Free small business support available in Washtenaw County through new program

Small Business Support, a new collaborative effort among several Washtenaw County community organizations, aims to connect entrepreneurs with knowledgeable experts who can help their businesses grow.

Since its launch this past summer, more than 200 businesses have signed on to the initiative. Thanks to support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), there is still opportunity for businesses to take advantage of the initiative's free business support and mentorship services. Other partners in the effort include Michigan Small Business Development Center - Greater Washtenaw Region, Jewish Family Services, the Entrepreneurship Center at Washtenaw Community College, and Ann Arbor SPARK

The initiative is open to qualifying companies in Livingston, Monroe, and Washtenaw counties. Participating companies are given mentors and resources to assist them with writing business plans, marketing strategies, financial management, and more.

"We're sort of a behind-the-scenes connector in this, and so it's been exciting to be able to match the businesses with the business coach or the business program that's the best fit for them," says Kristine Nash-Wong, director of entrepreneurial services at Ann Arbor SPARK East. "We're already seeing some businesses making progress against their goals."

She shares that her organization has heard from a few participating companies that have been able to get government contracts, win grants, or bring on more employees as a result. 

"We're still in the early stages, so we're hoping to be able to have a lot more good stories to share," Nash-Wong says. "We hope many more businesses will be interested in taking advantage of this opportunity."

Nash-Wong adds that one of the challenges for small business owners is being able to take time to step away and focus on strategy. She emphasizes that Small Business Support offers solutions in this area. 

"When you're running a small business, you're literally running all the time, so this is a nice opportunity to sit down with an expert, step back, and do some of the strategic planning," she says. "We understand that we need to be flexible, so we're trying to meet the businesses where they are and bring resources to them."

She explains that the initiative's coaching services can take various forms. For instance, if a business owner is not able to leave their company during the day, Ann Arbor SPARK can still find a way to make resources readily available to them. Some programs offer educational services on weekends or evenings. Nash-Wong says some current clients just want to interact via email, and that has been workable too. Multi-lingual services are another big bonus.

"There are so many ways we can help small businesses through this initiative," she says. "We want people to raise their hand, even if they think it might not be a perfect fit. We'll help them see if it is."

Jaishree Drepaul is a writer and editor based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She can be reached at jaishreeedit@gmail.com.
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