Posts by growthzone
Small Business Mayoral Forum Recap
Small Business Mayoral Forum Recap The Small Business Advocacy Council and a robust number of chambers and organizations hosted a small business mayoral forum. This was a lively discussion about each candidate’s visions for supporting small businesses and neighborhood business districts. We want to thank all of the local chambers of commerce that partnered with…
Read MoreSBAC Women in Business: Roundtable on Small Businesses and Child Care
SBAC Women in Business: Roundtable on Small Businesses and Child Care The SBAC Women in Business hosted a virtual roundtable with Chairman Edgar Gonzalez Jr. to discuss accessibility to affordable child care and small businesses. Â It was an insightful conversation and we sincerely thank Chairman Gonzalez for taking the time out of his busy schedule…
Read MoreWelcome Our New BOD Member!
Welcome Sherry Jursa! We’re happy to welcome Sherry Jursa from PNC’s Business Banking wing to the Empower Board. Sherry holds an MBA from Northern Illinois University and a BA from North Central College in Political Science. With over 15 years’ experience in banking, Sherry is a proven professional who strives to provide excellence while meeting…
Read MoreSmall Business Mayoral Forum
Small Business Mayoral Forum Insights Archive Insights Archive Select Month November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 May 2024 April 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October…
Read MoreLegislation to Support Local Chambers Passes
Legislation to Support Local Chambers Passes Many chambers of commerce were devastated by the pandemic. However, this did not stop them from providing crucial support to local businesses. The SBAC is thrilled to report that Illinois politicians have provided 5 million dollars to support the recovery of chambers of commerce in Illinois. The SBAC has…
Read MoreChildcare Tax Credit
Childcare Tax Credit Authors:Â Â Minna Pomeroy, Leverage People Leslee Cohen, All Rise Legal Counsel Employers across our state are struggling to find enough employees to support their businesses. Indeed, some businesses have been forced to scale back their operations because of a lack of employees in the workforce. The Small Business Advocacy Council is championing…
Read MoreSBAC Empower’s 2023 Impact Report
Our Impact (Report) SBAC Empower had an incredible year in 2022. We are proud to report our impact in the SBAC Empower 2023 Impact Report. This report is a detailed collection of data from 2019 – 2022 carefully articulated to show the impact we are making in communities throughout Chicagoland. Check out some snippets below…
Read MoreOrdinance Filed to Reduce Special Use Zoning Fees For Small Businesses
Ordinance Filed to Reduce Special Use Zoning Fees For Small Businesses The Small Business Advocacy Council has been working with a strong coalition on efforts to revitalize neighborhood business districts in Chicago. As part of these efforts, we are advocating to reduce fees for small businesses that want to open in Chicago. We are thrilled…
Read MoreCoalition Engagement Sparks New Chicago Zoning Guide
Coalition Engagement Sparks New Chicago Zoning Guide Navigating the zoning rules in Chicago just became easier. The newly released Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Chicago Business Zoning Guide will help small businesses and property owners more easily navigate the zoning process in Chicago. Â This was crucial as chambers of commerce…
Read MoreNRC New Look, New Logo, Same Mission
NRC New Look, New Logo, Same Mission New Look, New Logo, Same Mission In our 2nd year of actively and ardently working to revitalize neighborhoods throughout Chicago, we thought we’d bring a fresh new look to the incredible work that the SBAC and a robust group of chamber partners have spearheaded. We continue to advocate…
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