Webinar Series: State of Illinois’ Child Care Grant
Join our webinar series to learn more about the State of Illinois’ Strengthen and Grow Childcare Grants Provided by the State of Illinois, these new grants give licensed and eligible childcare centers access to quarterly funding to help maintain and grow operations. As the Cook County Small Business Source has worked with childcare providers interested in […]
UP CLOSE | Small Business Spotlight
UP CLOSE | Small Business Spotlight Meet Aida Flores and Eduardo Duarte of Total Nutrition Belmont LLC 5550 W. Belmont Ave. Chicago, IL 60641 (773) 757-4420 How long have you been in business? I started in 2008 learning about wellness and maintaining healthy habits, being proactive and changing my eating habits and doing this […]
ON THE FRONTLINES
Meet the Business Support Organization — Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Tell me about the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and your participation in the Small Business Source We were one of the first organizations to happily join this program because it aligns very closely with our primary focus. As a Chamber, we help business […]
Update to EIDL
Major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program have been announced! EIDLE is a federal disaster relief loan designed to better serve and support our small business communities still reeling from the pandemic, especially hard-hit sectors such as restaurants, gyms, and hotels. Program Updates Increasing the Lending Cap: The SBA will lift the […]
Small Business Employees Can Get Money to Reduce Their Payroll Taxes
Small Business Employees Can Get Money to Reduce Payroll Taxes Through the American Rescue Plan, a number of critical tax benefits are being offered to small businesses to help with employee retention and paid leave credits. Available to small businesses who have seen a decline in revenues due to COVID, the employee retention credit of […]
Illinois Celebrating Black Business Month in August
BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS MONTH To honor the contributions of Black-owned businesses across the state, the State of Illinois, with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced the celebration of Black Business Month by highlighting a series of events and initiatives taking place throughout the month of August. “Supporting Black business owners and entrepreneurs […]
PPP Direct Forgiveness Portal: Open Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Forgiveness Portal: Opens Wednesday, August 4, 2021 The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is launching an application portal on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 to allow borrowers with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans $150,000 or less to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA. The application portal is a streamlined, simple pre-filled application– PPP Borrowers who […]
Optimize the Benefits of Your Social Media
Tips on keeping your post organic• Aim to use 3-5 hashtags per post• Consider the time and day you post Tips for growing your followers• Find people who share your companies values/interests• Comment, like, and share their posts• Follow them or add them as friends Tips on communication• Address questions or concerns in comments or […]
Critical Financial Tips to Maintain Your Business
Categorize expenses as best as possible for budgeting and tax purposes Meet with your accountant at least quarterly to know your numbers Use billing systems to automate and organize your receivables Proactively negotiate terms with vendors to increase cash flows Review your financial statement monthly Staying on top of your finances is important to keeping […]
Non-Profits: Apply & Help Support Small Business Recovery
***Application for eligibility is now closed. 5/24/21. As part of Cook County’s Community Recovery Initiative, Cook County established the Small Business Assistance program in 2020 to help address the impacts of COIVD-19. Through the program and its 35+ partners, thousands of businesses have received free services to support resiliency and recovery. Cook County plans to […]
