Ann Arbor Area Business Monthly
by Van
The Ann Arbor Area Business Monthly is available at all library locations. The latest issue is available for library use. Earlier issues circulate for two weeks.
Each issue has profiles of local businesses and businesspeople, articles on general business topics, on Michigan and U. S. laws and programs, plus pages of short briefs from local company press releases; columns by Mike Gould, “Small Business and the Internet”, and by John Agno, “Ask the ‘Coach’, answering business questions; a business events calendar; and other interesting columns, charts and statistics.
The September special issue is “dedicated to the University of Michigan and its huge economic impact on the local community.” There is a useful chart of 2006 U of M Major Development Projects with the estimated cost and completion date plus 2005-06 Completed Development Projects. The 2006 projects total 1.75 billion dollars. This issue has a useful directory of thirty-three sources for U-M Local Business Assistance. Each source has a brief description of the program, contact phone number, web site, and e-mail address.
Some interesting statistics from the August issue:
Ann Arbor “hotel occupancy rates averaged about 67 percent for 2005, up 4.5 percent from the previous year.”
“As of June 30, 2006, the total market vacancy rate, including office and flex space, was 13.2%…the highest total market vacancy rate since Swisher Commercial began its vacancy reports in 1994.” (Commercial Real Estate)
Tourism Statistics for Washtenaw County, 2004: $368 million in total visitor spending; 5700 jobs (direct economic impacts in tourism-related businesses).
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