GROW (Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women) has been working with thousands of entrepreneurs since in 1989; all with dreams of becoming economically independent. GROW's entrepreneurial training, business counseling, networking opportunities, and financial resources provide the tools needed to start, run, sustain, and expand the businesses in our community. Whether the topic is finance, management, marketing, or strategic planning, GROW offers professional, high quality training and business counseling. GROW is an SBA certified Women's Business Center and receives a portion of their funding from the Small Business Administration (SMA). The remainder of their funding comes from local foundations, corporation, and individuals. The funds provided are to support our local organization's operational costs as well as helping to underwrite our trainings to further serve our economic disadvantaged markets.
Since 2010, GROW has served 3,068 clients with a result of 167 new businesses opening their doors and an addition of 324 jobs to our community. In 2012, GROW served 93% women, 32% minorities, 47% extremely low to moderate households and 11% single mother households. In addition, GROW provided the following: 983 attendees took advantage of 208 hours of entrepreneurial training and 546 sessions of free business counseling were conducted in 630 total hours. All of that adds up to huge local impact for Grand Rapids!
GROW
- Details
- Category: Wine & Wig Vote
{pollengine}cover{/pollengine}
From this issue
Our lives wouldn’t be what they are without the stellar local establishments found around every corner of West Michigan, from the newly founded to the well-established and everything in between. Those local staples are what the West Michigan Woman Readers' Choice Awards are all about.
Whether you're hunting for the perfect gift for the holidays, treating yourself in the new year, celebrating a birthday or anniversary, or “just because,” secondhand gifts truly add a budget-friendly personal touch to any occasion.
The notification came through—it’s a snow day! Whether it’s the kids staying home from school or the office making it a remote work day, snow days can be fun. But they can also lead to a bit of boredom and cabin fever, especially if the fam has already been spending a lot of time together. Take a look at some of our fun (and totally doable) ideas for a realistic snow day at home—whether you’ve got the whole day to fill or just a couple hours here and there.
A few years ago, a friend told me how grateful she was for her siblings during their father’s long illness. As they cared for him, they leaned on one another, sharing the load and responsibilities. After he passed away, they made sure their mom felt supported in the months and years that followed.