Welcome to the view from inside the West Coast Chamber. Keeping you on the leading edge of business innovations, trends, and best practices. Keeping you in the know about what's happening in the West Michigan business community.
We understand how the issue of housing affects our members and their businesses, and are committed to keeping you informed as we work towards tackling the issue. At last week’s Public Policy meeting, we were joined by Housing Next Executive Director, Ryan Kilpatrick. He gave us an update on the work being done to address the…
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WalletHub announced that Holland, Michigan is once again the best small city in America to start a business. They’ve tracked data and rated cities on various influences and put us back on top for the fourth year in a row. While we’re all big data junkies at the Chamber, it didn’t take an excel spreadsheet…
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A major focus of discussions at Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition’s DC Fly-In in March revolved around Talent. Workforce development is a topic that crosses most of the industries in our country, although different areas of the Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition feel it in different ways. Common pain points include a lack of candidates with…
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This article and FAQ was prepared by The Michigan Chamber of Commerce to help our members comply with Michigan’s Paid Medical Leave Act, which went into effect on March 29, 2019. It is intended to convey general information only and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. Michigan’s new Paid Medical Leave Act (“Act”) went…
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I’m not a lobbyist by trade, but I do know about the significant issues our local businesses face and have many opportunities to talk about them. There’s not a week that goes by at the Chamber where we’re not sitting down with an elected official, be they local, state or federal to learn about issues…
Read MoreAre you a Voter? Taxpayer? Business Owner? Here’s your deep dive on issues that matter to all of us.
Friday morning Public Policy meetings are never the same thing twice. Members gather at the standard West Michigan crack of dawn hour to look at real issues that have direct influences on how we operate our businesses and support our community. Within the confines of the Chamber Learning Lab, one can learn about issues from…
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We’re all advocates for something. Whether its fund raising for your cause, asking for that raise, or speaking up on behalf of your children, we’re all inspired by issues that motivate us into action. When you think about our community and the businesses that drive our economy, you can likely think of any number of…
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Nobody builds a business alone. While you might often feel alone, be assured that there are other business owners and professionals experiencing the same issues that you are. Whether it’s recruiting employees, searching for vendors, investors or suppliers, someone else is in the same boat. There’s a link that connects the entrepreneur starting a new…
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While at a meeting with Chamber members this week, one person remarked that in light of the current divisive political climate, they’ve started to tune out “politics” all together. Maybe you’ve heard similar remarks around the water cooler or seen them on social media. But this same member, a manufacturer, also took advantage of an…
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This week the West Coast Chamber announced the creation of a new premier sponsorship with Gentex Corporation, named the Community Champion Premier Partnership. Gentex has been a strong supporter of the Chamber for many years, but this new partnership represents a commitment above and beyond the company’s longtime Gold sponsorship. It’s an investment in our…
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