SmallBusinessExecutiveInforming, Inspiring and Connecting Businesses
Obama Signs JOBS Act Opening Door to Up to $1 Million in Crowdfunding
President Barack Obama Thursday signed into law the bipartisan JOBS Act, short for Jumpstart Our Business Startups, which is designed to create jobs over time by easing access to capital for businesses. Citing the success of American inventors and entrepreneurs such as Graham Bell and Henry Ford, Obama predicted the act will be a “game [...]
FTC announces right to privacy principles
The Federal Trade Commission today released a report outlining principles designed to encourage companies to respect consumers’ right to privacy pertaining to Internet use. In releasing the report, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz encouraged companies to embrace three principles: “First, incorporate privacy protections into products as they are developed – that is, privacy by design; Second, offer [...]
Perceptions on value: How to articulate your relevance to the market
By Suzanne Ross Guest columnist Who would ever introduce themselves by saying what they are NOT? It is a crazy proposition but it happens far more often than you might imagine. A discussion with my teenage daughter, about how she will stand apart as she starts considering highly competitive colleges and then the professional [...]
By building trust, restaurateur builds a business
From our archives This story first appeared in the Chicago Tribune April 11, 2005. By Ann Meyer Like a big family, everyone who works at Nick Sarillo’s restaurant knows everything about the place, including how much Sarillo pays himself in salary, how much the cheese costs, how customers rate the service and even how many napkins [...]
10 years after 9/11, security still top of mind
By Ann Meyer – Chicago photographer Jimmy Fishbein hasn’t forgotten the terrorist attacks that struck New York 10 years ago, where his photography studio was located at the time. Fishbein lost just about everything, including his portfolio, when his studio next to the World Trade Center got caught in the disaster of Sept. 11. “I [...]
How to prepare to launch a successful business
By Jodie Jacobs Jewish Business News Whether you’re tired of office politics, a victim of downsizing or have a passion for something other than what you’re doing, you may think you’re ready to leap into the world of entrepreneurship. But how can you prepare to be successful in a difficult economy? When asked if people [...]
Nice Cream maker aims to keeping churning product by changing state rules
In business, luck can change overnight and sales can melt away. Chicago ice cream entrepreneur Kris Swanberg thought herself fortunate to be able to parlay an ice cream maker she received as a wedding gift into a new business opportunity three years ago. The fresh fruit and interesting flavor combinations, combined with organic ingredients, made [...]
New state-funded technology account could mean $150 million-plus in venture capital
The Illinois Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to pass a bill that authorizes 2 percent of the state Treasurer’s investment portfolio to be used for a fund-of-funds supporting technology companies. The House approved the measure May 31, and Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign the bill. The legislation creates the Technology Development Account II, which will [...]
No problem too pesky for Northbrook serial entrepreneur
By Ann Meyer Adam Greenberg wasn’t aiming at bedbugs when his medical supply business began offering mattress protection in 2006. Incontinence was the No. 1 problem his Northbrook-based company, NorthShore Care Supply, initially addressed. But when customers told Greenberg they were using the mattress encasements to guard against bedbugs, the entrepreneur saw a new opportunity. He [...]
Young Chicago coffee entrepreneur traces success back to the farmer
By Ann Meyer – Jacob Elster knows a good cup of coffee when he tastes it, but he also likes to know where it came from. That’s why Crop to Cup, the fast-growing coffee business Elster started with Taylor Mork in 2007, includes on its website and on farmer profile cards the stories of the [...]
