Illinois Small Business Development Center at Harper College

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.

Cheri can help with traditional and digital marketing (email, social media, content). Cheri has Fortune 500 experience in packaged food and beverage, viability and commercialization analysis, budgeting, forecasting, P&L management, pricing, packaging and developing a marketing plan. Startup Friendly.

Please note, this session will be conducted over the phone so that we can offer you additional times to fit your schedule. 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 your branding/positioning.

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.

Book an appointment with Jennie Johns if you need assistance with ecommerce platforms, 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.

For clients needing expert help with a restaurant, bar or food service business. Kevin McVearry specializes in the restaurant and hospitality industry at all levels of operations from start-up concepts to existing businesses. He has spent 25 years opening and operating restaurants, bars, and events across the country. Kevin has extensive knowledge in new venues, including design, construction, budgeting, menu development, promotions, and customer acquisition and retention. Startup friendly.

Tom Cassell has provided one-on-one business advising to over 1,000 small businesses across different industries and issues. Book an appointment with Tom if you need guidance in operations, profitability, strategy, projections and pro forma creation. Startup friendly.

Brie A. Crawford focuses on intellectual property and entertainment law, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets both domestically and abroad. She can counsel clients as to whether IP protection is appropriate, and if so, what kind and how to secure the appropriate protection. Brie also focuses on drafting IP-related agreements. She is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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.

Attention entrepreneurs, inventors and small business owners! Do you need the space, equipment and tools to develop a design idea, prototype or product? Harper College has launched a DYI prototyping lab and maker space. Training will be provided to use the equipment independently. Equipment will include 3-D printers, laser cutters, 3-D scanners, CNC, electronics wiring stations and more. For more information visit: https://www.harpercollege.edu/maker/index.php

Certified Social Media Strategist Dee Reinhardt will explain the benefits of developing a business profile and how to use the platform to reach potential customers. In this session you'll learn: How to position your profile, Why you need a company profile, How to build your network, What to do to stay in touch with your network, Warming up cold leads through LinkedIn. Please bring your LinkedIn username and password. Thursday, February 27th. 8:30am-10am.

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.

We're all fighting for attention. That's the name of the online game. If you're not visible and relevant, you may miss out on sales. In this training, online marketing expert Vanessa Cabrera, will reveal simple yet incredibly powerful strategies you can do right NOW that will amplify your online visibility and position you as the go-to expert. Tuesday, March 3. 8:30am - 10am

Even with the popularity of Instagram, Facebook is still the largest social media platform. Award winning marketing expert Vanessa Cabrera will reveal: how to use Facebook as a lead generating machine on Facebook; the 3 secrets to boost your business using Facebook and; steps you can take to start monetizing Facebook for your business. Thursday, April 2. 8:30am - 10am

Joe Skibbie of JRS Marketing Communications will 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). Your website needs to convert visitor traffic into customers. What key elements are needed to do this? We’ll also discuss how to track and analyze how well your website and social media tools are working. Free. Thursday, April 21, 8:30-10am

Email marketing still remains as one of the most cost effective ways to market your business online. When you combine the power of social media together with a focused email marketing you convert leads into sales. In this training, Vanessa Cabrera, a certified email marketing strategist will show you the simple yet effective strategies to increase your sales through email marketing. Tuesday, May 5th. 8:30am - 10am

Joe Skibbie of JRS Marketing Communications will present the basics of digital marketing for business. Increasingly, small businesses are getting leads and referrals from digital sources. With more and more web traffic being driven by smartphones, tablets, and PC’s, there is a growing need for businesses to learn and use this free form of advertising where you control the message and can promote any of your products or services. FREE. Thursday, May 28. 8:30-10am.

You know your prospects are on LinkedIn, and you've heard the success stories, but how do YOU reap the benefits of LinkedIn to get more leads, more business, and more referrals? In this seminar you will learn: How to create a LinkedIn profile that attracts quality prospects, How to surround yourself with ideal prospects, How to build your online reputation as the "GO-TO" person in your field, How to combine it all with an email marketing plan. Free. June 2, 8:30am-10:00am