SmallBusinessExecutiveInforming, Inspiring and Connecting Businesses
GlobalBiz: Ed Hamburg tells how SPSS expanded overseas
By Michael Muth, GlobalBiz columnist Increasingly, small businesses are targeting a global market. To be successful, it helps to learn from other, experienced firms how to launch an international business, what types of business structures work best for global expansion and how to adapt to local cultures. In GlobalBiz, contributing columnist Michael Muth will shed [...]
Companies save with wellness spending
Jerry Benish wasn’t looking for a medal when he finished Camcraft Inc.’s fun run and lost 10 pounds in the company’s “Biggest Loser” contest. He knew the biggest winner could be Camcraft itself. As director of human resources at the Hanover Park-based components manufacturer, Benish closely tracks health care expenses. Along with moving to self-funded [...]
10 ways to maximize Twitter
Guest columnist Tim Frick, founder of Chicago-based digital design firm Mightybytes and author of “Return on Engagement – Content, Strategy, and Design Techniques for Digital Marketing,” offers 10 tips for maximizing Twitter. 1. 125 or less. Don’t max out characters. The little blue birdie only gives you a mere 140 characters in which to tweet, so keeping [...]
The importance of thank you
By Lillian Bjorseth, Guest Columnist I grew up thinking that “thank you” is an automatic response when someone does something for you. It shows appreciation, consideration and respect for the person who goes out of her/his way … whether it is a small thing, medium or huge. What’s happened to this simple gesture that is [...]
SBA loan gives Hyde Park animal clinic new life
When the Hyde Park Animal Clinic was forced to move after losing its longtime home in Harper Court following the mall’s sale to the University of Chicago several years ago, its owner, Dr. Thomas Wake, decided he needed a permanent space for his business. After obtaining tax-increment financing funds from the city to remodel a [...]
Sourcebooks rides wave of changes
While the book publishing industry may be undergoing a transformation, at Naperville-based Sourcebooks, Dominique Raccah is embracing the change with a confidence grounded in creativity. By fostering an entrepreneurial workplace even as her company has become one of the largest independent book publishers in the nation, Raccah sees a bright future. “We are pioneers in the [...]
Groupon gets personal
To hear founder and CEO Andrew Mason tell it, Groupon is not all about saving money. It’s about encouraging people to try new experiences by reducing the financial risk, also known as the price. That mission promises to mold the Chicago-based company’s new targeted marketing strategy, where customized Groupons are offered to subsegments of its [...]
Introducing our Forum
To build community and boost connections among our readers, SmallBizChicago has a launched a virtual forum on our website. We encourage you to click on the Connections tab on the top menu and check it out. Do you have a question for other business owners? An opinion on a new policy or law? Are you [...]
Do pets perk up the office?
Joe Williams brings a goofy little dog name Squidge to work most days, to the delight of many co-workers. “He gets rubbed by everyone, and he gets treats,” Williams said. “They love him.” Williams, who commutes an hour each way from the suburbs to Tails Pet Media Inc. on Chicago’s North Side, appreciates not having [...]
Micro-loans offered to Evanston businesses
The Evanston Community Development Corp. is offering a limited number of loans to Evanston-based small businesses seeking to improve and expand their operations. “The recession has hurt every business, ECDC Chairman Bill Logan said in a release to announce the initiative. “This new loan fund will help local firms to access the capital they need for [...]
