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Of Course GR is a Great Place to Start a Small Business

Share the goods.

A mug filled with pens at the 8THIRTYFOUR office

On March 1, ***@*******gn.com&utm_content=2662%253A%2520GRBJ%2520Daily%253A%2520Partners%2520revamping%2520urban%2520bar&ut” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>The GRBJ reported that Grand Rapids is the Number 2 city for “new small businesses” and we aren’t a bit surprised.
As a small business in our 11th year, we can attest that this City is an amazing place to take the leap and start a new company. Like all good things, starting a new business takes a lot of hard work, determination, and the ability to learn (quickly) from failure.
Lucky for us, and the other small businesses in our area, Grand Rapids offers a host of resources to help…there are actually so many we can’t list them all, but we do want to give a shout out to a few that have been instrumental in our growth:

The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce

We are proud Chamber members. Access to great programs and networking opportunities is really priceless, and we love that the Chamber works hard to connect with small companies. They are a great team that listens to our concerns and helps find solutions. They are moving into a new space soon to even better serve their membership, which shows how committed they are to Grand Rapids.

Small Business Association of Michigan

Ok, yes, this is technically a state-wide organization, but hear us out: we have met so many incredible business owners operating right here in West Michigan through our involvement with SBAM, in addition to great people all over the state. Being able to connect with local community members who have experienced the exact same challenges that we have is key to moving forward successfully.

Our Clients

8THIRTYFOUR works with hyper-local companies, international companies, and everything in-between, and we love them all for different reasons. There is, however, something cool about getting to work with members of our own City on their integrated communications needs. We have been able to help other people launch their own small businesses right here in Grand Rapids. People in this community are visionary, smart, and creative – and we get to be a part of their success.
So, what are you waiting for? Small businesses power the economy, and Grand Rapids is the perfect place to do it! Take advantage of all that our City has to offer, and take the leap!

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Recent Musings

Something on Your Mind?

Who made all these rules anyway?

Don’t wear color. Don’t share your ideas. Don’t put yourself out there. Don’t talk about your family.

We’re told to follow them, but @bodespeaks says question every single one. Then uncover your big hairy audacious goal, throw out the rulebook, and build a personal brand that actually works for you.

Thank you to Aggie and Cristy for having Kim on the @badass_women_in_business Podcast and, well... for being total badasses.

Listen to the full episode in bio.
We had some fun in the office this week and asked some of the 8THIRTYFOUR team what “square up” means.

Surprisingly, the Gen Z of the group got it, but one of our Gen X’s did not (not saying any names…)

How do you “square up”? 

#trending #fyp #squareup #agencylife
We love Dr. Karen May’s mission.

What if we taught our daughters AND our sons about women’s health, hormones, and pregnancy? Not as a whispered “talk” or a one-time awkward conversation. Just normal dinner-table stuff.

The girls deserve to know what’s coming (perimenopause shouldn’t be a surprise party nobody wanted). And the boys? They’ll be partners, dads, coworkers, and bosses to women going through all of it.

Thank you, Dr. May, for sharing your best practices to keep the women’s health conversation going at our Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause event.
Showing up to an interview with an iced coffee? Not the move… unless it’s for @bodespeaks

#icedcoffee #agency #PR #trending #grandrapids
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