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1871

The central Chicago address for tech

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  • Join
    • I am a…
      • Early Stage
      • Growth Stage
      • Corporate Innovator
    • Roadmap
      • Supply Chain Innovation Lab
      • BLKtech Founders
      • LTNtech Founders
      • WMNtech Founders
      • WMNtech Leaders
      • WMNfintech
      • PYROS
      • Equifax Accelerate
      • DGTL
    • Resources
      • Neighborhoods
      • Job Board
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Host Your Event
    • Signature Events
      • Juneteenth
      • Momentum
      • International Women’s Day
      • ScaleUp
      • Tech Challenge 2021
      • Campus
      • Intern & Job Fair
  • Blog
  • Contribute
  • About

Helping Small Businesses survive and thrive

1871’s Small Business Initiative (SBI) provides free resources and mentorship to “non-digital native” small businesses across Chicagoland and the Midwest. Developed in response to COVID-19, SBI helps small business owners tackle challenges, implement new ideas, and evolve for today’s digital marketplace and beyond.

Sign Up to Join

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A Message From Our CEO
Betsy Zielger,
CEO @ 1871

Welcome to the Small Business Initiative! We are incredibly excited to have you here.

At 1871, we believe that technology can help strengthen and grow small businesses, but you should not have to be a tech whiz to take advantage of its capabilities. That is why we created the Small Business Initiative, a free resource for you, the small business owner who is looking to explore how you can best leverage tech to support and grow your business. 

Before you jump in, I would like to take a moment to highlight what you will find within the Small Business Initiative. Below, you will find a resource guide with articles and videos chosen to help you navigate the wide variety of options you have for getting your business online, managing sales, and connecting with customers. New content will be added to this guide regularly and, as such, we hope you revisit it to check up on tips and trends. 

Additionally, we know that running your own business can sometimes feel like living on an island. That is why we created a mentoring program where you can connect one-on-one with entrepreneurs and experts in fields like strategy, marketing, and e-commerce to bounce around ideas, get advice, and talk through ways to take your business to the next level. 

We hope that exploring the guides, tutorials, and resources below, leaves you inspired.”

SBI is your hub for small business support

JOIN FOR RESOURCES & PERKS

Own a restaurant, barbershop, franchise, manufacturing facility, convenience store, dry cleaner, or are you a service provider?

  • Benefit from 1871’s network 
  • Get advice from vetted mentors
  • Learn critical subject matter
  • Receive a digital badge
Sign Up!

BECOME AN SBI MENTOR

We’re looking for mentors to help support hard-working small businesses with expertise in subjects like:

  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Business Development
  • E-Commerce
Become A Mentor

Resources

Browse all resources >

What Is An Acceptable B2B Conversion Rate?

Perhaps you’ve been tasked to go find what are acceptable or average B2B lead conversion rate benchmarks? It’s a tough question to answer, but hopefully we can help break this down for you so that you can help frame the right conversations in your next presentation.

Online Marketing

Creating Real Buyer Personas

For any great marketing strategy to catch fire, one must first put their target user personas (aka customers or buyers) front and center. Getting to an accurate understanding of what the customer looks like and needs is a lot harder than it looks.

Online Marketing

How To Create A Website Project Plan

Getting to the heart of what a new website will be (and do) is key to a successful project. The first step on how to plan a website project is to commit to proper planning.

Online Marketing

Which Loan Is Right For Your Small Business?

FIND THE BEST LOAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS There are many loans available to small business owners – maybe more than you think – depending on your credit score, the amount of time you’ve been in business, and your desired loan amount.

Financial Tips