Business is good in Bay County and poised to get better as entrepreneurs find success and support here.
Multiple programs exist in Bay County to help entrepreneurs open businesses or improve existing enterprises.
In its July 8 The Morning newsletter, The New York Times uses Bay County as a bright example in a good news story about the U.S. economy. Jim Tankersley wrote the article, titled “Comeback story.”
In it, Tankersley writes about how several different communities, including Bay County, have comeback from economic hard times. The article includes information from a report by the Economic Innovation Group titled
“Economic Renaissance or Fleeting Recovery Left-Behind Counties See Boom in Jobs and Businesses Amid Widening Divides.”
According to The New York Times article, Bay County lost 8% of its businesses from 2009 to 2016. Since 2020, though, we’ve gained 12%, according to The Times article.
Michelle Judd who works as a Small Business Consultant for the
Michigan Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) says she stands ready to help those businesses prosper in our community. She is part of the team at
Bay Future, 812 N. Water St.
Judd says it’s always a good time to open a business here.
“I don’t think there’s ever a bad time,” Judd says. “There’s always opportunity.”
Right now, there’s also support.
“We’re seeing very good engagement in Bay County from both existing businesses and individuals still looking to strike out and start a businesses,” she says.
The MSBDC can help businesses at any stage, but Judd she adds the agency has the most to offer to start-ups.
When she talks to someone thinking of opening a business, Judd starts with the basics.
“You have to look at market demand and what customers are looking for,” she advises clients.
“It can’t always be just what you want to do. It has to mesh with what the marketplace is looking for and what customer needs are. We try to help people figure that out. Do they have the right market fit? What do they need to do to be successful?”
Judd also works with existing businesses, even some that have been around for years.
“A lot of my clients just need ongoing mentorship. They want to grow their business or they want to be the best leader they can be. They’re thinking about succession,” she says.
“We have ongoing support that’s tailored to the individuals, one-on-one consulting through the Michigan SBDC.”
Recently, she helped Wanigan Eatery, 1905 S. Wenona Ave., land $25,000 in
Match on Main grant money from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Upcoming opportunities for small businesses include:
Business by the Bay Pitch Competition
The second annual
Business by the Bay pitch competition is accepting applications until 5 p.m. Wed., July 31. The competition ends in a live pitch event, set to take place on Wed., Nov. 13 in the John Glenn High School auditorium.
The grand prize winner will receive $5,000. Runners-up could win additional prizes. In all Judd expects to award $11,500 in cash prizes during the event.
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Graphic courtesy of Princess & the HoundIn 2023, Jena Monville, from Princess and the Hound mobile pet grooming salon, walked away with both the top $5,000 prize from the judges and $250 for the audience. during the Business by the Bay Pitch Competition.The cash prizes are only one facet of the competition, though.
In the days leading up to the live pitch event, the participants are invited to workshops on marketing, finance, and pitch deck creation. They present their ideas to a panel of judges to receive direct funding plus marketing exposure.
The final event is open to the public, Judd adds.
“The pitches are really quick,” she says. “They’re seven minutes and 10 slides, so they go by really quickly. But it’s fun to see the ideas that they have and root for these businesses.”
(Learn more about the first pitch event in this Nov. 9, 2023 Route Bay City article.)
Any for-profit business that’s been open two years or less and is generating revenue of less than $1 million, is eligible to enter the 2024 competition. For more information or to apply for the 2024 program, visit the
application link.
90 Day Business Refinement Program
The 90-Day Business Refinement Program, held in partnership with the MSBDC, Bay Future, SVSU, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, helps entrepreneurs build a local network.
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Graphic courtesy of Haviland Hybrid
For several years, Adrian Montague and James Shuttleworth have been facilitating business cohorts in the Flint area. During the 90-day program, business owners meet weekly for 12 consecutive weeks to talk about common issues.
Along the way, Montague hopes they learn from each other and build a network that can continue to support them long after the program ends.
The 90-Day Business Refinement program has its roots in something called Flint SOUP.
Montague says Flint SOUP began after she and Shuttleworth listened to the needs of local entrepreneurs. In the beginning, Flint SOUP consisted primarily of business-focused dinners. Guests would each contribute $5, listen to five-minute pitches from local entrepreneurs, and then vote on who took home the pool of money raised.
(Learn more about Flint SOUP in this Feb. 7, 2018 article in Route’s sister publication Flintside.)
Along with the money, the entrepreneurs gained new relationships. The Flint SOUP program continues, but now is called a Doxa Dinner.
The 90-Day Business Refinement Program is a separate event, focused specifically on using cohorts to build relationships between businesses and their leaders. One Bay County cohort already has concluded, but Montague hopes to create several more cohorts in 2024.
Each cohorts will consist of 12 to 15 people. The cohorts have three goals. The first is to create community; the second is to engage in peer-to-peer learning; and the third goal is to build connections.
“We didn’t want to have a huge group of people getting lost in a room of 30 individuals,” Montague says. “We want to have 12 to 15 people so that it is large enough to take in information, but small enough to engage and still have meaningful conversation.”
Through it all, Montague encourages business owners to consider the foundation of their enterprise. Like Judd, Montague reminds entrepreneurs that a successful business fulfills a need. Business owners need to figure out what the community needs before launching a new venture.
“It takes a lot of questioning and a lot of research and a lot of feedback,” Montague says. “That’s one thing we really encourage in the class. Start talking to your potential customers. You can’t intrinsically know what they’re thinking or what they need, so start having conversations with your community. You’ll see themes or opportunities that weren’t immediately apparent.”
During the cohort’s formal time together, Montague taps subject experts to talk to the groups. More importantly, though, she encourages members of the cohort to help each other.
“Everybody learns from everybody,” she says.
To apply or for more information,
email info@havilandhybrid.com for a program application.
Judd says the 90-day program works.
“James and Adrian are really working on that cohort style. It’s especially effective for people needing to build a network,” she says.
She also echoes Montague’s emphasis on building those connections as early as possible in the life of your business.
“We hope that they get to us before they even start their businesses. We’re best able to help them get started. But if they’ve already gotten started and need help, we’ll pick up and learn from there.”