GRAND RAPIDS ? The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Local First and the Neighborhood Business Alliance have partnered to host Venture Forward, a program designed to help businesses develop an action plan for financial stability, find opportunities for growth and strengthen their neighborhood business area.
Venture Forward will allow businesses to develop a growth plan, receive expertise from specialists, complete a leadership development program at the Edward Lowe Foundation and establish a network of like-minded peers to help them grow their businesses. What?s more, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation is providing funding assistance to develop the program.
Venture Forward will be offered in two different sessions in Grand Rapids. One session will take place on Wednesday evenings from February 15 through April 26 from 6 pm ? 9 pm at the David D. Hunting YMCA Community Room.
The other session will be held on Thursday mornings from 8 ? 11 am from February 16 through April 27 at the Salvation Army Community Room.
In addition, the Edward Lowe Foundation in Cassopolis will host an overnight retreat focusing on leadership skills for business owners. All meals, rooms and materials are included.
Business owners will connect with specialists in many areas. Through the course of the program, business owners will identify markets for their products/services, develop marketing tools for themselves and their area, identify areas of challenge for assistance such as legal, finance and operations. Experts will present on specific business topics identified by the business owners.
The MI-SBTDC is housed at Grand Valley State University?s Seidman College of Business in downtown Grand Rapids. As host of the MI-SBTDC State Headquarters, the Seidman College of Business oversees the statewide, twelve region network. Entrepreneurs and small business owners may access the services of their nearest MI-SBTDC by calling (616) 331.7480. Or click on MISBTDC.Org
