Business Blog

The Chamber’s internal talent development comes in the form of our amazing student interns who represent local high schools and colleges, as well as connect with us through Careerline Tech Center. This fall we have welcomed Justin Freeman and Autumn Post to our team to support our Marketing and Sales departments. Our interns make a…

One of your Chamber benefits is access to tools that can help you make good decisions for your business. Economic forecasting is a key component for informing your strategic planning. Our partners at Lakeshore Advantage meet with over 300 business leaders each year and interview a strategic sampling of approximately 120 of them using a vetted…

Strong Start to the New Season of Advocacy in Action It’s been a strong start to our Advocacy in Action programs this week, with the first meeting of the Public Policy Committee and the kick off to our Governmental Affairs Breakfast. At Monday’s breakfast we were pleased to welcome two U.S. Congressman to meet with…

September marked the new program year, new fiscal year, and the welcome to three new Chamber Board Members. Our Board of Directors pulls leaders from a cross-section of industries, with an intentional emphasis on selecting members of diverse backgrounds, genders and ages, in order to get a well-rounded perspective on the issues and needs of…

The Holland/Zeeland Housing Pre-Development Fund has been created to cover pre-development costs to incentivize developers to add affordable housing in the Holland and Zeeland areas. Increasing affordable housing at all price points in Ottawa County has been a major topic of concern among business, municipal and philanthropic leaders in recent years. ​Housing Next, the Community Foundation of…

Housing Choice and Housing Affordability at all price points are not exactly the same thing, but they are integrally linked. I use both phrases often and recognize that it sometimes sounds as though they are interchangeable. It’s important to recognize some subtle and not-so-subtle differences. Housing Choice is the opportunity for the market (for-profit, non-profit, governmental organizations and individuals)…

Preparing the Workforce of the Future At our June Wake Up West Coast Breakfast, the hot topic was talent development. It’s no secret that employers across industries are finding it more and more difficult to fill employment vacancies, and educational institutions are actively developing programs to match the skills needed for future careers. Following breakfast,…

At our last Wake Up West Coast Breakfast event, a panel of higher education administrators took the stage to answer questions about the complex subject of talent development, and how they are preparing students for jobs available now and those projected for the future. These Superintendents and Community College Presidents shared about the numerous degree…

What does “sustainability” mean for businesses? The goal of a sustainable business strategy is to make a positive impact on the environment and on society. A growing number of organizations are integrating sustainability into their business strategy—realizing they can do well by doing good. The mission of the West Coast Chamber Sustainability Affinity Group is improving the…

Ask anyone who has ever built a business from the ground up, it’s probably the hardest thing they have ever done. It demands more of their time, energy, resources, creativity, patience, families and fortitude than they could have ever anticipated. Yet each year thousands of ambitious entrepreneurs take the leap of faith and start businesses…