Business Updates

Spartan Stores yesRewards Opportunity for GROW and AWE Businesses

yesRewards Partner Program

How this program works:

As a partner, you offer a discount, perk, or coupon to your customers who use a Spartan Stores yesRewards card with your business. Spartan Stores will provide ongoing marketing support of the businesses and organizations they partner with. These may include:

Promotion of partnerships in Spartan Stores weekly ad, directing them to in-store, online or mobile sites for details
Inclusion of program in Spartan Stores weekly email blasts (over 480,000 sent weekly)
Inclusion on Spartan Stores banner websites
Promoted via Spartan Stores web banner ads
Promoted via Spartan Stores in-store radio
Promoted via Spartan Stores special promotions or events

Some restrictions apply and all businesses may not qualify. Contact Deidra McClelland for more information. GROW does not endorse this program, but it could be of benefit to your business.

GROW Now Offers SBA Microloans to Small Business Owners

in 9 West Michigan Counties

Posted June 26, 2012

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- One year after launching a pilot microloan program benefiting Kent County businesses, Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women (GROW) has joined the ranks of only six other Michigan non-profits, as a Small Business Administration (SBA) intermediary microlender. GROW is the only microlender in West Michigan to offer SBA microloans. Microloans range from $1,000 to $50,000 and are available to business owners in the counties of Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Newaygo, Montcalm, Ionia, Barry, Allegan, or Kalamazoo. GROW will offer technical assistance to loan recipients to provide continued support and growth of their businesses. Read more...

AARP/SBA Partnership to Support Encore Entrepreneurship

Posted June 8, 2012

The SBA has set up a dedicated web page for Americans over the age of 50 featuring a an online self-assessment tool that will help potential small business owners understand their readiness for starting a business. It also provides information to help with businesses planning and shaping a winning business idea, professional counseling, financial services and access to local resources for encore entrepreneurs. Read more...

Resource from Hungerford, Aldrin, Nichols & Carter, PC

CEED Newsletter

Current Newsletter

Accelerating the growth of women-owned businesses

Great Lakes Entrepreneurial Quest (GLEQ) News

Opportunities and Events for Entrepreneurs

West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (WMSBF) News

Current Newsletter

News about sustainable business

Local First E-News

Current Newsletter

IRS Expands Tax Credits for Hiring Veterans, Credits for Providing Health Care Coverage to Employees

Posted May 23, 2012

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is marking Small Business Week, May 20 to 26, by encouraging small business owners to check out two key tax credits and a special relief program that could provide significant tax benefits during 2012.

Both the expanded credit for hiring veterans and the credit for employer-provided health care coverage can provide tax savings to eligible small businesses when they file their 2012 federal income tax returns. In addition, substantial relief from past payroll tax obligations is available to eligible employers who agree to reclassify their workers as employees in the future. Here are details on each of these benefits. Read more...

GROW Awarded RemArKAble Woman Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit, Tenacity & Innovation

Local Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Celebrates Female Entrepreneurs

Posted April 3, 2012

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – To culminate Women’s History Month, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA) held their first RemArKAble Women Banquet on March 25 to celebrate women with entrepreneurial spirit, tenacity, and innovation. Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women (GROW) was honored and received a RemArKAble Women Award, alongside Jessica Ann Tyson (Events by Jessica Ann), Alice Kennedy (KMR Diversity Theatre), Dr. Patricia Pulliam (The Grand Rapids Times), and Nicolle Wills (JNicolle Salon Boutique & Spa). Read more...

The Michigan Shifting Gears Program

This program is an excellent way to offer your expertise as a mentor while receiving valuable insight from a seasoned professional in a career transition. Learn more about the individuals this program helps, or find out how you can get involved!

Blast! Provides Women Resources to Scale Up Small Biz

MiBiz Small Biz 3.21.2012 by Ruth Terry

Women entrepreneurs often encounter a glass ceiling of sorts even within their own businesses, but a nonprofit business accelerator is hoping a yearlong training program will help break that barrier. New York nonprofit Count Me In and Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women kicked off the Blast! Grand Rapids program last fall with a series of “pitch parties” — weekly events where women practiced pitching live before competing for a place in the accelerator early in October. (Read More)

Michigan Business Network: Business Beat with Chris Holman

SBA-Backed Loans are on the Increase

Interviews with Sandy Bloem, President of the Economic Development Foundation, and Sue Rankin, Vice President of Commercial Lending at Founders Bank.

Part 1 Part 2

Original Air Date: January 18

e200 Detroit: U.S. Small Business Administration

Detroit Funded for e200 Executive Leadership Training!
The SBA is funded the 4th class of the e200 Emerging Leaders executive level training initiative. The goal of the program is to identify existing small businesses that show a high potential for growth-and to provide them with the network, resources and motivation required to build a sustainable business of size and scale. There are 17 slots open for businesses

Read more...

Government Contracting Classroom - New Online Training Resource

Online Courses for Government Contracting

Blog for this site

Office of Women's Business Ownership
U.S. Small Business Administration
Phone: 202-205-6239

Blast! in the News: Take 5 Grand Rapids

Grow Your Business Feature on 2.17.2012