Make Your E-Commerce or Entrepreneur Dreams a Reality With These Tips

April 5, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Have you thought about starting your own small business? Maybe you’re looking to sell a few goods online as part of a side gig, or perhaps you want to change careers altogether. Either way, in order to become a successful entrepreneur, you need to attract and keep customers. It seems like an easy task, but keeping shoppers and clients connected can actually be a major challenge for new small businesses. In this guest post, Lucy Reed, Creator and Owner of gigmine.co, shares her tips on how you can make your e-commerce and entrepreneur dreams come true.

April 3, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

It has become very fashionable over the last few years to talk about being “data-driven” or using “big data.” Companies are pouring billions of dollars into developing tools and hiring talent to get more from their data so they can find the insights, new customers, and behaviors that can help them sell more products to the right people, increase efficiency, or stretch their dollar further. Despite these investments, there continues to be a significant data “skills gap.” In this guest post, Aaron Filous, CEO of Promotable, takes a look at how founders can use data to their advantage.

April 2, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

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 April 1, 2019.

April 2, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Today’s guest post comes from Sharmili Majmudar, who champions gender equity and justice as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Women Employed. Women Employed is a 45-year-old organization widely recognized for its groundbreaking work to improve women’s economic status and remove barriers to economic equity. Sharmili develops and leads the organization’s collaborations with employers to improve workplace practices, with a particular focus on scheduling, as well as leading the organization’s work with partners to address sexual harassment and advance an equal pay agenda with a racial equity lens. On International Women’s Day, she facilitated a workshop with the same name as this blog as part of 1871’s Balance for Better programming. [Read more…] about Everyone Can Do Something: Advancing Gender Equity in the Workplace

March 27, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

There’s a reason why shows like Restaurant: Impossible, Bar Rescue, and Kitchen Nightmares have so much appeal — after all, where else can you get a behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant industry? But even though the drama seems authentic, these shows often gloss over the difficult work it takes to maintain restaurant equipment. If you weren’t aware of the restaurant repair scene, go ahead and turn your television off for a moment and check out how Daniel Estrada and Joe Gallagher, Co-founders of 86 Repairs — a subscription service that manages equipment service and repairs for restaurants — are keeping your favorite eateries humming.

March 26, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

March 25, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

On March 13th, 1871 invited a group of entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to address challenges associated with financial and tax regulations. Taking the lens of established or soon-to-be entrepreneurs, the forum was full of insights and best practices on how founders could navigate their way through a web of complex regulations. This policy forum was created in partnership with Groundwork, a workshop series focused on foundational topics for entrepreneurs.

March 21, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

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.

March 21, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

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.

March 19, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

March 13, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

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.

March 12, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

March 7, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

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.

March 5, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

March 1, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

We’re excited to partner with Truss, a leading online marketplace, to help connect entrepreneurs, founders, and startups with best-in-class office space.

February 28, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

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.

February 27, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

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.

February 21, 2019 by J Blaszczykiewicz

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.

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