Muskegon Sun

Small Business Saturday: The Muskegon Innovation Hub of Grand Valley State University is not a small business, but it certainly provides services and networking for small businesses throughout the City of Muskegon and the Lakeshore region. 

Along Muskegon Lake in Downtown Muskegon, the Hub, 200 Viridian Drive, is a business innovation nerve center that provides coaching, funding, networking, and a synergistic work environment to help businesses and entrepreneurs achieve their true potential, according to Director Kevin Ricco. It is located in the Harbor 31 development and was the foundation for a Michigan SmartZone when GVSU opened the center in 2003 as the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center. The university broadened and rebranded the business support center beyond energy in creating the Hub in 2016. The Hub provides all types of small, innovative businesses incubator services of intense one-on-one coaching. Innovation is simply finding a better way to provide a product or service for less, taking a company from concept to market, said Thomas Hopper, associate director for business development. The Hub also taught the Muskegon Lakeshore the innovation of co-working space with the 2017 opening of CoLaunch – which offers remote working for individuals or office spaces up to six workers. Monthly fees begin at $60 and go up to $1,100 for the largest office space. CoLaunch offers not only a professional work location with high-speed Internet and advance printing but also networking, community building and educational opportunities, said Allison Dile, business incubator manager. 

A special entrepreneurial art space was created in the former MAREC fuel cell building for five artists businesses needing affordable studio space for everything from painting, sculpture to embroidery. Finally, the Hub provides access to small business financial assistance specifically through the Michigan Business Accelerator Fund available to SmartZones where small innovative companies can receive up to $50,000 over time in smaller increments to pay directly for business development services. The 28,000-square-foot Hub also has a community component with regular business educational programs, pitch competitions and the annual Lakeshore Innovators of the Year Awards. 

A new 16-week entrepreneurial program is launching free for veterans looking to start their own businesses. Information on all of the Hub programs can be found at its website: www.gvsu.edu/mihub. The City of Muskegon’s Development Services Division highlights the city’s small businesses on Saturday mornings. 

Email ideas for future business profiles to dave.alexander@shorelinecity.com.

Original source can be found here.