Like many U.P. businesses, Stewart’s company started out in his home. Five years later, however, the operation has grown and now employs four people at its offices on 70th Avenue West. Stewart attributes much of his success, including recognition by the Chamber with a Spotlight on Business Award in 2014, to networking. “As a small business owner, you want to have depth in your contacts, so that you have clients, referrals and even just other people to bounce ideas off of,” he says.
That is why one of his main goals during his tenure as chair of the West Side Branch is going to be encourage local businesses, especially home-based businesses, to participate in networking events so they can realize the value these opportunities provide to help them grow their businesses. “I really think that how connected we are has a direct relationship to how successful we can be,” he says.