The Small Business Association of Michigan's Small Business Weekly Podcast

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Tom Mathison, principal and co-founder of Mathison|Mathison Architects in Grand Rapids. His firm was recently named to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. He co-founded the company with his son Evan. “We keep the professional side professional, and we keep the personal side personal but when we're engaged together, we work very well as a team,” he 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 30,000+ 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)

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Jennifer Jurgens, CEO and Founder of 1 Bold Step, a Grand Rapids-based strategic marketing agency. They were recently recognized as a Michigan 50 Company to Watch. “Don’t market your features, but rather market the benefits that the customer gets from working with you,” she says. “And as we move into this economic period of recession, I think that that becomes even more important. You're looking at value, not necessarily price.”

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 30,000+ 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)

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Amy Cell, President & CEO of Amy Cell Talent, recently recognized as a member of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. “Be creative,” she says. “There's a lot of things that employers can do to keep and attract talent. People love flexibility, they love employee development. They like feeling like they're having an impact, and that they have a sense of belonging and a sense of community.”

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 30,000+ 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)

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Courtney Murphy, President of Markets for Commonwealth Care Alliance. She's on the show because Reliance Healthcare (one of the Small Business Association of Michigan's VIP members) will soon become part of Commonwealth Care Alliance and be renamed CCA Health. “We focus on individuals with significant needs and seniors,” she says. “And this was a great opportunity to align with an organization that has the same vision to transform healthcare for those individuals.”

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 30,000+ 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)

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Mark Henry, President/CEO of One Point Technology Group. “When it comes to support issues, the challenges that most businesses are experiencing are each vendor pointing fingers at one another,” he says. “It leaves the employee, the store level employee, the business level employee or the owner holding the bag and not understanding some of the IT verbiage that is thrown around. And so what we've done is we've set out to address that.”

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 30,000+ 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)

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Lisa Smith, Visionary and Chief Strategist for Inverve Marketing & Web, recently named to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. “Think with empathy about how your customers are seeing and viewing you,” she says. “Get your website right. You know, we would spend tens of thousands of dollars on office space. But today, for most people the first touch of your brand is going to be your website.”

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 30,000+ 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)

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Bob Von Kaenel, president of Kentwood Office Furniture and a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan's Leadership Council. “Work gets done in many different places, so that’s driven a number of different trends from a pure furniture perspective,” he says. “I think one is really all around being flexible and being adaptable. How do you create an environment so it's really supporting how people work?” 

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 30,000+ 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)

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Breanne Stuart, President/CEO of Homewatch CareGivers of Southeast Michigan. She says that following the COVID restrictions “I have become much more financially astute. I am constantly looking at my numbers monthly, and then quarterly, and then 12-month look backs, that's absolutely key. Because things have been changing so rapidly. Before, you could wait a couple months here and there before you looked at your P and L, but not now.”

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Carrissa Rondeau, owner of Functional Behavior Services in Marquette. Like most healthcare providers, she’s had to adjust to telehealth options. “We are lucky enough that insurance followed suit because we do need to follow our contract rules with insurance companies for reimbursement for those services,” she says. “Prior to COVID, a lot of telehealth options tended to be prior approved or pre op.”

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 30.000+ 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)

On today’s SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Bob Allen, Director of Sales – Detroit for Effectv, to learn more about Comcast RISE (https://www.comcastrise.com). Businesses in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park with fewer than 25 employees will have the opportunity, starting June 1, to apply for grants, marketing consultations, media placements, commercial creative services, or technology services from Effectv and Comcast Business. 

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 30.000+ 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)