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By Nathan Peck | MAIN STREET STRATEGIES
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WEST MICHIGAN — Whether an entrepreneur is just starting out or looking to take her business to the next level, she should be able to find help – if she knows where to look.

Entrepreneurship is one of the pillars of Gov. Rick Snyder’s economic development strategy. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Pure Michigan Business Connect program links the state’s efforts with public, private and nonprofit partners ranging from the Edward Lowe Foundation to the Varnum LLP law firm.

Bonnie Nawara, CEO of Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women, said she is happy with the renewed focus from the MEDC, though many organizations have been driving that message for years. GROW, a 22-year-old nonprofit, focuses primarily on helping women develop and grow their businesses. Nawara said business development organizations rely on strong partnerships, and she is happy to see the MEDC taking a larger role in linking resources in the state.

“We are only as good as the parts of the sum. Entrepreneurialism is a hot issue in the state because we have a governor that is focused on it. That just means more collaboration, more support for our entrepreneurial community,” Nawara said. “We need to focus on all levels of entrepreneurism, (starting with) those people who are in their homes trying to make a big difference. We need to focus on the high-growth industries. We need to focus on those very high-end entrepreneurs out there (to learn) how to grow entrepreneurship in our communities and our state.”

Kara Beers, president and CEO of the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber’s Self-Employment Program is designed to help people move beyond the ideation stage toward taking concrete steps to start their own ventures, whether it is at the end of the 10-week FastTrac course or years after completing the training.

“People come out of it better prepared to start (their business) – or knowing where they might need more work. It will tell you if you are ready, and we can help support you,” Beers said. “There are a host of service organizations that serve the entrepreneurial community and can link business owners and those thinking about starting their first venture with the services and expertise that they need.”

Main Street Strategies pulled together a list of organizations around West Michigan that offer support and training to entrepreneurs at all stages of the business life cycle. The list is by no means exhaustive, but these organizations are entry points for businesses in the region, say Nawara and Beers.

Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women

www.growbusiness.org

GROW formed 22 years ago to help women and underserved populations start businesses as a means to escape poverty and to create wealth in the Grand Rapids area. Its mission remains much the same since 93 percent of its clients are women and 52 percent are from low-income to moderate-income brackets. The organization served 1,200 clients in 2010 and helped launch 57 businesses that now employ 124 people.

Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Grand Valley State University

www.gvsu.edu/cei

The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation takes a two-pronged approach to promoting entrepreneurship in West Michigan. The CEI works to develop tomorrow’s entrepreneurs through academic programs and community outreach to high school and college students, while also providing services and programming for today’s business owners. Through programs such at the Entrepreneur In Residence program, CEI works to bring expertise to bear on the problems affecting entrepreneurs. Through partnerships with Momentum and Grand Angels, the CEI provides its Savvy Entrepreneurs series covering topics ranging from business valuation to alternative funding mechanisms.

Battle Creek Chamber of Commerce

www.battlecreek.org

The Battle Creek Self-Employment program targets the neighborhoods where economic opportunities are limited and brings entrepreneurial training to disadvantaged populations in the area. Ranging from the Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac startup training to mentoring programs, the program links entrepreneurs with experts to help ensure a successful, community-based business.

The Center for Entrepreneurship for South Central Michigan

Miller College, Battle Creek
www.cfescm.org

The Center for Entrepreneurship connects entrepreneurs and businesses to the resources necessary for them to establish and expand businesses in the south-central Michigan region. As a consortium of 14 organizations ranging from Battle Creek Unlimited to the Nonprofit Alliance, the organization provides support to businesses and startups to link them with service providers. This allows entrepreneurs to focus on their core competencies while pulling outside expertise for guidance to help them avoid costly pitfalls.

Michigan Small Business Technology Development Center

www.misbtdc.org

The SBTDC is a network of 12 regional centers spread around the state that help provide training both for entrepreneurs considering starting a business and for second-stage companies looking to grow. Inquiries through the state’s Pure Michigan Business Connect program get forwarded to the MISBTDC to help link business owners with the appropriate resources in their community.

e-Merge

Entrepreneur Network
www.e-mergewestmichigan.org

Muskegon’s e-merge network is an outgrowth of efforts launched by a number of area economic development organizations to foster an entrepreneur-driven economy. The discussions showed the Muskegon area has multiple organizations in place to attract new businesses and to nourish existing ones, but there lacked a cohesive effort to encourage entrepreneurial activity locally.