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Health & Fitness

I'm With the Government and I'm Here to Help — Really!

Need some capital to help launch/grow your new business? Find out how to find it at the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber's business roundtable event.

People love to complain about their government leaders to the point that being identified as a “politician” is akin to, well, fill in the blank.

Having spent more than 20 years in the newspaper business before joining the staff of the , I’ve had the opportunity to meet and interact with hundreds of “politicians,” from the President of the United States to library board trustees.

Surely, there are legitimate problems with every level of government and the men and women who we elect to represent us in those bodies. But my experience has been that, with very few exceptions, our elected officials and the staffs of the various governmental units truly are committed to improving our quality of life and are decent, hard-working public servants.

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I believe this is also true in the business world. Yes, we can disagree with tax policy or government regulations or zoning laws, but there is a wealth of support being offered to the business community at every level of government. Sometimes, it simply is a matter of getting that message out or knowing where to look for the help.

To help the local business community take advantage of these opportunities, the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber is using the next installment of our Investepreneur™ Roundtable series to focus on government grants, loans and other services being offered by government agencies at the county, state and federal levels. Working with our corporate sponsor, the Miller Canfield law firm, the session is aimed at finding crucial support for both start-up businesses and those looking to “graduate” to the second stage of their development.

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This event should be a must attend for anyone thinking about launching their own business or looking for working capital to grow their operation. Many of the programs that will be discussed to are either free or low cost to the local business community. Beyond that, perhaps those attending the session also will walk away with a slightly different perspective on how they view our government system, and the individuals that make it work.

For more details, visit the Chamber Web site at www.bbcc.com

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