From cash flow to investment decisions, entrepreneurs face difficult financial decisions each and every day. However, learning to keep retirement and other personal finance goals on track is equally important. In this guest blog, Frank Devincentis, a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley in Chicago discusses a few important personal finance considerations for entrepreneurs just starting out.
[Read more…] about Personal Finance Tips for New Entrepreneurs
Food distribution is a long and complicated process. In fact, most retailers and brands will tell you that the national distribution system is more than just outdated — it’s ancient. You might be surprised to learn that a good portion of today’s food industry is still operating on a distribution system first designed in the 40’s. It’s a problem that Larissa Russell, CEO and Co-founder of Pod Foods, and her cofounder Fiona Lee, are all too familiar with –and that’s why they’re the right people to solve it.
[Read more…] about With Pod Foods, Distribution is Anything but Cookie Cutter
JOBS! Every week, we highlight a number of open jobs for our member companies. If you’re looking for an exciting career in the tech industry or an opportunity to work alongside Chicago’s best and brightest, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are the job openings for the week of March 18, 2019.
Private violin lessons can range up to $75 — or more — an hour. And while there’s no denying the benefits of 1-on-1 instruction, it can still be a hefty price to pay. But what if there was a more convenient way to learn the violin? One that not only cost less, but also allowed students to learn from the comfort of their own homes? That’s what Sam Walder’s building with Trala, an app that teaches users how to play the violin. In this post, Walder talks about technology as therapy, the importance of a strong support system, and why feedback should be one of the first things on every entrepreneur’s to-do list.
[Read more…] about Sam Walder is Building the Violin Teacher of the Future
JOBS! Every week, we highlight a number of open jobs for our member companies. If you’re looking for an exciting career in the tech industry or an opportunity to work alongside Chicago’s best and brightest, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are the job openings for the week of March 11, 2019.
For most of us, rooting for the home team is a given; after all, it’s easier to identify and support the city, town, or region that we’re most familiar with. That support extends to what we eat as well — and though everyone loves a good local farmers market — that doesn’t always help local food distributors. However, Christina Wing and Sam Eder of Big Wheelbarrow are hard at work ensuring that local farm vendors are reclaiming their place as hometown heroes.
JOBS! Every week, we highlight a number of open jobs for our member companies. If you’re looking for an exciting career in the tech industry or an opportunity to work alongside Chicago’s best and brightest, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are the job openings for the week of March 4, 2019.
We’re excited to partner with Truss, a leading online marketplace, to help connect entrepreneurs, founders, and startups with best-in-class office space.
Since running a startup is a constant balancing act, assessing just when to invest in hiring more employees can be tricky. As you work on scaling your business and reaching profitability, it’s best to run as lean as possible. With labor accounting for 50 to 60 percent of business costs, hiring more people isn’t exactly “lean.” In this guest post, Bob Cerone, CEO of Cognos HR, shares his insights on when its best to start expanding your team.
[Read more…] about Think It Might Be Time to Hire More Employees? Here’s How to Weigh Your Options
If you have a spare moment today, make sure to stop by your Human Resources department — and just say ‘thank you.’ You may not always see it, but these professionals are integral to your productivity and employee experience. But what happens if the HR department isn’t providing an amazing employee experience? It may be because they have never felt an amazing work experience. That’s the issue Daniel Vallejos, Founder of 360HRE, is working to solve. In this interview, Vallejos takes us into the HR revolution and talks about why curiosity — though dangerous to cats — is an entrepreneur’s best resource.
[Read more…] about Daniel Vallejos is Building a Human Resources Revolution with 360HRE
In this day and age, we rely heavily on technology to get a new business up and running. However, if not done right, utilizing digital tools increases your potential to be targeted by hackers and cybercriminals. In this guest blog post, Katie Perkins of 8×8, a provider of cloud communications and customer engagement solutions, shares a number of tips for startups who want to enhance their security measures.
[Read more…] about Hacks for Enhancing your Startup’s Cybersecurity
We’re excited to join Charles Schwab, one of the nation’s most prestigious brokerage firms, to celebrate women in the workforce with this year’s International Women’s Day event. Featuring this year’s theme of ‘Balance for Better,’ we’ll celebrate the day with a maker’s fair, free workshops, a panel discussion, a feature presentation, and a fireside chat.
JOBS! Every week, we highlight a number of open jobs for our member companies. If you’re looking for an exciting career in the tech industry or an opportunity to work alongside Chicago’s best and brightest, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are the job openings for the week of February 20, 2019.
“Where do I even start? How do I research charities? Who’s actually doing great work? Once I do give, where’s the money really going? If I’m not rich, can I even make an impact?” These are a just a few of the questions that pop when young professionals think about giving. To answer these, Joel Pollick, Founder and CEO of Percent Pledge, has made it his mission to empower every young professional to become a philanthropist and easily make giving a habit. In this post, Pollick discusses the importance of simplicity, transparency, and even fear.
Most entrepreneurs begin with the idea that their startup is bound to create ripples in the market. They may have a strong investor and an empowered team. They are focused on the big picture. They have all the ingredients that could lead to a successful startup. Despite being well prepared, there are only a few businesses that manage to see another year of existence. Some businesses fail while some don’t. In this article, Taylor Ryan, CMO at Valuer.ai, takes a look at why execution — and not ideas — can make all the difference.
[Read more…] about 6 Reasons Why Startups Need Great Execution More Than Great Ideas
JOBS! Every week, we highlight a number of open jobs for our member companies. If you’re looking for an exciting career in the tech industry or an opportunity to work alongside Chicago’s best and brightest, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are the job openings for the week of February 12, 2019.
If you are building a youth-centric company, engaging the youth into the work process is an all-around solid move. Montana Butsch, Founder and CEO of Spotivity has put together a guest post on how companies can build a better product by strategically engaging the very audience they look to serve.
[Read more…] about For Youth Focused Start-ups, Embedding Youth Into Your Culture is a Win/Win.
JOBS! Every week, we highlight a number of open jobs for our member companies. If you’re looking for an exciting career in the tech industry or an opportunity to work alongside Chicago’s best and brightest, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are the job openings for the week of February 5, 2019.