SmallBusinessExecutiveInforming, Inspiring and Connecting Businesses
Electric bike start-up cruises on sustainable energy
John LeStarge says his two-wheelers can beat public buses on crowded city streets. Sporting batteries that propel them at speeds up to 20 mph, the electric bikes also surpass other forms of transportation on cost-efficiency, traveling 15 miles on just a nickel of electricity, said LeStarge, owner of Chicago Electric Bicycles LLC. The company began [...]
Full Circle: Reflecting on the transition to self-employment
Two years ago I joined the ranks of the unemployed, hung out a shingle and declared myself a sole proprietor. I felt like one of the lucky ones. I parachuted out of a soon-to-be-bankrupt company with a parting gift of several months’ pay and health-care contributions to stake me in whatever came next.
Minorities Build Businesses by Building Relationships
While many small companies try unsuccessfully for years to nab large contracts, Power’s human capital management and technology services company won a government assignment one month after it opened its doors in 2003, thanks to a personal contact, Powers said.
Special Report on Minority Owned Businesses
After 17 years of fits and starts, LeNardo Nelson Sr. of Chicago is ready to take his triple-sided windshield wiper to market.
A commercial lender at Harris Bank by day, Nelson has long dreamed of being an inventor like his father, who devised a sled with convertible wheels in the mid-1960s. But getting his wipers off the ground has taken far longer than Nelson ever imagined.
Recession Buster: Company radiates new sales
With a “no layoffs” pledge to employees, Julia Billen needed new sales to prop up her heating business.
Business Ownership: Do You Have What It Takes?
Entrepreneurship is not all about the money to Keith Pascal and Dr. David Preskill, who together launched TopTierMD.com this month.
Bringing new hope, new jobs to local economy
While many businesses remain cautious about expanding in a tough economy, entrepreneur Sandy Marsico is bucking the trend. She recently knocked down walls to expand her marketing and interactive design firm.
Benderoff on Tech: Local developers shine light on apps
Information gathering continues to evolve into a mobile endeavor, as innovative software developers create apps for almost any purpose you can think of, from locating the nearest coffee shop to killing time with a mini arcade-style game.
Entrepreneurs team up to spur local sales, jobs
Elster started Crop To Cup coffee to help support family farmers in Uganda, while Heins’ Bean & Body makes health-conscious coffee and tea beverages sold in cans. Both are hoping to jump on the locally produced food bandwagon to get products made by small Chicago-based companies noticed by corporate customers.
Wind energy start-ups seek capital to power up
With momentum building for clean energy, Chicago entrepreneurs Elizabeth Iwanicki and Giovanni Bonomi say demand for their wind turbines is accelerating.
Once they seal deals with prospective customers in the United States and abroad, their start-up, Tempest Wind Energy Inc., plans to add workers and move to a larger manufacturing facility, they said. “We know we will get the orders. I want to bring this business to Chicago. The whole idea is to get employment here,” Iwanicki said.
