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Opportunities Forum
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Greetings!
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. While some things slow down during the holidays, the SBAC is not one of them. Indeed, we are holding our December Happy Hour this Wednesday at Sullivan's Steakhouse. We also have several smaller meet-and-greets on the schedule later this month.
Our work on the SBAC's health insurance initiative also continues to move forward. Our focus is on collecting census materials from all our members. Video of our recent health insurance forum will be featured on our website and Facebook page over the next week. The initial video installment is featured later in this newsletter.
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Sullivan's Happy Hour With Local First Chicago
Join us at Sullivan's Steakhouse for our December Happy Hour this coming Wednesday, December 1st. Enjoy appetizers, drinks and great conversation with SBAC members at Sullivan's upstairs bar. The SBAC sends its sincere thanks to Sullivan's for hosting this event and for its unwavering support for the SBAC. Sullivan's is donating both the food and beverages for this event.
The SBAC is proud to partner with Local First Chicago on our December Happy Hour. Local First Chicago is a network of locally owned, independent businesses and community organizations joined together to keep money and character in Chicago neighborhoods and build a thriving local economy.
Business gets done at SBAC Happy Hours. We will get started at 6:00pm and hope to see you there. Sullivan's Steakhouse is located at 415 North Dearborn Street in Chicago. To RSVP, contact Blanca Campos at Blanca@SBACIL.org.
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Partnership With Constant Contact
 The SBAC has entered into a strategic partnership with Constant Contact to secure additional discounts for our members. Constant Contact will be providing a 25% discount to SBAC members who sign up for a one year subscription through our program. Members who subscribe for six months will receive a 20% discount. Our members will also have a dedicated account manager that will handle any issues that arise.
Constant Contact has been a fantastic resource for the SBAC. Please contact Eric Quintanilla for additional information on this program and how to sign up. Through the power of critical mass, our members now receive discounts on office supplies, Constant Contact, court reporting fees, document copy services, fine wine and much more. |
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Support The Illinois Microloan Program Act
The Illinois Microloan Program Act may be considered by the Illinois Senate this week. The purpose of the Act is to provide small businesses suffering from a lack of credit with loans for working capital and the acquisition of materials, supplies or equipment. These loans will not exceed $35,000.00. Along with these fixed-rate loans, businesses may qualify for small grants to be used for infrastructure development and marketing. To view the Bill click here.
Small business is a crucial segment of our economy and, as we often hear from politicians, a major source of job creation. This legislation will provide small business owners and entrepreneurs the opportunity to expand their businesses. For those business owners long on potential, but short on credit due to the lending crises, this legislation will provide them with a fighting chance to succeed.
Join the SBAC in supporting the Illinois Microloan Program Act and consider contacting your state legislators in that regard.
We would also like to remind our members about our microlender database. In this database, business owners can find contact information for over 200 microlenders. SBAC Microlender Database |
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Announcements
Moshe Klein & Associates Join SBAC
 The SBAC is proud to announce that Moshe Klein & Associates has joined the SBAC. Moshe Klein & Associates provide low cost bookkeeping, accounting and tax services for small businesses around the USA.
For $99 a month, MK&A will become your business office and save you money! Full Services Include: Accounting & bookkeeping Services, Accounts Receivable & Accounts Payable Services, Full Service Collection, Not-For-Profit Services, Business Consulting, Enrollment & Registration Services and Tax & I.R.S. Services. Contact Shalom Klein at shalom@mkabusiness.com or 888-432-8187 *21 for more information.
| | Dan Johnson-Weinberger |
SBAC member, Dan Johnson-Weinberger, Tapped To Head Policy In Chicago Mayoral Race
Dan Johnson-Weinberger and his firm Progressive Public Affairs have signed on with the Carol Moseley Braun for Mayor campaign. Dan will serve as the Policy Director. PPA will continue to lobby for the SBAC with the Illinois General Assembly.
Brian Raterman, SBAC member and new Chicago Attorney, Seeking Position
I recently had the opportunity to meet with Brian Raterman and talk about his desire to secure employment with a law firm in the Chicagoland area. We discussed that in this difficult economic climate, employers are looking for hard working folks that understand the enormous effort necessary to achieve success. I found Brian to be thoughtful and intelligent. If there are firms in the SBAC looking to hire an associate, I would suggest scheduling an interview with Brian. Here is his resume: Brian Raterman Resume
Health Insurance Forum Provides Answers and Path To A Health Insurance Program Arthur J. Gallagher recently held an informative health insurance forum with members of the SBAC. We are thankful to have Arthur J. Gallagher, one of the largest insurance brokers in the world, as a partner in this endeavor. In the first video installment from the forum, Brian Lomas highlights another cooperative as a case study for how the SBAC can establish its health insurance pool. We also discuss various pooling options and the manner by which they can stabilize our members' health insurance rates in the video. Please contact me with any questions regarding our SBAC health insurance initiative. |
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All the best,
Elliot Richardson
Small Business Advocacy Council |
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