Dear Kinzie Corridor business owner
Call 312-421-3941 today to RSVP for these upcoming ICNC events
City wants to showcase your products
As part of the "Made in Chicago" program highlighting products manufactured in the city, space has been set aside in City Hall and in McCormick Place to display items made here. ICNC knows there are a lot of fascinating things produced right in our corridor, so please let us know if you'd like an example of what you make to be shown there.
ICNC events
Spanish for supervisors
March 25
Looking for better ways to leverage your Latino workforce? Want to get some basic workplace-specific Spanish skills to build rapport and increase safety and communication with employees, customers or vendors? Join us for a fun and engaging survival Spanish workshop where you will explore Spanish language and culture as it relates to the workplace. Seminar by Workforce Language Seervices, LLC, which currently provides language training to ICNC members here in the Kinzie Corridor. Wednesday, March 25 from 9 to 11 a.m. at ICNC. You must RSVP for this free workshop: RSVP or call ICNC.
Intellectual property -- trademarks, copyrights, and patents
April 21
Your brand, your products, and your inventions or ideas are all important parts of what you sell. Find out what you can do to make sure you protect the intellectual property of your business. Richard J. Gurak, partner at Husch Blackwell Sanders Welsh & Katz, will present information on trademarks, patents, and copyrights, and answer your questions about them. Tuesday, April 21 from 9-10 a.m. to ICNC with a Q&A session afterwards. Free, RSVP or call ICNC.
Women's business networking and cooking lesson
May 6
Join new ICNC board member and chef Andrea Herrera at her kitchen for a women's networking event and hands-on cooking lesson. Spanish tapas and sangria are on the menu. Learn great new recipes and talk with fellow business owners. Wednesday, May 6 from 4-6 p.m. at Amazing Edibles, 2419 W. 14th St., unit C. $20. RSVP or call ICNC. For information e-mail Andrea at [email protected]. Street parking available.
Small manufacturer's energy tune-up
May 27
Spend less on electric and gas for your small business. Engineers from the University of Illinois at Chicago will host a walk-through of systems at ICNC member Overton Chicago Gear to show attendees how to cut costs on: 
- Lighting
- Boilers and steam
- Machines and motors
- Compressed air
- HVAC
- Energy purchasing
You'll tour the plant and see how energy is used and where it's often wasted. Attendees will receive free, easy to use software to track their own energy spending and calculate return on investment for improvements. The latest news on financial incentives will also be discussed. Overton Chicago Gear, 2823 W. Fulton St. Wednesday, May 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free, but space is limited. RSVP or call ICNC.
Free Word and Excel classes at ICNC
Help your employees get the most out of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or Photoshop with these popular free classes right here at ICNC's computer training center. Each class is two days of instruction from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday and Thursday. Call Rosalyn at ICNC to arrange dates.
Kinzie corridor news
Join ICNC in 2009
If you're not already a member of ICNC, we want you! It's only through the strength of our membership that we're able to advocate for City services, get incentive money for local companies, and provide business assistance like employee recruitment and computer classes. Memership is an affordable $75-$300 for the year, and in addition to all our services, it gets your business listed in our 2009 business directory and on our website. Join or renew now or call Steve at 312-421-3941 to discuss membership. Members: please check your listing on our website to make sure your information is accurate. E-mail [email protected] with any changes.
New Kinzie SBIF grants coming soon!
Another round of funding for the Kinzie Corridor Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) will be available soon. The grant program provides up to $150,000 in matching funds for capital improvements to small businesses inside the Kinzie TIF district. The City has not announced the amount of funding available or the date applications will be accepted, but companies with projects for 2009 should be ready for the application process to open this spring. Call Steve at 312-421-3941 with questions about eligibilty.
Free EMT career training and placement at ICNC
ICNC has partnered with the Eleanor Foundation and Superior Ambulance to provide free Emergency Medical Technician training and job placement to working (or recently unemployed) women living in Chicago. Training is Saturdays and runs spring to fall 2009. To learn more or to apply, visit ICNC's EMT training page.
Guest article: Intro to trademark law
Attorney Richard J. Gurak, who will present ICNC's intellectual property seminar on April 21, has penned this month's guest article. IP protection is essential to protect the work you put into a product and to preserve your branding. He describes why companies use trademarks, how to obtain them, and what things to consider when deciding whether to apply for one. Click here to read the article.
Recommend stimulus projects
Illinois residents can recommend projects for the state's share of the federal stimulus funding at http://recovery.illinois.gov/. From the same website you can also access information on assistance to small businesses, including tax incentives such as accelerated depreciation and enhanced expensing.
Wanted: suppliers for alternative energy producers
If you think your company could supply parts or services for alternative energy suppliers (think wind turbines, solar, biomass, or other renewable sources) take a moment to fill out this survey. The information is being used to build a supplier database and market the industrial capacity of the region to original equipment manufacturers.
Let ICNC fill your open jobs at no cost
ICNC can find the employees you need. Let us recruit and interview job candidates and we'll send the best ones to you, so you save time and money. Do you need a shipping clerk? Customer service rep? Driver? We have qualified candidates right now. We'll also do a criminal background check and contact references, all at no cost to you. You can place a job order online on ICNC's website, or contact Priscilla at 312-421-3941 or at [email protected].
Classifieds
Space available at ICNC's Fulton Carroll Center
Check ICNC's website if you'd like to rent space with us. We also keep a list of neighborhood properties for sale or lease. Let us know if you have something you'd like included on the list.
Free packing material
ICNC tenant has consistent supply of used bubble wrap, foam peanuts, styrofoam sheets/boxes and other material. Free. Call Garrett at 773-655-0779.
For more information about any of these events contact ICNC at 312-421-3941 or by e-mail at [email protected].
ICNC is located on the second floor of the Fulton Carrol Center, 2010 W. Fulton St., Ste. 280, Chicago, IL 60612. | 
