Make Connections
Find local business owners and resources that will help you advance your business.
Huntington Bank's Lift-Local Business Lending Program
Huntington has announced a new $25 million, small-business lending program focused on serving minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. Under the new program, businesses can secure SBA-guaranteed loans for as little as $1,000 and up to $150,000.
Research
Sources for primary and secondary research about your business market. Find sources.
Fund
Learn about ways to find capital resources for new, growing, or troubled businesses. Explore opportunities for funding.
Mentoring
Free advice for business owners. Find mentoring
Start
Get solid advice for launching a new business or idea. Find Start Resources.
Plan
Resources to help you develop a business and marketing plan. Get help with your plan.
Grow
How to take your business to the next level. Learn how to grow your business.Success Stories
Global Clinical Connections
Headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Global Clinical Connections is an international provider of clinical supply chain management services for compan
Mamaleelu Cold Brew
Maliesha's passion and mission for Mamaleelu Cold Brew’s future is to highlight her brand as a black-woman-owned food brand in a highly competitive...
Colors and Cocktails
When you consider all that Lauren Parker Lasater has done in the last 10 or so years, you would think she would be exhausted and just looking for ...
AureoGen Biosciences
A license agreement with Merck & Co gave exclusive rights to use the chemistry and derivatives of an antifungal compound to produce a compound…
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People are talking about our partners.
The WMed Innovation Center is a perfect environment for innovation to grow and become a successful commercial enterprise.
Whether you are seeking a research partner or want to enlist the help of student groups in developing business plans, or just looking for ways to engage with WMU, the Business Connection office can find the resource to help move your business forward.
A loan (from Local Initiatives Support Corporation) helped expand our cafe to triple our seating, add a kids space, increase much needed staff work areas, and make other improvements to the space.
The Michigan eLibrary (MeL) is the State of Michigan's digital library. It has excellent resources available to Michigan residents at no cost.
Western Michigan University's Starting Gate helped me take an idea and transform it into a much more attainable reality. Whether providing talks with investors and business owners or accountability, the ultimate goal is helping your business succeed.
The [Kalamazoo] Land Bank did robust community engagement around the vision and gave us something to work with that was solidly desired by people in the neighborhood. Having a vision meant we had to protect it. That’s something I thank the Land Bank for. It was difficult. It didn’t make anything faster or easier, but we got a better project in the end as a result of it.
Buy Local Greater Kalamazoo is a hard working grassroots group focused on the greater Kalamazoo community and its small businesses. Their events and networking opportunities are the best!
Michigan SBDC is a great company providing top notch service to local businesses all over Michigan. The consultants are professional and the student workers contribute with excellent work!
If you have any questions about starting, growing, or anything business related SCORE Kalamazoo/SW Michigan is a great resource.
The Fetzer Center has anything you could ever want for any occasion. The facilities are beautiful, the food is great and the staff is excellent! I have hosted an event and been to an event at the Fetzer and both experiences have been excellent. Mary does a marvelous job!
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