Michigan small businesses – companies with fewer than 500 employees – are invited to explore export opportunities at two Global Access Exporter Forums taking place in Grand Rapids and Novi on November 17 and 18.

Governor Rick Snyder will give remarks at the Novi forum and Fred P. Hochberg, Chairman and President of Export-Import Bank of the United States will give presentations at both events. The forums are presented by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, Huntington Bank, PNC Bank, Chase and Export-Import Bank.

The forums will provide companies with details on qualifying for export assistance, new export financing incentives and available resources for export-related activities. 

There also will be panel discussions and break-out sessions designed for businesses with all levels of experience in exporting. 

The Grand Rapids forum will take place on Thursday, November 17 from 1:30 to 5 p.m. at the Eberhard Center at Grand Valley State University. The cost to attend is $15. To register, visit http://www.gvsu.edu/vagtc/training-events.htm. 

The Novi forum will take place on Friday, November 18 from 10:30 to 4 p.m. at the Baronette Renaissance Hotel. The cost to attend is $25 and includes lunch. For more information or to register, visit www.regonline.com/exportforum.

A Michigan start-up specializing in electric vehicle charging equipment was the first company to receive a loan enhancement under the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a small business capital access program administered by the MEDC.

Livonia-based PEP Stations worked with Talmer Bank and Trust on a working capital line of credit with a limit of $750,000. PEP Stations secured the deal with the assistance of SSBCI, which participated in
49.9 percent of the new line of credit. This structure allowed Talmer Bank and Trust to close the deal and provide the necessary capital to the project.

PEP Stations plans to design, assemble, install, and monitor charging stations for electric vehicles. The product will be used at commercial properties where a vehicle would typically be parked for two hours or more, like office buildings, parking structures, shopping centers, or movie theatres. PEP Stations plans to launch its product in key markets around the United States, which requires new capital sources.

PEP Stations Vice President of Business Development Brady Blain said the loan is especially significant as more electric cars are produced and consumer demand for them continues to grow.

“PEP Stations strives to help Michigan become the leader in developing the required charging infrastructure to support the success of the electric vehicle,” Blain said. “The state recognized the importance of our efforts and as a result of its support through the MEDC and the SSBCI we are now well on our way to achieving our goals.”

The SSBCI program was approved by Congress in 2010 and was based, in part, on innovative loan enhancements pioneered by the MEDC. SSBCI loan enhancements increase capital to small businesses by participating with lenders to address issues which often make small business loans less attractive.

Visit here to learn more about the program.

Need help raising capital to accelerate the growth of your business? West Michigan entrepreneurs now have a chance to make an “elevator pitch” to investors from Beringea, Michigan’s largest venture capital firm, at Grand Valley State University’s (GVSU) Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, located at GVSU’s Grand Rapids campus.

From 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, March 29, entrepreneurs are invited to meet with investors from Beringea. Whether you’re a student with an idea or a professional with an established business, investors will be available for 15-minute time slots to hear your pitch. Click here to register; it’s free and open to the public.

This exciting event is one of many the Center is hosting this month. For a full schedule and details, click here.

Donald Snider, vice president of urban development for the MEDC, has only been on the job a short time, but he’s already completed a guest stint on Detroit Public Television. Snider sat down with the host of “American Black Journal” recently to outline how the MEDC is working to bolster businesses in Michigan’s major urban cores, such as Grand Rapids, Detroit, Saginaw, Flint, Highland Park and Benton Harbor.

Snider, head of the newly created Office of Urban Initiatives, said he’s working with both existing and start-up businesses, meeting with banks to look into creating more lending flexibility, and planning to establish microloan funds.

“Urban populations now have an unprecedented advocate within a gubernatorial administration,” Snider said. “We’ll work to revitalize Michigan cities one neighborhood at a time.”

To watch Snider’s interview on “American Black Journal,” go to www.dptv.org/ondemand/abj/abjvodlg.shtml.

Michigan-based entrepreneurs who want a shot at winning $100,000 are encouraged to register by the 5 p.m. Friday, March 4 deadline for the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest business-plan competition.

“This competition is a great resource for Michigan innovators to tap,” Michigan Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Michael A. Finney said.  “Our future Fords, Dows and Kelloggs get a chance to consult with experts to refine business plans and compete for cash prizes.”

Participants will be matched with a business coach, receive feedback from venture investors, and compete for cash prizes valued at up to $25,000 with the opportunity to win the $100,000 SmartZone award.

Three categories of competition offer opportunities for businesses in various stages of development. Executive summaries and business plans are due May 7 for participants in the New Business Idea and Emerging Company categories. Participants competing for the SmartZone award must have a complete business plan and a letter of recommendation from a SmartZone by April 22. Winners will be announced at the annual GLEQ awards celebration on June 9.

Complete details and registration requirements are available online at www.GLEQ.org.

Accuri Cytometers,  one of the original 21^st Century Jobs Fund awardees, is being purchased by one of the world’s leading medical technology companies, Becton Dickinson and Company.  Accuri, the Ann Arbor-based life sciences company, produces affordable, easy to use flow cytometers that are used in blood cell analysis.

In 2006, MEDC awarded a$2 million loan to Accuri in the first 21^st Century Jobs Fund Competition.  In 2007, the company received a ten year high technology MEGA tax credit to create 88 direct jobs.  Since receiving the 21^st Century loan, Accuri has raised over $28 million in funding and created 37 new high-tech jobs through 2009.

Michigan small businesses seeking to grow will be more likely to qualify for loans even in the face of an ongoing credit crunch thanks to an infusion of cash from the federal government that will bolster the state’s small business lending program, Governor Rick Snyder and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced. Michigan is the first state to  receive federal funds through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), part of the Small Business Jobs Act signed into law last October. Michigan will receive approximately $79.1 million to back small business loans. Using the federal funds to insure against default will give banks more confidence and make them more likely to lend, which will spark job growth.” “This is a big boost,” Governor Snyder said.

The MEDC will use the federal funds to operate the Michigan Business Growth Fund and the Capital Access Program. For more information on this initiative, check out the website.

When considering locations for your company, few things are more important than the quality of life for your employees.

Today, we are proud to announce the launch of PureMichiganLiving.com, a new initiative by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) dedicated to covering good news and quality of life stories about our great state. As a part of the launch, they are asking residents of Michigan to share their stories of why they choose to live in Michigan. This “Choose Michigan” campaign seeks to collect 1,000 stories over the next week. Two lucky submissions will be randomly selected and awarded one of two great Michigan getaways donated by Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa of Thompsonville and the Westin Book Cadillac of Detroit.

Follow Pure Michigan Living on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to show your support and share your stories with them.

We hope you are as excited as we are to see Pure Michigan Living take off.  If you are a Michigan business owner, please consider submitting your story to let other businesses know why they should Choose Michigan.

If you’re a business that’s chosen to invest in Michigan’s commununities by doing business in our state, you can add your name to the Buy Michigan First movement.

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm initiated Buy Michigan First to encourage Michigan businesses, including underrepresented vendor groups, to register with the State as vendors and bid on more more than 1,100 contract opportunities worth billions of dollars. 

In addition to listing your business in the registry, you can meet the Buy Michigan First team at a number of upcoming conferences, and learn the ins and outs of contracting with the state.

In a entrepreneur video interview with AnnArbor.com’s Business Review, Skip Simms explains the importance of microloans for funding options for new business owners as traditional sources of capital are no longer available.  Simms, a Managing Director at Ann Arbor SPARK, highlights how critical funding is for start-up companies and how microloans can help the economic plan for the Ann Arbor business community.

According to Simms, “Microloan funds are specifically for the very early stage, innovative based companies that are not ready yet for private equity for even that first round of angel investment.”  He continues, “(Microfunds) help entrepreneurs to market, to get into the market, to ramp up production of their prototypes and to make their first sales.  That’s the primary purpose of the funds.”

Ann Arbor SPARK aims to advance the economic development of innovation-based businesses in the Ann Arbor region by offering programs, resources, and proactive support to business at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations looking for expansion opportunities.

Watch the full interview about microloans.