Below: Dale Schrader from Schrader Environmental Systems preparing for his interview on “The New Perspective” radio show.Left: Chris Holman and Christina Starks-Clay, owner of Faith Pillows.
TNCP Photo
By Nadine DefensorEntrepreneur Chris Holman always has business in his mind.
“I’ve always been a business guy, and have been in involved in business forever,” he reveals. In addition to be entrepreneur, Holman is also a business owner and media personality for 16 years, with his work always consisting of promoting business in the Mid-Michigan community. In early 2006, Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed him as Michigan’s Small Business Advocate.
But his efforts do not stop here.
To continue his passion of business advocacy, he created The Michigan Business Network (MBN), an internet broadcast company that focuses on developing and promoting small businesses around the state.
Holman states that before he started his radio company, there wasn’t any good communication tool for this particular industry. He formatted MBN to allow small businesses to come together to address their issues, in addition to being the resource center for Michigan’s small business community.
MBN consists of many radio programs that focus on different business areas.
Hosts of each program are chosen based on their expertise on the field. According to Holman, current radio personalities include those with a background in technology, marketing, event planning while also providing different perspectives on how to start a small business.
And with their knowledge on the business field, these individuals are then taught to become broadcasters. “We’ve been fortunate cause so many of them have become very good broadcasters,” said Holman.
When asked why he decided to use internet radio rather than the traditional radio syndication, Holman said that internet radio allows greater access for small businesses and reach a larger audience across the state.
“It’s really all about continued signal strength. Even when you are syndicated, you cannot reach the whole entire state because there are certain areas that don’t have as strong signals as others. But with internet, it is everywhere, allowing listeners to get unlimited access,” explained Holman. He shares that MBN has reached listeners in Scandinavia and Argentina as well.
Though MBN is known for its broadcasting radio programs, it only makes up forty percent of the function. The other sixty percent comes from website, which provides further information to help those interested in the small business industry. The site includes the latest business surveys and information, schedules and podcasts of programs, host biographies and an event calendar that can benefits everyone around the state. Holman said that he still would like to further expand the services of the website by including job placements and other sorts of information that can benefit small businesses as well. A free iPhone application for radio streaming is also available.
MBN’s recording studio will be relocated Michigan Ave. in Lansing, Michigan, in the very near future. According to Holman, this exciting location change was done so the MBN it will be located in the media center of Michigan. The move was done for a “billboard effect”, allowing more promotion on the company but also giving audience more access of how the company runs.
Holman hopes to continue helping smaller businesses expand in the future. “I’m firmly committed that it’s small business that’s bringing Michigan back. And anything we can do at MBN, we will do to help that cause.”
For more information about the MBN, please visit the website, http://michiganbusinessnetwork.com/
This was printed in the April 22, 2012 – May 5, 2012 Edition
