Professional Development Support and More for Small Businesses
Most businesses in the Grand Traverse region can qualify for free professional development programming.
Traverse Connect is a proud partner of the Small Business Support Hub Grant Program from the Small Business Association of Michigan.
Qualifying as a Participant in the SBSH Grant Program is relatively easy. You do not need to be a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) or any organization to qualify.
The SBSH Grant Program provides free programming, courses, events, and support designed to help your business recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and help you achieve the success you seek for your business.
Small Business Support Hubs FAQ
Qualifying as a Participant in the SBSH Grant Program is relatively easy. Business owners do not need to be a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) or any organization to qualify.
Business owners must simply tell SBAM a little about your business and they will handle the rest. You will NOT be asked to submit such personal information as business financial reports, personal financial statements, or previous years’ tax returns. Once you complete the application the SBAM Foundation team will review your application and determine if you and your employees qualify to participate.
Once you are approved as a Participant in the SBSH Grant Program, you will be given full access to their entire catalog of free programming, courses, events, and support. Up to five employees may be given login credentials to access programming and courses.
This includes Let Her Speak and Leadership Roundtables. Future programming from Traverse Connect will be included.
In general, an established 1st or 2nd stage business is one that has been in business for at least two years and has moved past the start-up stage to achieve some level of operational stability. While there are no rock-solid criteria for identifying a 1st or 2nd stage business, they often have achieved annual revenues approaching $500,000 to over $1 million, have between 2 and 99 employees, and are ready and willing to grow to the next level.
The benefits associated with the SBSH Grant Program are not available to nonprofit organizations.
You need only be an established, 1st stage or 2nd stage for-profit business located in Michigan with fewer than 500 employees to apply to our program. The benefits associated with the SBSH Grant Program are not available to nonprofit organizations.
You do not need to be an S-Corp or LLC to qualify.
After submitting your application, you’ll be notified by SBAM of your acceptance or denial into the program. This notification will inform you of the next steps.
The following programs are or will be available to SBSH participants in the Grand Traverse region:
- Let Her Speak (Enroll via the SBSH course catalog by August 30)
- Leadership Roundtables (Enroll via the SBSH course catalog by September 15)
- Community Mentoring (Coming soon!)
- Women’s Leadership Cohort (Coming in 2025)
Once your business is accepted as an SBSH Participant, you’ll be able to enroll in any course offered to SBSH participants, including Traverse Connect programs.
If you or your employees wish to participate in Traverse Connect’s professional development programs that are available to SBSH participants, you and your employees must apply through the SBSH course catalog, not through the program’s application on the Traverse Connect website.
If you have questions about the SBSH program and the application, please contact SBAM at info@SBAMFoundation.org
If you have questions about how to enroll in Traverse Connect’s programs, please email info@traverseconnect.com