‘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 […]
Source teams up with Women’s Business Development Center for webinar series
The Source is collaborating with the Women’s Business Development Center to host a free webinar series titled “The Source x WBDC” that runs through mid-December. Webinars will provide small businesses with key information related to contracting with Cook County Government, as well as offer expert insight related to credit, marketing, grants and access to capital. […]
Meet The Source’s 2024 Referral Partners
The Cook County Small Business Source is pleased to announce its selection of Referral Partners for 2024. Over 35 organizations will serve as Referral Partners through Nov. 1, 2024. Referral Partners are Cook County nonprofit business-facing organizations with a substantial footprint in suburban Cook County that connect businesses to no-cost advising, a calendar of events and other resources.
2023 Source Grant honored with national award
The Cook County Small Business Source is proud to announce that the 2023 Source Grant was recently honored with a 2024 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award after providing funding for thousands of businesses throughout the county.
Empowering women on the go: Ms. Jetsetter
This July, we connected with local Chicago entrepreneur Tracey McGhee, founder of Ms. Jetsetter, a travel accessories company for busy women on the go. Read ahead to learn about Tracey’s journey opening her business and receiving support from the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC) to ensure its success!
Beautiful Beginnings: A dream aided by business advising through The Source
Meet Louise Williams, owner of Beautiful Beginnings Daycare, an at-home daycare that’s been operating in the Chicagoland area for 10 years. A skilled caretaker who often goes above and beyond for her clients and their children, Louise offers 24-hour daycare, food for children facing food insecurity, transportation for parents who can’t afford it, and more.
A home away from home: Finding community and entrepreneurial support with The Source
Eight years ago, Angel Emmanuel Alcantar launched his business, Frida Room, a restaurant showcasing the vibrant colors and traditional flavors of his hometown of Mexico City. In his words, the Chicago restaurant “uniquely showcases the flavors he grew up with,” with dishes inspired by recipes passed down to him from his grandmother. With Frida Room, Angel carefully curated each detail, even designing the restaurant’s interior himself, capturing the lively decor and culture of Mexico City.
Women in the arena: Small business owner Ari Krzyzek shares her expert marketing tips with The Source
Meet Ari Krzyzek, CEO and Head of Strategy at Chykalophia (see-ka-lo-fia), a woman minority-owned web agency helping femtech direct-to-consumer (DTC) & women-led brands transform their website to unlock business opportunities. This month, we connected with Ari, a recent 2023 Source Grant Awardee, to chat about her business journey and the importance of marketing for small […]
The 2023 Source Grant program: $50 million distributed to 3,000 small businesses
In 2023, Cook County launched a $50 million grant program as an investment in small businesses to help stabilize their operations, foster recovery and resiliency, and advance equity in the post-pandemic economy. Cook County established this program because of the central role small businesses play in the local economy as community anchors, a source of […]
