Last week I went to the G.R.O.W. 101 class. It was really great. Grand Rapids Opportunity for Woman or G.R.O.W. is a wonderful organization. They provide a wide variety of resources and services to anyone interested in starting their own business, launching a product, marketing themselves, or expanding their existing business.

When I was sitting in the class I kept thinking, “Dang, I wish I knew about this organization earlier!” They have programs to assist you in organizing your ideas and help you make the first steps toward starting your business. They help you to make sure your personal finances are organized and that you start your business as responsibly as possible. The class, Start Smart, is a good introduction course. This class focuses on the fundamentals of business and gives attendants the knowledge and understanding of running their own small business.

G.R.O.W. doesn’t leave you at the door of their classroom if you desire more assistance. They provide a One-on-One Business Counseling service that will walk with you through the finalizing of business objectives and goals, through the financing process, through helping you properly market yourself and your business, along with various other management topics. This counseling can last up to six months or more if necessary. For people who already have a business up and running they have a separate counseling program called, Business Wellness Check-Up. This program assists those facing a variety of challenges and works with the business owner on the specific concerns of their business. G.R.O.W. helps to achieve responsible solutions to the business owners concerns and meets with the owner on a regular basis to work on strategic plans and issues.

G.R.O.W. offers great ‘cluster’ classes that prepare those setting out on the new adventure of business ownership. These classes range from business planning to legal and taxes to marketing and more. Their goal is to best prepare the courageous new owner for success in the business world.

The organization also has a micro-loan program that allows them to help fund these new ventures. The main goal of these loans is to assist in start-up costs for new businesses. Austin and I are hoping to work with G.R.O.W. and their micro-loan program. This would help us to achieve our target number for start-up expenses.

Whether we end up going through the loan program or not we will definitely be using this organization as a resource. They provide such great assistance for those new to the business world and they possess a desire to see new business thrive. They will be a huge asset and we are excited to begin working with them.

Please continue to pray for us and our mission. Your prayers have been such a blessing thus far and will continue to be so as we move forward. Thank you all so much for your support! Remember, if you’d like your name on our wall donate at GoFundMe. Enjoy the rest of your week! We’ll check-in again soon. God Bless!!