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Accounting firms support staff during tax season

(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Saturday day care, informal basketball games, casual days and lots of food are a few of the ways...

Craft beer industry grows by 20 percent, tops off state’s economy

LANSING — Want to boost Michigan’s job growth and economy? Treat yourself to a cold craft beer. Michigan’s craft beer industry grew by 20 percent...

Meijer stocks Michigan-made grocery items

Last May, one of the first jars of Johnny Secreto spaghetti sauce was sold at a farmers market in Michigan. Starting then and all...

Current education policy creates another generation unfit for jobs

Many area economic development professionals this past week gave a good deal of their time to be present for Gov. Rick Snyder’s “economic summit”...

From downsizing to up-sizing

A lot of manufacturing companies that survived the Great Recession did so by downsizing. Now many of them need to get bigger again to...

Workplace technology puts strain on organizational policies

There is no doubt that technology is changing the way we work. In fact, it is changing things so fast that it is difficult...

New downtown entity takes shape

After at least a year in the making, it apparently won’t be long before Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. becomes the new organization for the...

Pondering office posture

Steelcase has rolled out a new office chair that it claims is “the first chair designed to support our interaction with today’s technologies.” Barbara Rounds,...

And the winner is: the first to file — or publish

The new patent law that went into effect March 16 has been referred to as a “first to file” patent system, in contrast to...

Schools share mixed responses to RTW legislation

A bill headed to Lansing’s House floor could cost Michigan’s public universities millions in state funding. According to the bill, passed Tuesday by the House...

Inside Track: When it comes to legal battles, this combat vet has an edge

Which was worse: war or law school? Brent Geers chuckles at the question, then reflects on the four years he spent abroad fighting in Iraq...

Revised Uniform Arbitration Act will take effect in July

Michigan's "bare bones" arbitration laws have been given more definition by legislation passed during the recent lame duck legislative session. The new statute, known as...

City approves agreement with land bank

Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell called the proposed partnership an interesting one and a sign of continuing cooperation among local governments. The rest of the...

Commissioners likely to approve tax notes

Kent County commissioners are all but certain to continue an annual tradition this week by agreeing to let Kent County Treasurer Ken Parrish borrow...

Out-of-state students boost university budgets

LANSING — When the state cuts funding to public higher education, universities generally react by raising tuition. But a second option is to increase...

Commissioners OK design and engineering contracts

Grand Rapids city commissioners supported two requests from City Engineer Marc De Clercq last week, which means a dozen architectural firms and a baker’s...

County panel says no to land bank

The Kent County Land Bank Process Subcommittee is recommending to the full commission that the Kent County Land Bank Authority not be allowed to...

A new way to look at questions and engagement: emotionally

When you’re asking an existing or prospective customer a question, the object is to get them to think and respond emotionally. To most salespeople this...

TWOB event was inspiring

I was surprised and honored to receive the Top Women Owned Business award. It is very gratifying to know that my hard work and...

Street Talk: Home may be where the heart is, but employees aren’t

Pointing to extensive research from more than a decade of experience with the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For program, National Association for...