The full package: How The Source is helping one business optimize its estimating, bidding and staffing plans
As the owner of Certified Property Solutions, a full-service property-preservation business in the Roseland community on Chicago’s South Side, Jim Williams leads a small but mighty staff that performs landscaping, snow removal, tree removal and small demolition projects on properties owned by municipalities and banks. Williams does whatever his business needs—hopping in a company truck […]
Ms. Jetsetter takes flight thanks to Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council
Tracey McGhee’s Chicago-based business, Ms. Jetsetter, is taking flight around the country. Open since 2019, Ms. Jetsetter offers a wide array of travel accessories for women who are frequent travelers, including totes, toiletry bags and makeup cases. As Tracey works to sell her products at a variety of retailers, the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council […]
Sweet success: Business advising provides perfect recipe for growth of Molly’s Cupcakes
Launching a new venture can feel overwhelming, even for an experienced entrepreneur like Doriana “Dori” Isufi. Despite her success operating eight Molly’s Cupcakes locations across Chicagoland and more than 20 years of expertise in the hospitality industry, Dori was facing hurdles while trying to bring her newest project to life. That’s when she turned to The […]
Uplifting seniors, uplifting entrepreneurs: The power of business advising
By Elena Jaffe Yvette Lyles is an advocate for seniors—determined to ensure that they have someone fighting in their corner. After years of working in senior health care, she witnessed how many seniors did not have an advocate to hear their concerns and support them with transitioning to a new stage of life. Her Chicago-based […]
Better together: How two Source clients teamed up for success
Juan Carlos Hernandez is a meticulous, creative business owner. He had run his fine-art printing business, Print Innovation Lab, out of his home in west suburban Oak Park for about seven years. His business had outgrown his space, but did he really need to open a brick-and-mortar location? Would it be cost efficient? The questions […]
Rebuilding after tragedy: How a party shop is thriving thanks to the Rogers Park Business Alliance
Reyna Gonzalez made a life-changing decision five years ago. She left her desk job in the corporate world, and she bought a store, Dulceria La Fiesta Inc., in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago. Then, disaster struck. “When we bought the business, the store burned 20 days into the business,” Reyna […]
Little Munchkins: A small corner store with big plans
Little Munchkins Produce, a small, family-owned grocery store in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side, is a classic neighborhood corner store. Teresa Flores, the owner of this bustling shop, runs her small business with the support of her husband, Gilberto, and children, Christopher and Mayte. Little Munchkins has been in operation […]
A glow-up from the ground up: How one entrepreneur opened ‘the glam headquarters of Berwyn’
Laura Santoyo likes to call her colorful cosmetics shop, Date Nite Beaute, “the glam headquarters of Berwyn.” She built the business from the ground up four years ago and is eyeing even more growth in the coming years. Her warm, inviting storefront represents her dreams becoming reality after she came to a crossroads while working […]
‘It takes a village’: How no-cost business advising is helping one business grow locally and abroad
Mohammad Salehi opened his business, Heray Spice, approximately seven years ago. Since then, he has navigated a pandemic, made changes to his targeted customer base, and supported his employees in the U.S. and his home country—all while raising two young sons with his wife. Thanks to support from Allies for Community Business and the Cook County Small Business […]
Riveting Wellness Cosmetic Solutions: Bolstering a beauty business from within
Rebecca (Becky) Wilson is a beauty vet. She’s been in the cosmetology industry for over 16 years as a stylist, instructor, and, most recently, a hair loss specialist. However, her journey to find her niche and build her business, Riveting Wellness Cosmetic Solutions, was not easy. Becky has always loved to work with clients, starting […]
