Supporting Grand Rapids Business Growth
From Darcy McMann, GR Chamber President ……
The Joyconomy Is Here — Is Your Leadership Ready?
When banks were failing and bread lines forming during the Great Depression, cosmetic sales rose 25%. In 2008, as the global economy collapsed, Lego posted record profits. In 2020, as the pandemic shuttered industries, the pet sector grew 16%. These industries weren't...
Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Reveals A Hiring Mistake Every Company Should Avoid
Great employees leave. Your secrets shouldn’t. On July 10, Apple sued OpenAI in federal court, accusing it of stealing trade secrets through a hiring pattern the complaint claims to see operating “at every level” of the company. More than 400 former Apple employees...
Password Managers For Small Businesses: Are They Worth It?
Many cyberattacks begin with a stolen, guessed, or reused password. When employees manage dozens of accounts, from Google Workspace to banking, accounting, and social media, it becomes tempting to reuse passwords or save them in unsafe places. But password reuse...
Tariffs Have Been Particularly Costly For Small Businesses
Not long after announcing the sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs in April 2025, President Donald Trump claimed the taxes on imports would be good news for American small businesses. "I'm proud to be the president for the workers, not the outsourcers—the president who...
US Small-Business Sentiment Rebounds In June, Inflation A Major Worry For Many
U.S. small-business sentiment increased in June, but the share of owners reporting that inflation was their "single most important" problem was the highest in nearly two years, and more said they had raised average selling prices. The National Federation of...
How To Empower Employees Without Micromanaging
Organizations today increasingly recognize that employees do their best work when they're trusted to take initiative, solve problems and exercise judgment on their own. Yet many leaders struggle to find the balance between giving employees the freedom to make...
