Thrive Affinity Groups

MICHBUSINESS: THRIVE AFFINITY GROUPS

Do you have somewhere to turn when faced with a difficult business situation?

Now you don’t have to face it alone. Check out our new Thrive Affinity Groups.

Help your business thrive by joining one the new affinity groups now offered by MichBusiness and powered by MBPA. The new Thrive Affinity Groups will provide MichBusiness members with a unique and affordable opportunity to meet with peers in a confidential forum moderated by an industry professional. The groups will consist of 10-15 members who meet monthly to compare best practices and find solutions to issues.

Thrive Affinity Group members will develop a circle of trust, where problems and experiences can be openly discussed. Different than networking groups, the meetings will provide no leads and sales between members will be discouraged. Competitors and vendors are excluded.

Meetings begin in January at various locations in SE Michigan. Groups are designed around organizational roles, industry, and family business. Call to find a group that’s right for you. Make plans to be a guest at a future meeting.

Executives in Small Business
This group will be comprised of those in a leadership role in small organizations; in most cases this will be the owner. Discussion topics may include business growth, revenue generation, access to capital, or selling the company.

Accounting Office
Business managers, controllers, and accounting office professionals from private Michigan companies will meet monthly to discuss taxes, budgeting, staffing and other concerns.

Food Industry Professionals
Distributors, manufacturers, growers, suppliers and restaurant owners meet to share tips on recruiting and retention of employees and discuss legislation affecting the industry as well as other business issues.

Human Resource Professionals
HR Directors and HR Professionals attend these sessions to share solutions and resources. This group is not open to HR consultants or service providers; members must be employed as HR staff for companies not in the business of providing HR services.

Professional Service Providers
Members are business owners and business development professionals meeting monthly to explore sales strategies, lead generation, and goal setting, in addition to problem solving and accountability.

Women in Business
Women holding leadership positions in larger organizations will meet to discuss opportunities, goals, barriers to success, pay equity and other relevant topics.

Next Generation in a Family Business
Those poised to be next in line to lead a family business or small enterprise discuss legal and personal issues in succession planning. Members are peers who hash out the problems of dealing with the leading generation as they develop leadership skills in preparation for their next role.

Females in a Family Business
Wives, daughters, aunts, sisters and mothers in a family business are invited to attend as women who own, are partners in, or work for family businesses.

Executives in a Family Business
This group are baby-boomers running family businesses and thinking about retirement. Whether that is in five years or 25 years, whether or not you have a son or daughter to follow you, you need to have a succession plan. A succession plan is not one thing, it’s many things – emotional, financial, legal and more. Meet with your peers to discuss these issues in a confidential setting.