News & Resources

Thoughts from Rick Snyder

By Rick Snyder, originally featured in our September/October edition of FOCUS Magazine. LAST WEEK, I PRESENTED AT CAMPUS Party Digital 2020 on “Navigating a Path in an Accelerating World.” I […]

October 24, 2020

It’s All Good News!

By Sheri Welsh, originally featured in our FOCUS Magazine Last year, talent acquisition issues were at the top of the list of what keeps small business owners up at night. […]

August 11, 2020

Working Remotely is More Than Pajama Bottoms and Dress Shirts!

By Chad Paalman It seems like an eternity, although it really was only a couple of months ago, that the phrases, “I work from home” or “I will be working […]

August 4, 2020

Moving Mountains: How Adrienne Bennett’s Tenacity Has Elevated Benkari to Incredible Heights

By Bona Van Dis Adrienne Bennett, president and CEO of Benkari LLC Plumbing & Water Conservation, is a woman to be reckoned with. And after 40 years in the plumbing […]

July 28, 2020

Our Strength is UNSTOPPABLE

By Lorri Rishar, co-owner and CEO of Edge Partnerships and Board Chair of SBAM Leaders are defined by their courage, their successes and, perhaps, their hearts. As I begin my […]

July 24, 2020

Are You Following COVID-19 Legislation and Health and Safety Guidelines?

By Anthony Kaylin Michigan has begun its phased approach to reopening, and employers will be busy as they return to work. It will be important to remain compliant with all […]

July 22, 2020

Active Inclusivity and Diversity as it Relates to Business

By Erick Stewart, Co-Owner and President of STEWART Industries LLC In the past weeks, we have witnessed a long-overdue shift toward the need for inclusion and diversity as it relates […]

July 19, 2019

Build your community, build your brand

Reluctant to move your social media strategy ahead or even begin? You are not alone.

July 16, 2019

Entrepreneurship-Led Economic Development

When it comes to business development there are tons of programs to assist with access to capital for start-ups or to help larger corporations expand, but the companies in the “middle”, otherwise known as second-stage …

January 10, 2019

Outsourcing – or not

Finding all the people you need with the skills you need when you need them is challenging. Growing your business sometimes requires you to evaluate whether you hire directly or outsource for talent.

April 13, 2018

Eight questions to help you get a grip on your business and grow

The first step to getting what you want from your business is to get clear about what you want.

February 12, 2018

The integrated approach

An integrated communications approach takes all disciplines—creative, digital, public relations, advertising and marketing—and meshes them all together to deliver a desired result that is driven by the data.

August 7, 2017

Spam is back and it’s not just a nuisance anymore

Why is spam on the increase?

June 21, 2017

Could a summer hours program be right for your organization?

The days are finally getting longer, the weather is starting to warm up and summer is almost here.

July 20, 2016

Where are my customers?

Your website is up, signs are in place, the literature is glossy and your Facebook is a “like.” But where are your customers? It’s an advertising slump.

February 11, 2016

Introduction to Security

Hardly a day goes by without an announcement of a well-known major corporation that has had its website or computer system compromised, resulting in the theft of its customer’s private information.

February 4, 2016

Crafting a strategy to build your business on social

Gauging social media return on investment is always tricky for small businesses, but it’s virtually impossible if you don’t know how or why you’re engaging online.

April 10, 2015

Five things to think about when considering retirement

By Richard Feight, CFP®, EAOriginally published in Focus MagazineSmall business owners are a special breed. We think differently than the rest of the world. That’s why considering retirement can be more challenging for us. In …