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Twenty-Eight Groups Send Letter to Chicago City Council Members on PTO Ordinance

By growthzone | December 1, 2023

City Council has passed a PTO ordinance that provides greatly expanded paid and sick leave for Chicago employees. The ordinance, however, subjects small businesses to crushing penalties and lawsuits. Many small businesses will also be unable to comply with the mandates of the ordinance by the end of the year. This is an open letter…

Empowering New Businesses: Illinois Launches Back to Business (B2B) NewBiz Program

By growthzone | November 28, 2023

Illinois Launches Back to Business (B2B) NewBiz Program The application window for the B2B NewBiz program opens on November 30, 2023, and will remain open until January 11, 2024. The Small Business Advocacy Council has advocated for a program that provides grant funding to businesses that launched in 2020 (prior to the pandemic) and in…

Giving Tuesday

By growthzone | November 27, 2023

As we move into 2024, we would be honored to have you engaged with EMPOWER as one of our supporters. Thank you again for your unwavering support; we look forward to staying connected in the future!

Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance

By growthzone | November 6, 2023

A press conference was held at City Hall to highlight concerns with the PTO ordinance and ask that changes to the ordinance be made. Hear from business owners, community advocates, and local chambers who passionately discussed their concerns and suggested possible improvements to the ordinance below. Over 30 chambers of commerce and place-based organizations sent…

SBAC Advocacy Update

By growthzone | October 14, 2023

October 10, 2023 The SBAC continues fighting for policies that will support small businesses and neighborhood business districts. Here are some updates on our efforts! Health Insurance The rising cost of health insurance continues to be a challenge for the small business community. Last spring the SBAC championed legislation focused on reducing premiums for small…

Chicago Neighborhood Revitalization Caucus

By growthzone | October 9, 2023

This is a crucial time for lawmakers to support policies that will revitalize neighborhood business districts and support Chicago small businesses.  Therefore, we have formed a neighborhood revitalization caucus where politicians from various facets of government can come together, collaborate with stakeholders, and work to revitalize local economies. We are very thankful to the following…

Chicago Women’s Expo – Mentee Shelley Carrillo!

By growthzone | October 6, 2023

DONATE After submitting Shelley and her business for the Ultimate Women’s Expo, which has been running strong for now 30 years in Illinois and other cities like Atlanta, Miami, New York to name a few, Shelley has been accepted and now one of the feature vendors! Out of hundreds of vendors, Shelley’s standout and unique…

Town Halls to Support Local and Small Businesses

By growthzone | August 28, 2023

We’re excited to announce a series of free community town halls focusing on policies that help revitalize neighborhood business districts and support small businesses. These town halls are designed to be informative, and interactive, and to bring communities together. Members and business owners are encouraged to further learn how the SBAC and a coalition of…

5/3 Bank – Informational Articles

By growthzone | August 18, 2023

Fifth Third Bank – Commitment to Small Business SBAC partner Fifth Third Bank is committed to the success of small businesses.  Because “small” is a misnomer for driving the economy and creating jobs in local communities as they have a “big” impact. Fifth Third partners with small businesses to provide the lending, lines of credit,…

Empower Stats!

By growthzone | August 8, 2023

Empower has been working hard… Over the past 6 months, our mentoring program has blossomed; we’ve been able to help so many Small Businesses! Since January 2023, we’ve seen a 31% increase in our outreach to those in need of help. As proud of we are as our growth, we’re even more proud of our…

Stats for Small Businesses

By growthzone | August 1, 2023

IL Small Businesses, Did you Know…. Did you know that according to the Illinois Small Business Association, a bit over 98% of the businesses within Illinois are Small Businesses? That means statistically, you can probably name most of the larger IL businesses off the top of your head! So, if you approach a store on…

Let’s Transform Vacant Properties Into Thriving Small Businesses

By growthzone | July 11, 2023

Reduce Vacancies in Local Communities Fact Sheet (English) Fact Sheet in Spanish Fact Sheet in Polish Fact Sheet in Arabic Fact Sheet in Vietnamese Fact Sheet in Chinese Fact Sheet in Cantonese

If you wish to be a part of this collaborative effort, please fill out our contact form here.

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