News and Resources

Closing up Shop: How to Close Your Small Business
Closing up Shop: How to Close Your Small Business Kathy Miller, PHR CPTD | Business Growth Consultant | Michigan SBDC The decision to close your small...
Michigan SBDC Connect (May 2022)
Michigan SBDC Connect (May 2022) Message from State Director & CEO, J.D. Collins The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Michigan. Small businesses continue to...

MI-SBDC Clients and SBDC Region Honored at Michigan Celebrates Small Business Awards
MI-SBDC Clients and SBDC Region Honored at Michigan Celebrates Small Business Awards 32 Michigan SBDC Clients and SBDC Southeast Region Recognized Photo:...

3 Ways to Build a Positive Culture in Your Small Business
3 Ways to Build a Positive Culture in Your Small Business Kathy Miller, PHR CPTD | Business Growth Consultant | Michigan SBDC I often advise clients...

The Top 5 Headaches for Small Business (and How to Cure Them!)
The Top 5 Headaches for Small Business (and How to Cure Them!) Kathy Miller, PHR CPTD | Business Growth Consultant | Michigan SBDC Admit it: Sometimes...

MI-SBDC Promotes Joshua Billington to Assistant State Director, Strategic Innovation
MI-SBDC Promotes Joshua Billington to Assistant State Director, Strategic Innovation Position will bring enhanced next gen tools to Michigan small businesses Joshua Billington, Assistant State Director,...

Michigan Celebrates Small Business 2022 Awardees
Michigan Celebrates Small Business 2022 Awardees Contact: Mary Morphey Manager of Corporate Communications E Morpheym@kinexus.org M 269.369.6657 Lansing, MI, March 17, 2022— After receiving over 550 nomination submissions, 90...

QuickBooks Webinar Series: Learn How to Manage Your Financials
Michigan SBDC QuickBooks Webinar Series How confident do you feel with it comes to managing your business on the financial side of things? If you could...

Market Research: SEO Terms to Know
How well do you know your target audience? And how well do you know if you are reaching them? Our Market Research Team has...

$2 Million in Funding to Support Small Businesses in Lake Huron Region
For Immediate Release | Friday, January 21, 2022 BAY CITY, MICH.- The Bay County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution at a special meeting...

Cyber Monday Virtual Marketplace
Did you miss the Michigan SBDC Cyber Monday Virtual Marketplace? You can still support Michigan small businesses of color, women-owned, veteran-owned, disabled-owned, and rural...

Power Up Your Workforce Webinar Series
Power Up Your Workforce: Webinar Series How has your business adapted to the new labor economy? Hear from industry experts on how you can "Power Up...

LGBTQ Business Owner Inspires Her Community with Fitness
MILLIE CHU | MI-SBDC Independent Business Consultant, DEI Entrepreneurship Programs Overweight, dirt poor and enraged at the world, Aurelia Cisneros became an angry alcoholic at the...

Summary of BAF Expanded Services Activity
Summary of BAF Expanded Services Activity Through August 31, 2021 Posted as appendix to MI-SBDC BAF Helps Michigan Tech Companies Fight COVID-19 press release COVID-19 Tech...

Michigan SBDC Business Accelerator Fund Helps Michigan Technology Companies Fight COVID-19
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (September 21) – Last March, Grand Rapids-based NxGen MDx announced the immediate launch and availability of their COVID-19 test – one...

How to DIY Your Michigan LLC on the Cheap
LIZ HOFFSWELL | Posted August 15, 2021 Thinking of starting a new business? Congratulations! One of the first things you will need to do is...

Jeff and Patti Dewes, Owners of Tillie's Tafel GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (August 28) — This week Governor Gretchen Whitmer laid out...

Whether today is day 1 of your entrepreneurial journey or it's time to re-evaluate your marketing approach, our team of experts has put together...

10 Steps to Starting a Small Business
So you've decided you're ready to be an entrepreneur and now is the time to finally turn that business idea of yours into an...

Are You Ready to Start a Small Business?
Being your own boss is an exciting idea, but the process can seem a bit complex. If you’re thinking about starting a business, you’ll...
While thousands of small businesses throughout the state have had to reinvent themselves to meet their customers' needs, we've been doing the same. On...

MIOSHA Employer Resources for Reopening & Ambassador Program
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic many businesses feel they have a good handle on the COVID-19 safety basics for customers; masking, sanitizer and...

PPP2 FAQ's Posted On March 10, 2021 PPP2 FAQ's [vc_accordion_tab title="Where can we...

Has the COVID-19 pandemic left you wondering "what's next" for your small business? The Michigan SBDC has introduced a self-paced course, the Comeback Kit, designed...

Small Business Development Center Expands Services to Aid COVID-19 Recovery
The Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a statewide small business support organization, has expanded its no-cost services to reflect the needs of small...

The Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC) joined the US Black Chambers, Inc. and Regeneration LLC to host a free webinar on “Removing Barriers...

COVID-19 Stimulus Package: PPP & EIDL Update
Summary: COVID-19 Relief for Businesses The bill includes more than $284 billion for first and second forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans, expanded PPP eligibility...

Michigan SBDC Virtual Marketplace: Client Features
As part of the Small Business Saturday celebration, the Michigan SBDC held the "Michigan SBDC Virtual Marketplace hosted by Roland Martin: featuring businesses of...

Exploring the World of Restaurant POS Systems
When working with Hospitality clients (restaurants, food trucks, breweries, bars), their POS system is often times the “brain” of the operations tracking food orders,...

Expanded SBDC Support Services Available to Small Businesses
Small businesses in all 83 counties in Michigan will benefit from expanded support services offered through the Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC), thanks...
FAQs with the Michigan SBDC team Q: How should I keep customers informed? A: Many of the SBDC team have received personal emails from Meijer, Lowe’s,...

Hollie Blagg Joins Michigan SBDC Leadership Team
Hollie Blagg, COO | Associate State Director GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (July 22) — Local business leader Hollie Blagg has been named...

Four Steps to Sustain Your Restaurant During COVID-19
By John Schmitt, Senior Business Consultant The restaurant industry has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and...

Note: The implementation of COVID-19 relief programs is a fluid situation with new details released daily. We strive to keep this information as up-to-date...

Summary of COVID-19 Relief Resources
Compare the Federal relief programs available to small businesses, all in one place! Want to talk through your options? Request one-on-one consulting with the...
Michigan Launches Small Business Relief Program
Michigan’s small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 virus can now apply for grants and loans through the Michigan Small Business Relief Program. The program...

Navigating the Cash Flow Crunch
Webinar Recap by Kristi Kozubal, Business Growth Team Manager Watch Navigating the Cash Flow Crunch On-Demand here! In our most recent webinar...

Applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the SBA
Updated: 3/31/2021 Note: The implementation of COVID-19 relief programs is a fluid situation with new details released daily. We strive to keep this information as...

Export Services The Michigan SBDC partners with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation International Trade Services to deliver quality opportunities to small businesses pursuing exports. With...

Guide to Starting and Operating a Small Business
Starting a small business can feel tough, but you don’t have to do it alone! The Michigan SBDC is here to connect you with...

J.D. Collins named state director of Michigan SBDC
J.D. Collins, state Director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Local business leader J.D. Collins has...

By Hanna Burmeister, Marketing Manager, Michigan SBDC Article originally published in the Grand Rapids Business Journal February 2018 Content marketing was a buzzword tossed around in...

Should your business try influencer marketing?
Article originally published in the Grand Rapids Business Journal. If you’ve spent any time on Instagram, the phrases “link in bio,” “swipe up” and “#sponsored” will...

Three Ways to Build a Positive Culture in Your Small Business
I often advise clients that “If you don’t choose a company culture, one will be chosen for you.” What does that mean? What exactly...

Half of Millennials Want to Start a Business – Top 5 Tips to Get Started
If you were born between 1977 and 1995, there’s over a 50% chance that you would start your own small business if you knew...

Attracting talent to your small business
by Hanna Burmeister, Michigan SBDC Marketing Manager Originally published to the Grand Rapids Business Journal's Small Business & Startups Blog A recent study found that 82 percent of small...

Training for Growing Companies
The Michigan SBDC offers a variety of online and in-person trainings for growth companies. Listen to some of our featured webinars on-demand: CROWDFUNDING An Introduction to Crowdfunding A...

Interested in one-on-one business counseling?
We offer no-cost business counseling services to Michigan entrepreneurs. Whether you’re thinking about starting a business, you have a new business, or you want...

Are 40-page business plans a thing of the past?
For many people, creating a traditional business plan seems like a chore. However, many business experts agree that a business plan is an important...