MI Small Business

Michigan's small businesses have shown resiliency throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and are the backbone of our communities. Governor Whitmer is committed to getting small businesses the support they need as we build our economy back better.

Support for Small Business

Assisting Communities in Revitalizing Commercial Districts

In FY20, Match on Main through MEDC's Community Development team awarded 30 grants, supporting 307 main street businesses.

MiPlace.org

Business Grants To Help Small Businesses Grow Export Activities

In FY20, MEDC's International Trade Program assisted 530 Michigan companies to increase their export sales to 121 countries.

MichiganBusiness.org/Services/International-Trade

Early-Stage Funding for Startups

The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program has led to over 1,300 high-tech companies being formed in Michigan, and more than 20,000 new full time equivalent jobs.

MichiganBusiness.org/Services/Entrepreneurial-Opportunity

Providing Economic Relief

The MEDC launched 23 economic relief programs since March of last year to provide over $240M in vital economic support to small businesses across all 83 Michigan counties. The programs supported more than 25,000 companies and retained over 200,000 jobs with nearly 75% of support going to restaurants, bars, retailers and other service industry small businesses.

MichiganBusiness.org/COVID19Resources

Back to Work Employer Resources

The pandemic has created barriers to returning to work for many hardworking Michiganders. The State of Michigan offers programs aimed at helping employers fill job openings and provide safe, healthy work environments for employees.

Providing Unemployment Resources

Back to Work Incentive

Governor Whitmer expanded Work Share to offer employers greater flexibility as they brought employees back from unemployment. Throughout the pandemic, the program has provided over $550M, preserved over 110,000 jobs and helped nearly 2,600 employers retain workers and bring them back to the workforce.

Michigan.gov/WorkShare

Emergency Financial Assistance

Governor Whitmer's actions to expand and extend access to unemployment programs have provided a critical lifeline for 3.3M Michiganders since March 2020, paying over $36B in benefits, resulting over $68B in economic impact.

Michigan.gov/UIA

Connecting Talent

Apprenticeship Expansion

Creating benefits for employers and career seekers through on-the-job learning focused on new industry sectors and increasing the diversity of participants by recruiting groups historically underrepresented. Federal grants will help Michigan create more than 6,000 new apprentices over the next few years.

Michigan.gov/Apprenticeship

Tuition-Free Degrees And Certificates

By investing $24M in the Futures for Frontliners program, Governor Whitmer launched a new, first in nation scholarship program that resulted in over 120,000 essential, frontline worker applicants on a tuition-free path. Whitmer also launched Michigan Reconnect with a $30M investment to ensure over 4.1 million Michiganders age 25 or older will have an opportunity to earn a tuition-free associate degree or skills certificate. To date, nearly 75,000 Michiganders have applied.

Michigan.gov/Reconnect

Virtual Job Fairs

Michigan has ensured employers had access to traditional job search tools by organizing over 100 free virtual job fairs and connecting over 2,600 employers and 9,900 job seekers.

LEO-VJF@Michigan.gov

Addressing Child Care Needs

MI Tri-Share Child Care Program

The state plans to expand its $1M pilot that provides more affordable childcare through an innovative, bipartisan cost-sharing program that divides cost equally between employees, employer and state.

Record $1.4B Investment Proposal

Governor Whitmer proposed a $1.4B investment in federal child care funding to expand access to high-quality child care, make child care more affordable, and support child care professionals as part of the administration's Economic Jumpstart Plan. The plan should bring access for care to an additional 150,000 Michigan children.

Keeping Small Businesses Safe

Ambassador Program

The free consultation program helped over 5,400 employers create safe workplaces to get people back to work.

Michigan.gov/COVIDWorkplaceSafety

Safety Grants

MIOSHA issued over $8M in safety grants to over 1,500 businesses to help them invest in equipment, training and other materials to address their specific needs to create safe workplaces.

Weatherization Grants

LEO provided $3M in federal CARES Act funds to over 300 small businesses to expand their capacity by adding weatherized, temporary outdoor facilities.

Economic Jumpstart Plan

With additional state revenues expected and billions of dollars in incoming federal funding, Michigan is in a strong position to make investments that can transform the landscape for small businesses.

Governor Whitmer has proposed putting $300M into the Michigan Mainstreet Initiative.

Michigan Microenterprise Support Initiative

$125M to provide grants for businesses that did not qualify or apply for other incentives, like the federal Paycheck Protection Program. The plan would work with community development financial institutions to provide loans to rural businesses or other businesses with less than nine employees that struggled to access capital through traditional programs.

Michigan Small Business Restart Program

$100M to help restaurants and other place-based businesses cover costs by providing grants up to $20,000 for mortgage, rent, taxes, payroll and other operating expenses. The plan will set aside $25M for small businesses with less than nine employees, which is over half of Michigan businesses and a high proportion of women and minority owned businesses.

Michigan Small Business SmartZones And Business Accelerator And Resiliency Initiative

$75M to provide grants to startups that can help our communities thrive. The plan would create the Small Business Support Network and Small Business Fund to support traditional commercial corridor/main street businesses and provide opportunities for new businesses.

Promising Economic Results

The State of Michigan is already seeing promising results from the economic policies and COVID-19 mitigation measures that have helped small businesses and working people recover from the pandemic:

2nd strongest

An independent analysis from the financial publication, credible, states that our economic recovery is the2nd strongest nationwide.

1pt lower

Michigan's unemployment rate is nearly one point lower than the national average as more Michiganders get back to work.

$6.5B increase

New projections show the state's revenue outlook increasing by nearly $6.5B -- from a $3B deficit to a $3.5B surplus.

grew 7.6%

Michigan's economy grew 7.6%in the first quarter of 2021, the best in the Midwest, higher than the national average, and among the top 10 states nationwide.