Each month the City of Chicago offers twice-weekly (Wed & Fri) FREE business education workshops presented by experts in private practice as well as representatives from various city departments. There are quite a few good ones this month — see the list below — and they’re all offered at City Hall (right downtown and near public transit). To register for any of them, email BACPoutreach@cityofchicago.org or call 312.744.2086.
Are You Startup Ready?
Fri, August 2, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. – 11th Floor, Room 1103
Presented by Cavanaugh L. Gray, Director of Business Development for The Entrepreneur Cafe, LLC
A lot of small businesses start off with a great idea, but no clear direction or purpose. Hear from startup specialist Cavanaugh Gray as he walks you through the Startup Questionnaire designed to help better navigate the small business landscape all before considerable time and money have been spent.
City Inspections – Ask Questions, Get Answers
Wed, August 7, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. – 8th Floor, Room 805
Presented by the City of Chicago
To operate a successful business in Chicago you need to know what it takes to maintain compliance. Officials from several City departments will provide insight on how to operate safely, stay compliant, help prepare for inspections and highlight the do’s and don’ts of operating a business.
Sell A Product or Service Online or in a Facebook Shop Using WordPress WooCommerce
Fri, August 9, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. – 11th Floor, Room 1103
Presented by Dante Hamilton, Chicago WordPress Meetup Group
With the Holiday Shopping Season just a few months away, now is the time to setup and deploy an E-Commerce WordPress website solution. In this workshop you will learn how to Install WooCommerce; Enable Stripe and PayPal Payment Gateways; Set Up a Shipping Zone; Add a Simple Product, Variable Product and Downloadable Product; Upload Product Images and Gallery Photos; Make a Test Sale using Stripe.com Payments. Bonus Feature: Discover how to setup a Custom Branded Apparel Store using Printful.com and integrate with a Facebook Shop using WooCommerce and WordPress.
Employee Handbooks Essentials
Wed, August 14, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. – 8th Floor, Room 805
Presented by Noah A. Frank, Labor & Employment Attorney in SmithAmundsen’s Chicago Office
Are you just starting out and need to know what to put in an employee handout? Or are you like most employers, and already have an employee handbook, but you haven’t updated it in a while, and are no longer sure that it complies with current laws? Will your handbook stand up to increased scrutiny by the DOL, EEOC, OSHA, or NLRB? Will your handbook get you into trouble in your next employee lawsuit? Employment laws and regulations are ever-changing which means every few years (or more frequently!), you need to dust off that handbook and give it a proper evaluation. This workshop will discuss the purpose of an employee handbook; wage/hour compliance; safety standards; new EEO reporting and complaint procedure language; surviving DOL, OSHA, NLRB and EEOC scrutiny; what should be included (and excluded) in an employee handbook; privacy, workplace searches and drug testing policies; preserving the at-will employment relationship; ineffective language to avoid; what to do when there is a union workforce; and other common employee handbook mistakes.
Scams & Frauds Targeting Businesses
Fri, August 16, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
City Hall, 121 N. La Salle Street – 11th Floor, Room 1103
Presented by the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Businesses continue to be targets of scams and frauds because they make money — for the criminals. Businesses can lose tens of thousands of dollars to a single fraud. Research shows a data breach will cause 60% of small and mid-size businesses to go out of business within six months! The average cost of a typical cyber attack is $200,000. Learn the steps to take to help protect your business against these crimes.
How to Open a Concession at O’Hare or Midway Airport
Wed, August 21, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St – 8th Floor, Room 805
Presented by the Chicago Department of Aviation – Concessions Department
Are you interested in operating a restaurant or shop at O’Hare or Midway International Airport, but don’t know where to begin? Come and learn about the Request for Proposals (RFP) process, how to operate a business at the airport, and a summary of the Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) program.
How To Get Money For Your Business
Fri, August 23, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. – 11th Floor, Room 1103
Presented by Craig Feldman, Bloom Lending
Without positive cash flow, it is difficult to take care of the everyday functions of the business or have the ability to buy things such as equipment or materials. Let’s have a critical conversation about the importance of getting funding and discussing the key indicators of why working capital and Equipment Leasing are crucial in all areas of your business. You will learn about all different types of funding that will be available, programs for all types of businesses regardless of your credit score and the required documents needed to apply for funding.
Write Website Content that Works!
Wed, August 28, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St – 8th Floor, Room 805
Presented by Francisco Ramirez, Chimbly Consultants
Business owners know that their websites and marketing materials are only as good as the content they offer. Writing this content often feels like an unpleasant chore. Participants will learn and use a framework to craft content that’s easy to write and your customers will want to read.
Business Licensing 101
Fri, August 30, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. – 11th Floor, Room 1103
Presented by the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Attendees will learn the 3 steps to obtain a business license and access free business resources to start or expand their business.
To register for a workshop, email BACPoutreach@cityofchicago.org or call 312.744.2086.
Also, in case you weren’t aware, BACP offers a Business Start-Up Certificate Program, designed to give business owners the essential elements in starting and growing a business. Attend nine workshops at BACP and learn the essentials of business planning, financing, marketing, legal issues, technology and more. Complete the program workshops within six months and earn your certificate, as well as get free advice on your business plan. You can register for the Business Start-Up Certificate Program at any BACP workshop. Learn about the full set of BACP offerings here.
And visit their Business Video Library here.
Source: City of Chicago :: Business Education Workshop Calendar