Small Business Administration (SBA) Women’s Business Centers in Michigan
All quotes are from organization’s web site
Great Lakes Women’s Business Council http://www.greatlakeswbc.org/
33109 Schoolcraft Rd., Livonia, Michigan 48150
Office: (734) 677-1400|Fax: (734) 677-1465 [email protected]
1) Certifies women-owned small business, and provides training on the certification process
“This certification program was created to meet the need for a national standard of certification
for businesses owned, managed and controlled by women who want to market their products
and services in America's major markets.
2) Michigan Women's Business Center
“The Michigan Women’s Business Center….offers a strategic set of programs for entrepreneurs,
assisting them in growing their business to the next level. Programs fall under the categories of
financing, business development, women’s business certification, networking and market
opportunities.”
3) Michigan Women’s Marketplace (www.miwomen.com)
“online women’s business community which provides resources, webinar training, a business
directory of several thousand women business owners, and a calendar of events for almost
eighty (80) women and diverse business organizations events all over the state. This is all
provided free of charge.”
4) Leadership Institute for Women
“offered in the spring and is focused on developing second stage business management skills for
women business owners that are serious about growing their business.”
5) Great Lakes Women's Business Conference
“The conference is attended by 1000+ women business enterprises (WBE’s), corporate
procurement and supplier diversity professionals, government representatives and partner
organizations. Marketing opportunities for 125+ women business entrepreneurs are available in the
Women’s Business Showcase. More than 50 corporate members participate in the Meet the Buyers
portion of the conference.” Takes place in late September
6) CEED Detroit Business
“Along with the services that we offer Detroit businesses, our strategy is to connect business
owners with nonprofit, government and university resources available to assist them.
7) CEED Lending
“We provide small business loans to start-up and existing enterprises owned by men and
women…..all of our loans come with free technical assistance” Loans are made for Southeast
Michigan, Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Livingston County, City of Detroit, Pontiac, and
others.
GROW (Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women) http://www.growbusiness.org/
25 Sheldon Boulevard SE, Suite 210, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
info2@growbusiness.org Phone: 616.458.3404| Fax: 616.458.6557
GROW helps people “make connections with mentors, business coaches, counselors, and peers –
successful business leaders who serve as your professional network.” Provides professional services that
“ help you manage expectations and understand the realities of business ownership. We offer
professional advice, comprehensive services that support business assessment, planning, training and
education.”
1) Workshops and Training
A) Intro to GROW - prerequisite for many other GROW services and classes.)
B) Start Smart – “ This workshop uses the Business Model Canvas, a strategic tool that can be used
to develop a new business model or document an existing one
C) Small Business Growth and Planning Series (GPS) – “to formulate or refine your business plan
and position your business for long-term success.”
D) GROW Connects - sessions focus on a different topic relevant to your business: social media,
intellectual property, accounting, business insurance, and many more.
E) Online Training and Webinars - The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides free access to
numerous online courses through its learning center, Topics range from business plans to
financing options
Women’s Business Center at Cornerstone Alliance https://www.cornerstonewbc.com/
38 West Wall Street, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 T: 269-925-6100 Email: madams@cstonealliance.org
Serves Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties.
The Women’s Business Center provides “relevant training and resources needed for entrepreneurs to
open their own business; innovative classes and workshops designed for the small business owner; and
current Industry best-practices and tools small businesses need to compete and grow in an ever-
changing marketplace.”
1) SBA Microloans are available to for-profit businesses in need of small scale financing for items
such as working capital, inventory, machinery or equipment, from $500 up to $50,000’
2) Starting and Growing Your Business “WBS Staff is available to work one-on-one with you to
identify your specific business challenges and offer Business Wellness Assessments to help you
strategize on improvement and expansion opportunities. Contact us today to see how we can
help your business grow and thrive!”
3) POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs) – “an 11-week course specifically
targeted to women entrepreneurs that have an idea for a product or service, and need a starting
point, or women business owners that need help growing their existing small business.”
4) Classes such as “Achieve Your Goals by Tracking Your Success”, “QuickBooks Basics” and
“Government Contracting”.
