Illinois Small Business Development Center at Harper College

Advisory Session w/ Tony Baldassano, CPA

1 hour

Tony has been giving great business advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners for 25 years. His experience includes a broad range of industries, including: real estate, wholesale distributors, trucking companies, retailers, contractors, education, chemical companies, contract manufacturers, farming, and business services.

Business Coaching with Dennis LaPorta

1 hour

Business Coaching from a Sales Perspective! Every decision you make in business can have a profound effect on your ability to sell your product or service! I can show you how each decision you make can affect your sales efforts. After all, if you can't sell your product or service, what is your business worth? Dennis is "start up" friendly.

Advisory Session w/ Tom Cassell

1 hour

Tom Cassell has provided one-on-one business coaching to many businesses across different industries. Tom specializes in SBA lending (7a, 504), and buy/sell.

Website/Technology Help with Jennie Johns

1 hour

Book an appointment with Jennie Johns if you need assistance with your website, email service, and/or other technology issues. Jennie specializes in web functionality, usability and customer experience. She can assist with your technical questions regarding website creation, deployment, and ongoing maintenance. Jennie has over 20 years experience in developing websites along with 8 years teaching website usability, programming, and Microsoft Office applications.

Advisory Session w/ Cheri Kretsinger

1 hour

Cheri can help with digital (email, social media, content) and traditional marketing, viability and commercialization analysis, budgeting, forecasting, P&L management, pricing, packaging and developing a marketing plan. Cheri will assess your current needs through a SWOT analysis, and review of your current branding and positioning. She specializes in consumer products, especially food.

Legal Help Sponsored by Lavelle Law

30 minutes

Founded in 1989, Lavelle Law Ltd. is one of the most respected law firms in the Chicago area. Their expertise includes business and entrepreneurial law, estate planning, divorce and family law, criminal defense, commercial and residential real estate law, banking and securities law, law practice management, bankruptcy and more. The firm generously donates time to clients of the ISBDC.

Accounting/Tax Help with PorteBrown,LLC

30 minutes

Get tax, incorporation/business entity advice, QuickBooks help, and more with Margaret Borla, CPA with PorteBrown. 30 Minute appointments. Margaret and PorteBrown,LLC generously donate time to clients of Harper's ISBDC.

Prototype and Product Development Help Desk Sponsored by EIGERlab

30 minutes

Do you have an idea for a product and need help with prototyping, engineering and development? EIGERlab is an award winning full service prototyping and product development agency specializing in engineering, reverse engineering, computer-aided design (CAD),3D printing, manufacturing, commercialization and project management. If no dates are available, call 815.965.3522 or sales@eigerlab.org to schedule.

Starting a Business in Illinois Workshop

1 hour 30 minutes

Do you have the personal characteristics, the financial fitness and the business readiness skills to own a business? Find out if entrepreneurship is right for you. Learn about the critical steps to opening your own business including viability, business formation, financing, and more. Class is offered every month.

Facebook Groups For Business

1 hour 30 minutes

One billion people already belong to Facebook Groups. People who love a brand or a personal brand want opportunities to get more interactive than is possible through a Facebook Page. In this masterclass training you'll learn
• If starting a Facebook Group is right for your business
• Examples of how others are using Facebook Groups to grow their businesses
• And tips for how to run a successful group for business
Thursday, September 27, 2018. FREE.

De-Mystifying SEO: The Art & Science Behind Being Found on Google

1 hour 30 minutes

Joe Skibbie of JRS Marketing Communications can help you make sure your business has a strong online presence. Learn about the importance of mobile responsive website design and social media’s growing importance and connection with Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Tuesday, October 9, 2018. FREE.

List Building: If You're Not Growing, You're Dying

1 hour 30 minutes

In a world full of social media overwhelm, it's important for every business to own their audience outright. Enter your email list! Email marketing is still the most cost effective digital marketing medium out there. But it is crucial to have new leads coming in on a consistent basis. In this free masterclass, Vanessa will reveal top 10 ways to grow your email list fast! And keep those leads com'n! Thursday, October 18, 2018. FREE.

Rockstar Visibility

1 hour 30 minutes

We're all fighting for attention. That's the name of the online game. If you're not visible and relevant, you'll fade to black. In this epic training Vanessa will cover some strategies you can do right NOW that will amplify your visibility and position you as the Rockstar Expert You Are!
Thursday, December 13, 2018. FREE.

10 Killer Content Creation Hacks

1 hour 30 minutes

You've heard it over and over again. Content is King. In this cannot miss event, Vanessa will GIFT you with 10 insanely simple content creation hacks that will allow you to create a year's worth of content in just 1 day! Be sure to bring a pen and paper to jot down all 10 of these simple hacks. Vanessa guarantees that by the end of this training, your mind will be bursting with ideas! Thursday, December 20, 2018. FREE.

Master Class: Create an Opt-In Your Ideal Clients Will Find Irresistible

1 hour 30 minutes

In this session Vanessa is going to help you connect the dots on how monetize your social media efforts. And it begin with creating the perfect opt-in your potential clients are WAITING FOR YOU TO OFFER! You'll learn: What is an opt-in, lead magnet, freebie and why you need one, The 3 key elements that make for an irresistible opt-in, Knowing what your ideal clients want, Different types of opt-ins you can use for your business, Using your opt-in to grow your list. Thursday, October 25, 2018. FREE.

Master Class: Create Killer Content Consistently

1 hour 30 minutes

Ever ask yourself, "What the heck am I going to send to my email list this week?" In this training you'll learn: How to structure your emails so they'll get read, the easiest way to get engagement by adding just one little thing to your emails, inspired content strategy that will position yourself as the expert, How to structure your emails so they'll get CLICKED on, How it's not killer sales copy that will have your readers taking massive action. Much more. Thursday, November 1, 2018. FREE.

Master Class: Email Automation Domination! Email Automation Made Easy

1 hour 30 minutes

Email automation can be a confusing and overwhelming concept for any small business/solopreneur to master. Perhaps you don't know what to say in these emails or you just never found the time to get these automated systems set up. By the end of this session, you'll not only have a clear understanding of how email automation works, you'll also be given EVERYTHING YOU NEED to finally create that automated welcome email series you always wanted to! Thursday, November 8, 2018. FREE.

Facebook LIVE! How to Livestream to Engage with Your Customers and Increase Business

1 hour 30 minutes

Facebook, the #1 social media platform, has now made it even easier and more fun to authentically connect with your customers. Facebook LIVE is all about interacting with your audience in REAL TIME. It breaks down the barriers and creates a connection that transcends traditional marketing limitations. In this cannot miss session, you will be introduced to the world of Facebook LIVE and the different ways your business can benefit from using this exciting new platform. Thursday, November 29, 2018. FREE.