to work through a SBAM to connect with the right people to get the right advice to find the right services.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The first word that comes to mind is information. I feel as though I gained insight and information about the business climate in Michigan and the country that I wouldn't have had without that connection.” Mickey Swartzel is the co-founder and CFO of New Eagle in Ann Arbor. She's also a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan's Leadership Council. “There's so many things impacting my business that that are difficult for me to keep my hand, fingers in and understanding, and SBAM gives me sort of a one-stop-shop-place to to get information, to get resources. On top of that is networking and the corporate discounts and all those kinds of things, but like said the first word’s information.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Don Kirkland, the majority owner and company president of marketing solutions firm ArborOakland Group, a Michigan 50 Company to Watch for 2018, about the importance of understanding your target audience and message.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “When you look at the Small Business Association of Michigan, and if you say, I'm going to compare this to other associations, you are probably under serving your thoughts.” Steve Trecha is the co-founder of The Cozy Corner of Ogemaw County, a collaborative project that unites small businesses to mutually attract customers and boost the local economy. He also serves on SBAM’s board of directors. “You have an association here that's really laser focused on helping small businesses, and it could either be through a service offering or product offering. What I find really, really valuable are the networking opportunities because I learned every day as a board member, when I am either attending a work session, or I'm in discussion with another small business owner, I see my job as a business leader to continue to learn, continue to leverage, continue to apply, continue to drive results. These are people that do that, and I think there's 26,000 members in the Small Business Association of Michigan. My gosh, just think about if you were to tap one of those just once a week and pick up a new idea. There's 50 new ideas. What if you did that a couple of times a week, there's hundreds of new ideas. Then you go back inside the operations of SBAM, and what you find is a really, really high quality, high knowledge, high intensity staff that are really focused on the mission, the mission of SBAM, and these folks not only can provide great insights in terms of ideas. But also they're continually looking at how do you share these ideas? How do you leverage these ideas? How do you do this in a way that can drive economic development for small businesses, and as a consequence, obviously continue to build Michigan. Think about it. In Michigan, approximately 50% of the people that are employed are employed in small businesses, over 98% of the businesses in Michigan are small businesses. So it just logical that the focus should be on continuing to build small businesses in the state and SBAM does a great job doing it. In fact, I encourage all small businesses continually to become part of this to become even if it's just a matter of getting online and reading about what they're up to. And then as you have time to get involved and get engaged, see what you can learn and also see what you can contribute back.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Nicol Pasuit, CEO of TechStak, a company that connects technology service providers to businesses, to learn more about how customers today expect and demand that small business owners be on top of tech trends.
Michael Rogers talks with Karen Smoots, who won the 2018 SBAM Innovation of the Year award for her GreenGloveDryer, a device that uses the heating ducts in your home to dry gloves, boots, hats and shoes.
Michael Rogers talks with Cathy Koch, the president and CEO of K-Tech Systems, to get her insights on how augmented and virtual reality can help you manufacture faster, cheaper and more efficiently.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “You know, I have to say that I've been very impressed with working with the Small Business Association of Michigan.” Nicol Pasuit is a VIP member of SBAM and the CEO of a company called TechStak. “The folks that I've been engaged with, they have just been so receptive so welcoming and responsive. The SBAM engage events have been fantastic. Being able to network with other small businesses is absolutely a must-have and and I encourage other small businesses to be able to go to the SBAM engage events.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Jim Mitte, who owns Turtlehut Internet Marketing in Brighton and is a member of SBAM’s Leadership Council, to learn more about the value of having audio visual content on your small business website.
Michael Rogers talks with business coach and consultant Tom Borg to get his insights on how to improve customer service at your small business.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Oh my goodness. It’s one of the best memberships I've ever written a check for, I can tell you that” Karen Smoots is the inventor and owner of the Green Glove Dryer and recently won the Michigan Celebrates Small Business Innovation of the Year Award. “‘So if anybody listening again is contemplating or considering becoming a member of SBAM, it's not expensive. It's the most affordable check you're going to write, but probably one of the best resources you're going to get. I mean, they have a summit where they bring everybody together and try to grow your business. Those are things that you can't put a price on. These are people and an organization that wants to see you successful and and I think we're so fortunate in the state of Michigan to have that.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Marie Chantal-Dalese, President and CEO of Chateau Chantal Winery and Resort in Traverse City, to get her suggestions on how to handle the challenges of employing a highly seasonal workforce.
Steve Curran Membership Testimonial 050918 There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “SBAM I think has many, many different services that can be of an enormous help to the number of small businesses that are are starting up in Michigan. I highly recommend leveraging it, calling, asking questions and seeing what's available there.” Steve Curran is President and Creative Director for nationally-known Harvest Creative Services in Lansing. “I think what's interesting about it is that you know that there's so many different things and aspects to SBAM that I didn't recognize or realize -- the support services. And I think as small business owners or medium sized business owners, you know it's challenging sometimes to have the time to understand what your resources are. One of the things that I would urge members to take a look at is the level of research and data and other things that are available through SBAM to help their business grow and to network with other businesses that may not be anything like your business.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Bill Knapp, vice president for sales and marketing for NuWave Technology Partners, to find out more about a May 10 SBAM webinar called What IT Means to Me & My Business.
Michael Rogers talks with Paige Cornetet, a trainer and motivational speaker who owns a company called Millennial Guru, to learn more about how small business owners can relate to and motivate the millennials in their workforce.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “One is the community of practice, the idea of gathering together like-minded entrepreneurs.” Richard Anderson is a top notch entrepreneur. His company, Iron Fish Distillery in northern Michigan, was recently named to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. “The network of relationships that advantage you as a small business owner is really one of the advantages along with the advocacy for small business in Michigan. And the access that the association provides both to resources and to not only resources but to state policy makers.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Matt Dibble, CEO of Final5, a small marketing firm in Detroit, to get his advice on the most effective way to tell the story of why your small business is great.
Michael Rogers talks with Chris Drouin owner of Ignite Media Group, a full service marketing agency in Rochester Hills, about the value of multimedia content for your website and social media platforms.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Have been really exposed to a lot of other entrepreneurs and business people that I’ve learned from.” Marie-Chantal Dalese is president and CEO of Chateau Chantal, on the Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City. Her winery was recently honored by the Michigan Small Business Development Center as a Best Small Business 2018. She also serves on SBAM’s Leadership Council. “For me it’s a great learning opportunity to learn from other people’s failures and successes, learn what’s new and what’s happening down in Lansing and really be more connected to the wider Michigan business association group throughout the state.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Paige Cornetet is a strength and wealth coach and the owner of Millennial Guru. As a member of the association’s Leadership Council, she has really enjoyed the opportunities to meet new people. “It has been fascinating to meet people from all sorts of industries.” Paige participated in the Leadership Council Day at the Capitol. “And the common theme that I heard through the small business owners is that we want to grow our talent in Michigan. We love this state, and kind of how do we go about it and what kind of effective change. And that was really inspiring, uplifting to me, all these different people from all these different industries that are living in my home state that we’re all kind of all on the same page. And it’s just been a wonderful resource and network of inspiring people.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with EOS Implementer Marisa Smith, the founder of the Whole Brain Group in Ann Arbor, about the importance of having a plan and then getting everyone on board to make that plan happen.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Matt Dibble, owner of Final5 in Detroit, really enjoyed his SBAM-sponsored visit to the state capitol in Lansing. “Outside of it like being fun and just engaging and good information to be around, I thought the people were pretty fantastic.” Matt also values his SBAM networking opportunities. “You know I want to be networking with other professionals who are really serious about their work, who are constantly trying to learn and grow like I am and who believe that being in groups like this is a net benefit to all of our work, we all grow together. I feel like that’s what I’m getting out of SBAM so far. So I’m really excited about knowledge that I got from SBAM and I’m really excited about the people I’m meeting through SBAM.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Kathie Fuce-Hobohm, owner of SPACE Inc. in Midland, recently recognized by the National Association of Business Resources as one of the 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation.
Michael Rogers talks with Brent Forsberg, president of TA Forsberg Real Estate in mid-Michigan, about the growth strategies that have helped them thrive into their third generation of family ownership.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “It’s really amazing just how much access we do have to the legislators through SBAM” Chris Drouin owns Ignite Media Group in Rochester Hills and he appreciates the opportunities that SBAM provides him for political involvement. “Coming back from the Leadership Council and being exposed to Speaker of the House Tom Leonard and House Minority Leader Singh and then having face time with the chief of staff of the Senate and House majority and minority team. Meeting two of the gubernatorial candidates, hearing about our grassroots movement, hearing about what’s coming up whether it’s the Fight for 15 or the legalization of recreational marijuana -- all these kinds of things were really kind of a whirlwind as far as a newbie, but it really showed you just how hard SBAM is working behind the scenes for us small business owners, how hard the team is working to make sure we do get in front of the legislative members to talk about our goals, to talk about what we as small business owners are trying to do to promote ourselves and wealth and promote business here in Michigan.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The Small Business Association of Michigan has been a terrific resource for me.” Paul Mead is a founding partner of Grand Traverse Strategic Partners in Traverse City. “As part of the Leadership Council, it’s allowed me to connect with people I would not otherwise even known. I have learned about businesses that exist that I didn't know about. I’ve met the leaders of these businesses. And when we do get together it’s really valuable time spent. Because we’re small business owners, you know, taking time out of our day to go learn about others is a luxury. And the Small Business, SBAM, allows me to meet people and learn from them, hear about some of their challenges, hear about their wins, so it’s a very exciting group to be with. And then more of a specific to my company, when I’ve needed help, when I’ve needed answers to questions or a little bit of guidance on a particular topic, I contact folks over at SBAM and they can point me in the right direction. So, they’ve been a terrific resource for me and I’m really grateful that the organization exists and that they’re helping businesses like mine.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Don Spry, Business Account Manager Lead for Consumers Energy, to find out more about the energy savings opportunities offered by the SBAM Energy Solutions program, Consumers Energy and DTE.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Marisa Smith, profesional EOS implementer and founder of the Whole Brain Group in Ann Arbor, zeros in on two key reasons why she is involved with SBAM. “One is that my clients are growing and they are always looking for connections and resources, and so it is part of my job is to know what’s out there in the state and be able to connect them with resources to save them time and effort and so I wanted to see what SBAM had to offer and so far I’ve been really impressed with the service that I have experienced in terms of you welcoming me to the community. And I definitely plan to connect more of my clients with the resources here.” And the second reason she values her participation in SBAM is: “Was really just to get connected with other business owners who are interested in growing and contributing to the positive growth in the economy here in Michigan.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Bob Campbell, sales director for MTW Industries in Mt. Pleasant, to find out how they tap into their local university and colleges to help them find skilled workers.
Michael Rogers talks with Carl Erickson, the founder and CEO of Atomic Object in Grand Rapids, recently named one of Michigan’s top workplaces by the Detroit Free Press.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Kathie Fuce-Hobohm is the owner and CEO of SPACE, Incorporated, an interior design firm and workplace furniture dealer in Midland. Kathie is a past chair of the association, and she particularly values SBAM’s owner-to-owner initiative. “Where you actually have the opportunity to engage with other business owners and discuss some of your issues or successes and get different perspectives. That has been massively helpful to our business.” Kathie also values SBAM’s political advocacy. “And I think that’s one of the things that SBAM does beautifully is their level of advocacy, and being the voice of small business, so you always know you have someone you can call and talk to if you have a business problem and you need to have that communication link to state government. If there’s people out there listening to the podcast that aren’t involved in SBAM they absolutely positively should.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “What the Small Business Association has brought is resources” Brent Forsberg is president of T.A. Forsberg Inc., a third generation development company located in the Lansing area. “We are a small business. We don’t have an HR department here but being able to get some of those resources to make sure we’re compliant but also finding people to help us.” Forsberg also values the input and experience he’s able to to share with his association. “And being able to go downtown, I’ve been to the SBAM offices and tell what our story is and what we’re doing. And hey, take a look at this over here and take a look at what these companies are doing.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Nate McFadden, owner of Elevator Service Inc. of Grand Rapids, to learn more about how service involvement helps his community and company.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. MTW Industries in Mt. Pleasant is a VIP member of the association. Bob Campbell is their sales director, and he says that MTW Industries values the networking opportunities that come along with Small Business Association of Michigan membership. “What we find the value in that is that we have the ability of meeting other local manufacturers in the state of Michigan and trying to build a relationship with them. And it just helps grow our business.” MTW Industries is a full service fabrication and manufacturing company that started as a small farm shop and puts a strong emphasis on American made and American owned. Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Tom Chaney, general manager of Jacobsen Industries in Livonia -- a member of the Detroit Free Press list of top workplaces in Michigan.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “We’ve been members for a long time and we are members because I think small business is so important to our economies and local cities.” Carl Erickson is the founder and CEO of Atomic Objects in Grand Rapids, recently named to the Detroit Free Press list of Michigan’s top workplaces. “Small businesses, I guess because we’re small and don’t have collective clout tend not to get the attention, the media coverage, the resources, the support that larger businesses do. And that’s a really dumb thing in the sense that a lot of innovation and a lot of job growth and a lot of goodness is happening in small businesses. So, I’ve always appreciated the fact that SBAM casts light on small businesses and works and lobbies on our behalf.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with developer Bradley Hartwell, the owner of Northtown Real Estate in Grand Rapids, about the pros and cons of owning versus renting your building.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Nate McFadden owns Elevator Service Inc. of Grand Rapids and when he attended his first SBAM Leadership Council meeting, he was impressed with the commonality of interests. “It was good to see other business owners that think about the same things, that struggle with some of the same challenges that perhaps are up late thinking about their team and what they can do to win in the competitive landscape that we operate in.” Nate says he found it heartening to be around like-minded people who share share similar burdens. “And it was also I must say I was impressed with the degree of professionalism of the leadership of SBAM and the actual, practical benefits that they bring to their members.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Stephanie Squires, President and Wealth Management Advisor for SCS Capital in Livonia, who says that communications is the key to successful business succession.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Probably my biggest takeaways from my involvement with SBAM so far as a small business owner, you know, we all have problems” Bradley Hartwell is the owner of Northtown Real Estate in Grand Rapids, and when he went to a recent SBAM meeting, he valued the camaraderie of his entrepreneurial peers. “Just the fellowship of having other folks that are in the same shoes as you, going through the journey of small business ownership was really kind of interesting to interact with those folks, because you do go to a lot of fundraisers and networking events and it’s not always all small business owners. When you’re in a room where it’s all small business owners it’s pretty unique.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Dan Conner, Business Development Manager for Conner Insurance Group of Farmington Hills, about evolving insurance risks like cyber liability and ransomware.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I love the good, bad, ugly.” Stephanie Squires is President and Wealth Management Advisor for SCS Capital in Livonia. “Between serving on the committees, the annual event, it’s amazing to me the amount of information that SBAM has provided, and that has been priceless. And the biggest piece is being informed about the current legislation and potential items on the ballot that directly affect me and my business clients is absolutely huge because it’s the future of the business owner in Michigan and becoming an advocate for SBAM’s message and mission of promoting the success of small businesses. And most importantly is I have a voice. And that voice needs and wants to be heard because we are the business owners.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Sanju Guinn, business account manager for Consumers Energy, about improving the efficiency of your HVAC system.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I have a lot now that I want to give back to small businesses. That’s what my goal with SBAM is, to help anyone else that is starting up to not go down the paths that I went down. If I can be a mentor to anybody, that’s what I want to do with my time next.” Bill Ellis is the president and owner of Innovative Computers in metro Detroit. “I really enjoy what SBAM does. And there’s a lot of good connections and the thing I even get more than business connections is advice from peers. There’s so many peers there that they’ve already been through something that you haven’t been through or vice versa and I think that’s a real big part of SBAM.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Bill Ellis, the president and owner of Innovative Computers in metro Detroit, about the rapid advancement of office automation in the small business workplace.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I was fortunate to experience the retreat summit that took place in October, and just the access to just the excellent business owners and excellent resources has been phenomenal.” Dan Conner is business development manager for Conner Insurance in Farmington Hills. “Every step of the way has just exceeded my expectations in terms of the value they provide with, you know, connecting us with anything from the Lowe Foundation to other business owners who really understand from their perspective what are their troubles, what keeps them up at night. From an insurance side of the coin that’s super important for us to understand in that type of environment what do all these other business owners care about, what matters to them most, outside of a sales pitch or anything like that. It’s a very open forum and format where people can be honest, and I think there’s a ton of value in that.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Mike Eckert, Director of Loss Control Services for the Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, about reducing hazards for you and your small business workforce when driving this winter.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I do really appreciate the opportunity to be involved with SBAM” Steve Steketee is the founder and creative director of Shutterwerks Media in Grand Rapids and just recently became a part of SBAM’s Leadership Council. “I’ve had some friends who were involved the last couple of years who really enjoyed what they were getting from it and strongly urged that I partake. As somebody who came from a theater background, not a headstrong business background, it’s been very eye opening to partake in the lessons that are given. I’ve learned quite a bit from other small businesses, the pitfalls they’ve had, the tricks they’ve used and the way they’ve gotten around some of the issues that I’m figuring out how to deal with myself.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Steve Steketee, founder and creative director of Shutterwerks Media in Grand Rapids, about how small businesses can benefit from integrating short-form videos into their marketing and communications.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “I think one of the keys is I’m getting a pulse for what small business owners are concerned about, what keeps them up at night.” Longtime business consultant Tom Borg gets a lot of value from SBAM’s wide array of communication outreach tools. “For instance the magazine that comes out, the SBAM magazine, that always has great articles in there about what’s going on in the world of small business. So that’s a great resource. That’s one of the tools. Certainly these podcasts that we’ve been recording.” “Tap into that, that is free information, free knowledge that’s taken people years to accumulate and they’re sharing it with the listener that they just tune into those podcasts. That’s another great place to access SBAM for some of its resources.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks about coalition building with solo entrepreneur Tom Borg, owner of Tom Borg Consulting.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. “We’ve been members for awhile but as my role has kind of progressed here at Springfield I’ve been just in the last few months fortunate enough to get involved.” Nick Jacqmain is president of Springfield Commercial Roofing in northwest Michigan and part of SBAM’s Leadership Council. “What I treasure the most is just how helpful everybody, you know not just the SBAM employees themselves but also the other members, you know, everybody is really willing to share and help, share their experiences so hopefully we don’t all have to make the same mistakes, we can learn from each other and improve that way. I’ll use that word again I used earlier when talking about us: the collaboration I think is really great. I didn’t even expect that when we first got involved. I was just really pleasantly surprised to see how helpful everyone was with one another.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with small business owner Nick Jacqmain of Springfield Commercial Roofing in northwest Michigan, to get his tips on creating a culture of workplace safety.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Michelle Klassen is the owner of LkM Solutions, a firm that focuses on energy resilience, infrastructure and resource access, and when she became part of the association’s Leadership Council, the experience was more than she expected. “I was really surprised. To me, in every good approach you gotta have a platform and you gotta have a microphone. And I think that the Leadership Council is a really healthy platform for diagnosing issues that small businesses would need support with and actually giving real solid tools to those small businesses to be able to help them along the way. So that was an honest surprise for me and I’m very happy to be a part of the Leadership Council.” Michelle says that she wasn’t expecting that the Leadership Council would consist of a group of people who are actually doing the things they are talking about. “Often we can stuck in having conferences and talking about all the things that we want to do. But then real impact and accountability and partnerships to scale that impact is not identifiable, or easily identifiable. But it really was easily identifiable with the Leadership Council. And the reason that I was interested in SBAM and the Leadership Council is because so much of my work has been international over the years that understanding the local dynamic, the statewide dynamic, the politics and the policies that are being put into place, and how they affect us as small businesses. And for us, specifically, we’ve been so externally facing, how can we bring some of those lessons learned, best practices back into our community and then take what you guys see and bring that into our work in D.C. to really push forward some of the pursuits that small business want to see happen here.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with small business owner Michelle Klassen, owner of LkM Solutions. Her firm focuses on energy resilience, infrastructure and resource access, which helps her draw a lot of parallels to the challenges small business owners face in maintaining growth and prosperity.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Patrick Bosworth, the president of NDLX Logistics in Detroit, gets value from SBAM seminars and presentations. “There was a workshop just recently by SBAM and it was a young lady came on and talked about the use of LinkedIn and the value of LinkedIn, how LinkedIn we may be barely scratching the surface but there’s some significant value that you can gain from that, and that was a workshop that was offered free by SBAM, and that was a great, I’ve had some great takeaways that I now am implementing.” Patrick also is benefiting from SBAM’s ability to connect him with other small business owners. “The SBAM network and the Leadership Council have really opened up my eyes a little bit bigger on being able to do a better job with networking. I’ve kind of been around in my little silo, we’ve been around for a little bit of time and I was really kind of turning my wheels a little bit and since I’ve gotten engaged with SBAM and the Leadership Council I really have begun to expand my networking a lot of different ways.” Leverage the problem solving value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Learn more by calling today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with small business owner Patrick Bosworth, president of NDLX Logistics in Detroit. He describes himself as a travel agent for cargo.
Testimonial Blaire Miller There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Blaire Miller is a partner in The Hunter Group, an executive search firm based in Bloomfield Hills, and a member of SBAM’s Leadership Council and she values her participation as a tool for problem solving. “I think SBAM really provides a number of roundtables that small business owners can avail themselves of that allow you to get best practices and brainstorm for potential solutions. It can be around policy issues, it can be around payroll issues, it can be around digital marketing challenges and what I find so helpful is to brainstorm with other small business owners. Even though we’re a trusted service advisor for talent, we still have our challenges and hearing and being able to listen to others who have similar issues and challenges and how they solved it is really valuable to us. So, I think the ability for all of us as owners to be around others who have similar problems and listening to how everybody is looking at these challenges collectively and individually is really helpful to us in our business and I know to others who have been part of these roundtables that SBAM really coordinates throughout Michigan.” Leverage the problem solving value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Call today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Blaire Miller, a partner in The Hunter Group, an executive search firm based in Bloomfield Hills, about how you can improve your odds of getting good employees by effectively communicating what your company is all about.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Bob Moylan is the co-founder with his wife Sara of Shefit, a company that produces an internationally famous fully custom adjustable sports bra. He values the opportunities SBAM presents for connecting with other entrepreneurs. “Although small business owners get very very busy with the minutia of running companies a tremendous example of that is our ability to network. And when you go and you hit the other events in Leadership Council and other small business events, it’s just your ability to connect and touch with other entrepreneurs and small business owners and all the others who are struggling with the exact same problems you have.” Here’s out that SBAM connection process works: “A great example is we just met a wonderful company and she was eager to share her manufacture of laundry bags and carry bags for us. That has turned out to be a wonderful relationship actually. That specific instance alone actually saved us because our current company wasn’t reaching back out to us, so, The ability to meet new people, entrepreneurs, business people is really quite valuable.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Call today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Sara Moylan, the co-founder of Shefit. Sara says who you have in your business makes a big difference.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Tobi Moore is the owner and CEO of NGage Management and a VIP member of SBAM. “I’m hoping the networking with SBAM will allow me to get back out and do some more networking and mingle with other people who are in the same shoes as I am.” Tobi’s firm is a full service multi client association management company. “I would like to network better with CEOs. I have found with the last four years I have been working in the business and not on the business because I have been working much more on moving my clients forward I’ve done strategic hires so I no longer having to service so many EDs for these associations and I’m being able to work more on the business, so I would love to gain from SBAM further relationships and expertise to help me work on the business so I would love to gain from SBAM further relationships and expertise to help me work on the business.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Call today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Tobi Moore, owner and CEO of NGage Management, a full service multi client association management company. Tobi talks about how being a business owner taught her the value of being versatile.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Ken Bogard, a partner with Nexus Business Solutions in Grand Rapids and a veteran business counselor, values his participation in SBAM’s Leadership Council. “I just think there’s a lot to give, and when you meet other peers and other people who are going through some sort of struggles, when you’re in a group like this you have a real opportunity to make an impact and that’s what I’m drawn to.” Ken also likes the fact that he can take action through SBAM. “There are business owners in this organization that have issues that they just need help, they need leverage and SBAM’s able to provide that kind of help. But we’re also the one s that have to bring the issues to the table so that we can find a way to solve them.” Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Call today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Ken Bogard, a partner with Nexus Business Solutions in Grand Rapids and a veteran business counselor, to learn more about the hazards of immersing yourself too much in the minute details of your business.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan.
“I am a new member and very excited to be a part of SBAM. I think it’s the first organization that I came across that is made up solely of business owners, which I think is really cool.”
Marion Siebert is Design Director and co-founder of Brightly, a full service digital agency in Grand Rapids with satellite offices in Austin and San Jose. She’s part of SBAM’s Leadership Council.
“It’s great to save space for some really cool conversations and being able to connect with other businesses and help each other and I’m really excited to get more involved.”
Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Call today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks with Jeff Farrington, chief operating officer for Gordon Advisors, about the best way to prepare your business for the challenge of managing growth.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan. Ask Jeff Farrington how he feels about SBAM.
“Oh I think it’s fantastic.”
Jeff is the Chief Operating Officer for Gordon Advisors in Troy.
“My background real brief is that as a small business owner myself I was a member. I then became a state representative and I chaired a couple of committees, including the tax policy committee. And I was involved with them on the advocacy side and how much they fought for small businesses. People need to understand that all businesses are not the same. Large corporations and small businesses often fight for the same things and often fight for very different things. So if you’re a small business owner, I’d say make sure that you help out on the advocacy because the people in Lansing, the people in Washington, D.C., are often making rules that help or hurt you and you want a voice in that. Plus they have nice resources and everything but for me, it was more the advocacy, that I knew that someone was fighting for me on my side. But also the networking. Those were some of the reasons that I thought were important. I made sure when I joined Gordon Advisors that we were a member of SBAM as well.”
Leverage the value of your involvement with the Small Business Association of Michigan. Call today at 800-362-5461.
Michael Rogers talks about managing a virtual workforce with Marion Siebert, co-founder of Brightly in Grand Rapids.
There are many great reasons for entrepreneurs like you to belong to the Small Business Association of Michigan, like the assistance you can get in navigating the red tape that comes from being in a highly regulated industry. Michael Rogers talks with Scott Ellis, owner of MichiGrain in Lansing.
Michael Rogers talks about suggestions for navigating the rules and paperwork in a highly regulated industry when he chats with Scott Ellis, owner of the MichiGrain Distillery in Lansing.
Membership testimonial from Kevin Begola, owner of Titanium-Buzz.com and a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan's Leadership Council.
Michael Rogers talks with small business tech expert Tony Merlo, owner of SmarterPhones.net, about a simple trick for improving the performance of your mobile phone.
Michael Rogers talks with Kathy Koch, founder of K-Tec Systems, provider of instrumentation and control systems and an early online pioneer in her industry.
Michael Rogers talks with Sonja Parker, vice president of software company IDI in Ann Arbor, about why she believes that on-site employees work better for them than having virtual workers.
Entrepreneurs have lots of great reasons for belonging to the Small Business Association of Michigan, and one of the best is for the opportunity to network with their peers. Listen to this inspiring testimonial from Jay Harrington, owner of Life and Whim in Traverse City and a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan’s Leadership Council.
Michael Rogers talks with Karen Smoots, owner of KMS Designs in Portage and a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan’s Leadership Council. She invented and launched the Green Glove Dryer and Wall Dryer, featured on HSN and QVC.
Michael Rogers talks with Linda Daichendt, executive director of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan about new rules for creating computer passwords.
Michael Rogers talks with Ian Richardson, the founder of Doberman Technologies in mid-Michigan. Richardson he works with Lansing Community College to find interns and potential employees.
Michael Rogers talks with Kevin Begola, owner of K-B Titanium Designs in Linden, to learn more about his lessons of small business ecommerce success.
Michael Rogers talks with branding expert Jay Harrington, owner of Life and Whim in Traverse City.
Michael Rogers talks with Jennifer McDurmon, Vice President Community Banker at Independent Bank, about the key elements of effective cash flow management.
Michael Rogers talks with business coach and consultant Tom Borg about why training supervisors is key to helping retain key employees.
Michael Rogers talks with SBA loan expert Matt Reinbold, Vice President of Commercial Banking for the Great Lakes Bay Region of Independent Bank, about his tips for securing an SBA-backed loan for your small business.
Michael Rogers talks with business tech expert Linda Daichendt of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan about the impact that rapidly-improving artificial intelligence may have on small business owners.
Michael Rogers talks with Elizabeth Rose, retail product manager for Independent Bank, about what to look for when selecting a business credit card.
Michael Rogers talks with Tom Pelon, president of Smart Link Solutions, a broad-based digital marketing and communications agency based in Wixom. Tom recommends that most small businesses focus their attention on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Michael Rogers talks with Scott McCreadie, the founder of the McCreadie Group, Inc., a pharmacy software solutions provider based in Ann Arbor.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Bob Mihos, Small Business Program Manager for Consumer Energy, about why LED lighting is your best bet for small business energy savings.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Kevin Dean is the CEO of ManoByte, an inbound marketing firm from Grand Rapids that was recently named to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Jeff Esptein is founder and CEO of Ambassador Software of Royal Oak, recently honored as a Michigan 50 Companies to Watch.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Valerie Brader, executive director of the energy policy group called the Michigan Agency for Energy. She talks about how Michigan’s energy law is having a positive impact on small business.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Ken Schlueter, president and CEO of high tech manufacturing company Kalkaska Screw Company.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Mike Maddox, CEO of ASK Technology in Lansing, a member of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch for 2017.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Jim Foucher, co-owner of RBV Contracting in Detroit, the SBA Government Contractor of the Year in Michigan.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Sara Julius, managing partner of Edify North, an employee benefits consulting firm.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Sara Sherry Knoester, the president of Mixed Staffing in Grand Rapids, which was recently named to the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch list.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Jeff Case, Vice President Treasury Management for Independent Bank.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with small business counselor and advocate Chris Holman about the key elements of sales success.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, Aaron Fuller, owner of Superior Data Strategies, to get his advice on improving the flow of data in your small business operation.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Tony Merlo, owner of SmarterPhones.net, about new mobile phone plans can benefit you and your employees.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with tech expert Linda Daichendt of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan about coding schools and boot camps and the positive impact they have on workforce development.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with business coach and trainer Tom Borg to get tips and advice on how to be a better delegator in your small business.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Marc Salach, an attorney with the Dawda Mann law firm in Bloomfield Hills, about key questions to ask yourself to prepare for succession planning.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Jeff Bowes, principal consultant for NuWave Technology Partners, about ransomware attacks and the importance of having solid file backups.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with business coach and consultant Tom Borg about the importance of having regular performance appraisals with your employees.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Kasia Rothe, the CEO and co-founder of Rustic MAKA, an Oakland-county based family-owned personal care products company that specializes in natural deodorants.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Todd McCracken about why it’s important to tell regulators what the new federal regulations will mean for you and your small business.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Jennifer Dixon, State Air Quality Specialist, to get the details on a Feb. 16 DEQ air permit workshop.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Shri Thanedar, founder of Avomeen Analytical Services in Ann Arbor. He lost his business during the Great Recession, but started again from scratch with a new firm that last year was named to the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch list.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Doug Roberts Jr., Director of Business Customer Experience for Consumers Energy, about a major new energy law that will have a positive impact on energy availability for small business owners.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Michelle Massey, vice president of Dewpoint Inc. in Lansing, about her company’s strategy for encouraging their employees to be engaged in community charitable activities.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with business coach and small business owner Tom Borg about managing generational differences in the small business workplace and the value of behavioral assessments.
Michael Rogers, communications officer for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Kate Biskupski, owner of North of the Southern Border jellies and salsas, about how to stand out in a crowded field.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Jim Cowper, president of CPI Contract Professionals in Waterford, to get his key advice on the best way to reach out to veterans as potential employees.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Patty Jones, Human Resource Officer for Michigan First Credit Union in Lathrup Village, about how their free concierge services frees up their employees to relax and concentrate on productivity and customer service.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Angie Mastroionni, Managing Principal of MRPR CPAs and Advisors in southeast Michigan, named a Cool Place to Work by Crain’s Detroit Business.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Rob Pearl, a certified financial planner at Southfield-based CIG Capital Advisors, who explains how to use small business success as a route to financial freedom.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Miche Rayment, co-chair of ACE ’17 (the Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship, coming up Jan. 26th in Southfield.)
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with nationally-known small business advocate Chris Holman about how to decide if crowdfunding is right for you.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with small business owner David Rhoa, chair of the Small Business Association of Michigan’s Political Action Committee, about the voting power of the small business community.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Rob Dobe, president of Image One, on the value of assessing how you use your office printers.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Bruce McCully, a nationally known expert on computer security and business technology and the founder of Dynamic Edge in Ann Arbor.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with business coach and consultant Tom Borg about the importance of having good quality employee uniforms.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Wesley Matthews, owner of website design company High Level Marketing in West Bloomfield, to learn more about how great content is the core feature of an effective small business website.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with financial advisor Rich Tegge, owner of Wealth Strategies Group in Marquette, who says now is a good time to pay attention to your retirement plan thanks to some new Department of Labor regulations on things like fiduciary rules and conflict of interest.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with social media expert Veronica Gracia-Wing, the associate strategist for Piper & Gold Public Relations in Lansing, about how to develop an online social media survey.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with John DiNunzio, the founder of Identicom Sign Solutions, a member of the Inc 5000 list of fast growing small businesses.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks about the keys to a successful startup operation with business author Herby Fabius.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, gets advice on thinking outside-the-box from Sassa Akervall, the founder of Akervall Technologies in Saline. Her firm was recently named to the Inc. 5000 list of fast growing companies.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Deanna Anchors, director of Commercial and Industrial Sales and Customer Services for Consumers Energy, about their Virtual Energy Engineer program.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Veronica Gracia-Wing, a social media expert with Piper & Gold Public Relations in Lansing, about the best ways to get customers to follow you on Facebook.
Michael Rogers talks with sales coach and trainer Greg Coyne of Gerry Weinberg and Associates Sandler Training about cold calling and sales success.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Candice Simons, owner of Brooklyn Outdoor, about modern uses of outdoor advertising by small businesses.
Michael Rogers talks with social media expert Kate Snyder, owner of mid-Michigan based Piper & Gold Public Relations, about the Pokemon Go craze and how small businesses can jump onboard.
Michael Rogers talks with Lisa Gustafson, Executive Director, Business Customer Care for Consumers Energy, to learn how Consumers Energy can help you grow and expand through their Business Center and Business Account Managers around the state.
Michael Rogers talks with Jose Infante, is a senior development officer for Independent Bank, about the importance of having a small business advisory board.
Michael Rogers talks with world traveler Chris Holman, the former small business advocate for the state of Michigan, to learn some of his top tips for efficient and safe business travel.
A recent study suggested new evidence linking mobile phone use to cancer. A safe long term strategy may be to use hands-free as much as possible. Michael Rogers talks with Linda Daichendt, executive director of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan.
If you are an entrepreneurial small business leader, be sure to sign up to attend the June 15th CEO Growth Symposium in Ypsilanti. Michael Rogers talks with Symposium organizer Miche Rayment, founder and facilitator of The Hire Effect. Register at https://www.messageblocks.com/ceo-growth-symposium-2
Other than boosting your ego, what’s the value of having branded merchandise that features your company identity? Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with Menda Wright, the co-owner of Creative Studio Promotions.
Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with Linda Daichendt, executive director of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan, about “spring cleaning” your mobile devices with software updates and password overhauls.
Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with sales trainer and coach Greg Coyne of Jerry Weinberg and Associates Sandler Training about improving your sales success by putting more effort into effectively listening to your customers and asking the right questions.
Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with recruiting expert Sheri Welsh, owner of Welsh and Associates in Kalamazoo, about how to attract better employees to your small business.
Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with Linda Daichendt, executive director of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan, on ways you can use your mobile devices more efficiently and avoid racking up data charges.
Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with nationally-known small business advocate Chris Holman about business casual dress codes and dressing appropriately for your small business culture.
Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with Chris Buck of McCardle Restoration (a Michigan 50 Companies to Watch for 2016) to get tips of preventing water damage in your building. Today on SBAM Shorts.
Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with social media expert Kate Snyder, owner of Piper and Gold Public Relations, about optimizing your customer engagement by writing an appropriate Facebook post. Today on SBAM Shorts.
Videoconference etiquette tips. SBAM Vice President Communications Michael Rogers gets advice from Linda Daichendt, executive director of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan.
Don’t let your website get out-of-date. SBAM Vice President Communications Michael Rogers has advice from small business tech expert Tony Merlo. Need help? Get free website assistance from the Google Get Your Business Online project (SBAM is one of the Michigan project partners.)
Learn about the key components of a basic business plan. SBAM Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with business coach and consultant George Scott.
The Small Business Association of Michigan is partnering with the state of Michigan to offer free seminars and webinars over the next few months to help small business owners do a better job accessing capital. SBAM Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with Linda Cena of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
What are the key elements of a successful small business marketing video? Find out on SBAM Shorts when Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with Karen Stefl, a partner with mid-Michigan-based Such Video.
Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks to employment and management consultant Cynthia Pepper about the importance of clear communications, independence and trust for attracting young workers.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Liz Martinez, an author and retail security expert, to learn more about how to train your employees to detect counterfeit currency.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Elizabeth Rose of Michigan-based Independent Bank, about protecting yourself from fraud liability by upgrading to the latest chip-enabled credit card technology.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Sue Tellier, the owner of JetCo Solutions in Grand Rapids. Her small firm won the Small Business Association of Michigan’s 2015 Wellness Challenge.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks Seena Sharp is the author of The Competitive Intelligence Advantage, about the importance of worrying more about your customers than you do your competitors.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Tony Merlo, owner of Detroit-based SmarterPhones.net, about a simple maintenance procedure you can perform on your smartphone.
If you offer any kind of employee benefit plans, there’s a set of government ground rules you have to play by called ERISA and ACA compliance. SBAM’s Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with HR strategy and benefits expert Gary Kushner about how small employers can avoid being tripped up by the complexities of IRS and Department of Labor plan reporting requirements.
Learn more about the key elements of a successful small business marketing video. Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with Karen Stefl, a partner with mid-Michigan-based Such video.
Learn how an ergonomically-friendly workplace can help improve your small business productivity. Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with James Good, president of Humantech of Ann Arbor.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with sales trainer Greg Coyne about self-management to improve your sales success.
Michael Rogers of the Small Business Association of Michigan talks with Tony Merlo, owner of smarterphones.net, about the importance of doing a digital inventory at the start of the new year.
Michael Rogers of the Small Business Association of Michigan talks about worksite wellness programs with Amy Ritsema and Mary Kline of Onsite Wellness in Grand Rapids.
Michael Rogers of the Small Business Association of Michigan talks with Michigan Public Service Commissioner Norm Saari about the Small Business Ombudsman at the Michigan Agency for Energy.
Michael Rogers of the Small Business Association of Michigan talks about using the latest communications technology to interact with Millennials in the your workforce. His guest is tech expert Chad Paalman of NuWave Technology Partners.
Michael Rogers of the Small Business Association of Michigan talks about protecting your small business from the impact of accidental customer data loss. His guest is liability insurance expert Taras Shalay at Burns and Wilcox in Farmington Hills.
Tips for making sure your website is optimized for our on-the-go mobile world. Michael Rogers of the Small Business Association of Michigan talks with tech expert Tony Merlo of smarterphones.net. SBAM Shorts, the Small Business Association of Michigan’s audio advice program, each week gives entrepreneurs quick, to-the-point tips on small business success. Each program is short, so busy entrepreneurs can get the advice they need in a fast and convenient manner on their PCs or mobile devices. Listen to previous programs by going to sbam.org/resources. Have suggestions for topics? Contact Michael Rogers at michael.rogers@sbam.org.
Social media is all about visuals, so it’s important that you have a well done photographic portrait on your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles. Michael Rogers of the Small Business Association of Michigan gets advice from communications consultant Mark Grimm.
IT security is not just a problem for big businesses. Increasingly, bad guys are targeting small enterprises like yours. Michael Rogers of the Small Business Association of Michigan talks with Chad Paalman, managing partner with Michigan-based NuWave Technologies.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with management consultant and business coach Tom Borg about preventing your ego from blocking entrepreneurial success. SBAM Shorts, the Small Business Association of Michigan’s audio advice program, each week gives entrepreneurs quick, to-the-point tips on small business success. Subscribe in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sbam-shorts-your-weekly-small/id1041435301?mt=2
Grand Valley State University professor Heather Carpenter, PhD, is the author of The Talent Development Platform. She discusses the importance of in-house training and workforce talent development in small business operations. Insights for Entrepreneurs is the weekly podcast of the Small Business Association of Michigan. Hosted by Vice President Communications Michael Rogers, the show every week presents interviews from Michigan’s top experts on entrepreneurial success who provide great tips and advice on how to be a more effective small business owner. The Small Business Association of Michigan is the only statewide and state-based organization that focuses solely on serving the needs of the Michigan small business community. Engage with us on social media and at sbam.org.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with management consultant and business coach Tom Borg about preventing your ego from blocking entrepreneurial success. NEW! Subscribe in iTunes.
Michael Rogers, vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, talks with Seena Sharp, business author and expert in market intelligence, about cultivating authenticity in your marketing and other customer interactions.