Merging old world craftsmanship with modern production technology in contract furniture
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
Release Date: 03/17/2024
Helping to tell the under-told stories of small business excellence
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Cyndee Harrison, Principal at . She is a VIP member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. Her company connects business leaders and subject matter experts with their audiences through content marketing, public relations, and storytelling. “We often say that we specialize in the under-told, meaning there are so many great business stories out there, just latent, just untapped,” she says. “The people running these businesses and their teams are focusing exactly where they should be, on serving their customers and...
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Have surplus assets? This dynamic small business can help you recover the value
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with SBAM VIP Member Doug Watkoski, owner and founder of , one of the fastest-growing asset disposition companies in the industry. Headquartered in Muskegon, it assists some of the largest companies in the United States with all facets of surplus assets. The company’s asset disposition program enables customers to efficiently liquidate unwanted and excess assets while enhancing their value recovery potential. The comprehensive program covers surplus operational machinery and MRO and tooling cribs items, as well as significantly reducing...
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Being a better leader by nurturing your physical and mental health
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with executive leadership coach, trainer and workshop facilitator . She wrote an article for the September/October issue of SBAM's member-only Focus magazine called Six Ways to Optimize Leadership Performance. “I was inspired by the many leaders that I work with in my coaching and my training, particularly small business owners, a lot of them feel like they have a big weight on their shoulders,” Morrill says. “This drive to be successful, and the expectations that are on them to be successful, whether it be their own or others. The...
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There are no holes in this donut business success plan
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Monica Gauthier, a member of the SBAM Board of Directors and co-owner of in mid-Michigan. Groovy Donuts was recognized as the SBDC Capital Region's Best Small Business and Greater Lansing Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2023. They offer fall flavors, tailgate donuts, catering services, host an annual donut design contest and celebrate customers with an annual Customer Appreciation Day. The is the only statewide and state-based association that focuses solely on serving the needs of Michigan’s small business community. We have...
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The challenges and success opportunities in government contracting
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Catherine Behrenbrinker, President & CEO of in Grand Rapids. Her firm was recently named by Michigan Celebrates Small Business as an APEX Accelerator Best Small Business for 2024. She discusses the challenges and successes of scaling their government contracting division over the past two years, including hiring experts and optimizing technology procurement; emphasizes the importance of leveraging resources like the APEX Accelerator program for navigating government contracts, and notes the significant impact small businesses...
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Nonprofit honored for workforce development for adult with developmental disabilities
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Jenny Brown, CEO of , a nonprofit in Oakland County. Dutton Farm was recently recognized as one of Michigan's 50 companies to watch for its unique hiring practices and inclusive business model. She discusses her organization's mission to provide skill-building, community access, and workforce development for adults with developmental disabilities. The is the only statewide and state-based association that focuses solely on serving the needs of Michigan’s small business community. We have been successfully serving small businesses...
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Growth and opportunities for a company in the far north of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Jen Julien, who with her husband Jon owns in Houghton Michigan. Their company this year was selected as a member of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. Braveworks plans for 40 percent growth in 2024, with further expansion in 2025. “We're really excited to expand into the Marquette community, that's just been a really good fit for our growth and for what we're doing here, and we're just really honored to be selected as a Michigan 50 Companies to Watch,” she says. The is the only statewide and state-based association that...
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Turbocharging your small business social media tactics
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Peter Van Dyke, CEO of , a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. His firm was recently named to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch for 2024. “For any startup company or small company developing a social media strategy, it doesn't take a high level expertise to think about the timeline of your business over a year, over a month, and think about how you can share key elements of your business that can attract customers or clients,” he says. “It is probably the best, most accessible way to start building...
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Small business owners can be their own best advocates
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Gina Jacquart Thorsen, CEO of , home of the iconic Michigan brand Stormy Kromer. Gina was named SBAM's 2024 Advocate of the Year. “Small business owners, you know, we hear politicians all the time say that small businesses are the backbone of the economy. But they don't really understand what that means. Many of them are not, have never been and will never be small business owners. We have to be the ones that tell our stories. We have to be the ones that share both our successes and our triumphs and the great work we're doing, but...
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Neon to LED to digital: business signage and lighting evolves and improves
The Small Business Association of Michigan’s Small Business Weekly Podcast
On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Paul Deters, president of . They are Premium Members of the Small Business Association of Michigan, and have been selected to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch for 2024. “We hear all the time that the world is going digital, and that has certainly been evident in our industry,” Deters says. “When we first started it's hard to believe that neon was the preferred lighting method. And then we saw a little bit of a migration towards more efficiency and then huge gains of efficiency as we've migrated to LED. And what's going...
info_outlineOn today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Blake Ratcliffe, the principal and founder of contract furniture company TMC, also known as The Makers Creative. “Being a small company that we started at at our kitchen table and in Ann Arbor, and then working on the back of our suppliers to get rolling to bootstrap, we really had to be good at spotting trends,” Ratcliffe says.
The Small Business Association of Michigan is the only statewide and state-based association that focuses solely on serving the needs of Michigan’s small business community. We have been successfully serving small businesses like yours in all 83 counties of Michigan since 1969. We’re located in Lansing, just one block from the Capitol.
Our mission is to help Michigan small businesses succeed by promoting entrepreneurship, leveraging buying power and engaging in political advocacy. When small businesses band together through the Small Business Association of Michigan, they achieve more than they could on their own.
Our 32,000 members are as diverse as Michigan's economy. From accountants to appliance stores, manufacturers to medical, and restaurants to retailers, what unites the SBAM membership is the spirit of entrepreneurship…a spirit that drove you to start and continue to operate your own business because you believe you can do something better than anyone else is doing it!
(music licensed from www.jukedeck.com)