Small Business Programs


About the National SCORE Organization

SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" is a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur
education and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. SCORE is a resource 
partner with the U.S Small Business Administration (SBA).

SCORE has 389 chapters in locations throughout the United States and its territories, with 10,500 
volunteers nationwide. Local chapters provide free counseling and low-cost workshops in their 
communities. Both working and retired executives and business owners donate their time and 
expertise as business counselors. SCORE was founded in 1964.

Grand Haven is served by the Muskegon Chapter of SCORE, which is made up of a group of  business 
executives living along the Lake Michigan Shoreline from Grand Haven to Pentwater.  They volunteer their 
time to help people start businesses.

They can also provide long term Mentoring of companies undergoing the stress of a changing marketplace.  
All information about your business is held in the strictest of confidence.  Score appointments are typically 
held on Wednesday mornings in the Chamber conference room at One South Harbor Drive in Grand Haven.  
The conference room is in the lower level of the building and parking is typically available at the street, or 
in the visitor spaces in the parking lot to the West of the building.

To find out what types of services are available through SCORE follow the link above to their website, or 
call the Chamber to set up an appointment at 616-842-4910.

Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg has a high-quality, full-service Michigan Small Business Development Center (Mi-SBDC) that offers small business counseling, start-up assistance, business plan preparation, financial trend analysis and assistance with projections, financial packaging and loan assistance, licensing and permitting information, management and training assistance and a tremendous information and referral resource to other providers within the community, the region and the state of Michigan.

The Chamber offers these services to businesses and individuals located within Northwest Ottawa County - which includes Ferrysburg, Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Grand Haven and Spring Lake Township.  The Chamber's Small Business Development Center is part of Region 7 which is based at Grand Valley State University. This offers a regional approach to small business assistance which is made up of a broad base of quality resources within Ottawa, Kent and Muskegon Counties.

A Small Business Start-Up Seminar is offered roughly two times per year in Northwest Ottawa County and even more often within the region as a whole. Additional training and seminars are also available on a regular basis that address specific business needs and concerns. Please contact David Miller at (616) 846-3153 for a free Business Start-Up Packet or for further information about the Mi-SBDC.

The Michigan Small Business Development Center Satellite Office at the The Chamber of Commerce is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under Cooperative Agreement 6-7770-0023-14. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Small Business Administration.