CITY SMALL BUSINESS CENTER IS ‘ON THE ROAD’ TO COLUMBUS PARK REFECTORY
Christopher G. Kennedy set to be Keynote Speaker for 4th Small Business Expo
The City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) through the Small Business Center (SBC) heads west on Saturday, September 10, 2016 for the 4th Small Business Center ‘On the Road’ expo. The expo will be held at the landmark Columbus Park Refectory from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. at 5701 W. Jackson, Chicago. Christopher G. Kennedy, Chairman of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc. will be the keynote speaker.
Free resources will be available to entrepreneurs and consumers during the expo. More than 40 government and non-profit agencies will attend the expo for business owners and entrepreneurs to consult, network and gather information and expert advice on topics such as licensing, financing and business planning.
“The expo brings resources and information to entrepreneurs, small and emerging business owners where they live and do business. This is the 4th of five expos we’re hosting this year as part of Mayor Emanuel’s commitment to supporting Chicago’s neighborhood businesses,” said BACP Commissioner Maria Guerra Lapacek. “We want everyone to come out and see what we have to offer. The response we’ve received as we’ve taken the business resources around the City of Chicago has been tremendous.”
The expo is free and open to the public. Free mini-makeovers, hairstyling by a celebrity stylist from BLOWN by bocaj, make-up touch ups by Ulta Cosmetics, professional headshots, sales pitch training as well as a tax and legal clinic, consumer and financial help and free document shredding will be available.
There will be one free workshop immediately following the keynote speech from noon until 1P.M.
Workshop 1: Access to Capital: Helping Your Business Grow”
Presented by: Fifth Third Bank and ACCION
While businesses often need capital to grow, capital, sometimes isn’t always easy to secure. This workshop addresses traditional and non-traditional credit sources and how to best prepare for when your company needs it most.
The Small Business Center ‘On the Road’ is a series of five free expos in neighborhoods throughout Chicago. The series is a partnership between the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), the Office of New Americans (ONA), Western Union, Fifth Third Bank and COUNTRY Financial®.
The expo is part of the Mayor’s agenda to support neighborhood businesses and economic development. Each expo offers business consultants from the (SBC) to help attendees apply or renew a business license. In addition, the Center for Economic Progress will provide a free tax clinic and The Law Project will provide a free legal clinic with representatives offering 20-minute consultations. A one-hour networking session, hosted by City Treasurer Kurt Summers, will wrap up the expo from 1 P.M. to 2 P.M.
The 2016 Small Business Center ‘On the Road’ expo series remaining dates and locations:
- September 10, 2016 @ Columbus Park Refectory
- October 29, 2016 @ Copernicus Center
To register for an expo or for more information, visit www.chismallbizexpo.com, call (312) 744-2086 or email [email protected]. For more information about the City of Chicago’s Small Business Center visit www.cityofchicago.org/sbc.
