Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Launches Small Business Chicago

CHICAGO - Sept. 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Sept. 2, 2014 - The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce has established Small Business Chicago, a hub designed to create jobs and investment for small businesses. Small Business Chicago features new membership programs to cultivate skills and connections for local businesses and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the Chicagoland Chamber, which provides free, one-on-one business consulting for entrepreneurs and existing business owners. The SBDC at the Chicagoland Chamber will also kick off an ongoing Business 101 course about how to operate businesses profitably and efficiently.

“We established Small Business Chicago after diligent research and outreach to both our members and the wider community,” said Theresa E. Mintle, President and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Mintle cites a recent survey of Chamber membership in which 73 percent of respondents believed the Chamber should make small business development a top priority.

“More than 99 percent of businesses in Illinois are small businesses,” said Mintle. “Between our specialized programs and the SBDC, we are confident that the Chamber is building a solid foundation for these businesses to equip themselves with the tools to grow and strengthen the local economy.”

The Chamber will rely on the expertise of its diverse membership base and strategic partners to provide thought leadership and content to its events and programs, which are designed to reflect Chicagoland’s fast-growing entrepreneurial environment, from tech start-ups to established ventures.

“We are fortunate to have experts in every industry, from IT to law, marketing to manufacturing, as members of the Chicagoland Chamber,” said Katie Hamilton, Director of Small Business at the Chicagoland Chamber. “We will depend on these talented business and civic leaders to help make Small Business Chicago a success.”

About the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is committed to making Chicagoland the most business-friendly region in America by enhancing members’ success through advocacy, member benefits and services, and actionable information. Serving as “The Voice of Business” since 1904, the Chambers leads public policy and business growth initiatives and creates meaningful events and programs to inform, engage and connect members to each other and the community.

About the Small Business Development Center at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

Illinois Small Business Development Centers have been providing business assistance to new and existing businesses throughout the state of Illinois since 1984. Since its inception, the Illinois SBDC Network has served over 1,063,416 pre-venture and existing small businesses and has assisted clients secure access to over $3.25 Billion in debt and equity business financing. The SBDC at the Chicagoland Chamber is funded through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).