City of Chicago Hosting Free Business Workshops Throughout July July 19 Workshop to be Conducted in Spanish

For Immediate Release
June 25, 2013

The City of Chicago has eight exciting Business Education Workshops planned throughout July. The workshops, offered by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) are free to the public every Wednesday and Friday in Room 805, City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., Chicago.

The City of Chicago is presenting five workshops, which include “Talk to City Inspectors, Ask Questions, Get Answers,” “How to Obtain a Produce Merchant License,” “How to Obtain a Mobile Food Dispenser/Preparer License,” “How to Become Certified/Doing Business with the City of Chicago,” and “What You Should Know About Business Taxes.”
Joining the City to at its workshops are Tom Casale, of Simplified Solutions, who will present “Using Email and Mobile Device Marketing for Maximum Impact;” Denise Ching, of Illinois SBDC at UIC, who is presenting “Creative Financing for Your Business” and Silvia Bonilla, of the Small Business Development Center at the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who is presenting “Como Empezar Un Negocio,” which will be in Spanish.

To register for a workshop, or for more information, call (312) 744-2086 or email BACPoutreach@cityofchicago.org. Workshops are conducted by city officials, BACP’s partner organizations and experts in the industry. Workshops are located at the BACP City Hall Office, 121 N. LaSalle St., Room 805. Learn more about BACP programs and events by visiting www.cityofchicago.org/bacp.

July 2013 Business Workshop Calendar

7/3 Talk to City Inspectors, Ask Questions, Get Answers
3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Presented by the City of Chicago
To operate a successful business in Chicago you must know the requirements. At this workshop you can talk to four inspectors from City departments who will point out the do’s and don’ts of operating your business, and provide insight on how to operate safely, stay compliant, and prepare for inspections. Don’t miss this workshop!

7/5 No Workshop Due to Holiday

7/10 How to Obtain a Produce Merchant License
3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Presented by the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection
This workshop is for you if you are interested in operating a produce stand in Chicago. We will be discussing the Produce Merchant licensing process including the application, documentation, operational, and public way use requirements. As per the City ordinance, “produce” is defined as whole and uncooked agricultural, plant based items, including, but not limited to, fruits, vegetables, legumes, edible grains, nuts, spices, herbs and cut flowers. Licensed Produce Merchants must conduct 50 percent of their business operations in areas underserved by grocery stores, and produce stands must be non-motorized free standing, temporary structures that may be located on private or public property, with written permission from the property owner, or on the public way, with a Produce Stand Public Way Use Permit.

7/12 Using Email and Mobile Device Marketing for Maximum Impact
9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Presented by Tom Casale, Simplified Solutions
Mobile marketing has come to the mainstream. Like email marketing, mobile marketing should be a critical part of your overall marketing efforts. This year, trillions of text messages will be sent with marketing messages becoming more prominent. Text messages are viewed more immediately than email messages and interacted with in increasingly more complex ways. Join us as we learn how to activate our customers with mobile and email marketing to increase engagement, leads and sales. We’ll look at how to grow and use your email list to ignite powerful mobile communication programs through the use of sms/text campaigns, text to join programs, QR codes and mobile-friendly websites, and social applications.

7/17 Creative Financing for Your Business
3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Presented by Denise Ching, Illinois SBDC at UIC
All businesses need cash, but not all cash is the same. Come learn about the different sources of capital and how to create a funding strategy. Topics will include small business loans, crowdsourcing, investments, grants, and more.

7/19 Como Empezar Un Negocio
9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Presented by Silvia Bonilla, Small Business Development Center at the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Esta sesión provee información sobre los aspectos más importantes de cómo empezar su negocio y la importancia de un plan concreto para guiar el desarrollo y crecimiento de ese negocio. Aprenda acerca de las entidades legales de su negocio, licencias, financiación y sobre lo que se necesita para tener éxito en el mundo empresarial. Además, dado de que el crédito es un factor importante a la hora de solicitar un préstamo, los participantes también aprenderán acerca del crédito que las instituciones financiaran buscan, así como las últimas herramientas para arreglar un mal crédito, o finalmente crear el crédito que merecen.
(This workshop will be conducted in Spanish.)

7/24 How to Obtain a Mobile Food Dispenser/Preparer License
3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Presented by the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection
Are you interested in operating a food truck in the City of Chicago? Then come and learn how you may obtain a Mobile Food Dispenser (MFD) or Mobile Food Preparer (MFP) business license. We will be discussing the MFD/MFP licensing process including inspections, the application, mobile food vehicle, and operational requirements, as well as the optional pre-application Mobile Food Vehicle Assessment.

7/26 What You Should Know About Business Taxes
9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Presented by Raul Medina, Tax Division, City of Chicago Department of Finance
Are you looking for Information on Chicago business taxes your new business might be subject to? Attend this great workshop and learn types of Chicago business taxes, how to register and payment/filing instructions, how to determine if you are subject to one or more Chicago business tax, and steps to take to be in compliance.

7/31 How to Become Certified
1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Presented by the City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services (DPS)
This workshop will provide information on which businesses are qualified to become certified as a Minority/Woman Owned Business Enterprise. Learn what documents are required, where to go for help, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.
Doing Business with the City of Chicago
3:15 to 4:30 p.m.
This information is designed to outline the role and responsibility of the Department of Procurement Services, and how the City's purchasing process works. This workshop is ideal for companies looking to do business with the City of Chicago.