See how some area businesses are responding to the new challenges You might call it an existing condition that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers that were contending with a tight labor market even before the virus arrived are still finding it hard to fill out their workforces despite higher numbers of jobless people. Continue Reading
Working remotely poised to enter a new era Talk to area businesspeople about the current and future state of working in an office, and you’ll hear a lot of similar words. For example, there’s “pivot,” a reference to how some office-centric companies tweaked their business model in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then there Continue Reading
Twenty honored for going above and beyond to serve Flint & Genesee in 2020 They span generations, live all over Genesee County and hold positions in both the public and private sector — if they’re old enough to hold a paying job at all. But they all have one thing in common: Even in the Continue Reading
They’re just three letters, but what they represent may very well have spelled the difference between success and failure for some Genesee County businesses during the COVID-19 shutdowns, observers say. The federal PPP, or Paycheck Protection Program, pumped a total of more than $550 million into 3,862 Genesee County businesses when the U.S. Small Business Continue Reading
For L’Oreal and Steven Hartwell, owning the Dawn Donuts shop at Pasadena Avenue and Clio Road is about more than making a living – they’re also aiming to inspire nearby residents to follow their dreams. Fletcher Rheaves not only employs nearly three dozen people at his Flint-based Great Lakes Facility Management janitorial services company, but Continue Reading
More frequent hand-washing breaks and other enhanced sanitation practices. Supplying face masks for employees to wear on the job. A sharp increase in the use of videoconferencing. Those were among the practices implemented by area businesses that continued to operate in at least a reduced capacity as the economy otherwise drastically slowed in the wake Continue Reading
Raise the curtain on any performance, exhibit or other activity at the Flint Cultural Center and you’ll find … a marketing opportunity? That’s one way leaders of the various Cultural Center institutions are encouraging local economic development officials to think of arts and culture’s role in the community. Armed with a recent study that found Continue Reading
The company takes aim at resolving issues affecting employers nationwide in today’s tight labor market Flint-based NorthGate has long prided itself on opening doors to employment for Genesee County residents who otherwise face barriers to entering the workforce. Now, through its Be Ready Enrichment Services program, the company is helping its employees build an even Continue Reading
Most longtime Greater Flint residents are likely aware of the area’s history of athletic excellence. They almost surely know, for example, about the number of state titles brought home by local high schools and all the homegrown athletes who have gone on to enjoy high-profile professional careers. But while those accomplishments grab headlines, a wide Continue Reading
They’re just four letters — C, D, F and I — but when combined, they translate into a big impact for low-income consumers and other members of Genesee County’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities. The handful of community development financial institutions — or CDFIs — that operate in the Flint area fill a variety of Continue Reading
