Nearwest  News
In This Issue
Incubator Open House
Finance Lunch & Learn
Mfg. Lunch & Learn
Event Venue Ordinance
Member Spotlight
Need Help Hiring?
Affordable Care Act
Development Opps
New Incubator Co's.
Member Announcments
Quick Links
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                 September 2015      
ICNC Incubator Open House - September 24
For the first time, ICNC will be having an incubator open house. With 416,000 square feet across four buildings, ICNC is one of the oldest and largest incubators in the country.

The businesses in the incubator will be opening their doors to showcase their products and services. They include food producers, coffee roasters, beverage distillers, beauty product creators, light manufacturers, photographers, and more. You will be able to tour the businesses at your own pace or join one of our scheduled tours. Join us for food and drinks beginning at 5:00 PM for networking and socializing. 
                   
               Beer provided by:
Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind opportunity to see ICNC's community of small businesses at work.    

Thursday, September 24
Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: 320 N. Damen Ave.

Lunch and Learn: 
Financial Management for Future Lending
Many small businesses need funding and will at some point be seeking a loan.  In this session, you will learn why financial management is important to a small business, what the rules and tools are of financial management and how they work, and how to best prepare your business for financing in the future.  We will also delve into the importance of record keeping and how this will help your business prepare for growth.

Thursday, October 8
Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: ICNC - 320 N. Damen Ave.
Register here. Space is limited.
     Thanks to our sponsor:
Brown Bag Lunch and Learn: 
Lean Manufacturing 
Use Lean Manufacturing models to identify wasteful practices, reduce costs, and increase quality. Join the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) and ICNC for a closer look at the improvement models that can support your organization's top and bottom line growth. This lunch and learn provides local manufacturers with a convenient, no-cost forum to engage in networking and improvement practices.

IMEC has in-depth experience in each of these areas and they can help you assess the improvement priorities to set you forward on a path to growth. Additional insights will focus on the availability of resources supporting local manufacturers and access to funding.
Mfg
Wednesday, October 14
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: ICNC - 320 N. Damen Ave.
Register here. Bring your brown bag lunch.
Industrial Event Venues Ordinance Drafted
A new ordinance that will allow industrial event venues to operate in select Planned Manufacturing Districts (PMDs), including the Kinzie Corridor, has been introduced to the City for approval. ICNC vehemently opposes this ordinance due to its likelihood to deplete already limited available industrial space, its low-wage job creation, and the activities created by event venues that disrupt manufacturing operations. ICNC will continue to monitor the situation to ensure our companies and the PMD are represented in discussions.

To speak for the PMD alongside ICNC at an upcoming hearing, or to find out how else you can help, contact Hannah Jones at [email protected].
Member Spotlight: Strange Loop Studios
Strange Loop Studios is a video production company located inside of the ICNC incubator. They opened a year ago in Chicago, which is not typically viewed as a creative hub. They feel strongly that Chicago has tons of untapped potential and they want to highlight local talent. Its founding members have 20 years of combined experience working in film and commercial video production. They have even produced a grant-award winning video for ICNC.
Like a lot of small business owners, they have had to overcome challenges in their business. They have found that scaling quickly, efficiently and even across borders are extremely important within their industry. The logistical and creative requests they get from their clients can seem intimidating. But their solution is simple; never stop growing creative partnerships and meeting talented individuals. They even started the Strange Loop Social - an event aimed at bringing these individuals together. Click here to learn more about Strange Loop Studios.
Do You Need Help Hiring?
As a small business owner managing your day-to-day operations, you may not have the time to post an ad, screen resumes, and call people in to interview. ICNC can do all of that, and more. For more information, contact Nancy Kramer at [email protected]
Affordable Care Act Seminar Recap
Thank you to all who attended the September Lunch and Learn. Geri Aglipay from the Small Business Majority provided us with a lot of information on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and we had an opportunity to get our questions asked and answered.

For those that were not able to attend the September Lunch and Learn, click here for more information.
Professional Development Opportunities      
10,000 Small BusinessesGoldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a no-cost program that provides business owners with practical business education, a supportive network of advisors and peers, and access to capital. Through the program, owners will receive the tools and support to develop a customized plan to grow their business. The application deadline for Cohort 14 is October 17.  The cohort begins January 8, 2016 and ends April 16, 2014. To learn more email [email protected] or call 312-553-5912. 

Business Workshops: The Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection (BACP) offers workshops every Wednesday and Friday. Workshops vary each month and are conducted by City Officials, experts, and partner business organizations. All workshops are free and open to the public. To view the business workshop calendar, click here.

CASE: Chicago Anchors for a Strong Economy: CASE helps small businesses sell to large institutions, such as universities, cultural institutions, hospitals, government and businesses. Cohort 10, which is food-related, will take place on October 8, October 22 and November 5. For more information about CASE or to apply, click here.
Welcome New ICNC Incubator Companies
Against the Grain Custom Creations - Sellers of custom wood pieces and restored antiquities. They reclaim repurpose, refinish, and create custom wood pieces large and small. They can take a piece of furniture (even an existing wall) and re-purpose it into a unique and modern convenience. Their products can be found online.

Shoe Drop - Providers of quality shoe care and repair with an effortless and innovative pick-up and drop-off service. They have taken the shoe repair industry and modernized it by using technology. It is as easy as downloading the Shoe Drop app. With over 80 drop locations across Chicago, quality shoe care is now as close as your dry cleaner, high rise residential building, or office.
Member Announcements
MXOTech - A technology solution provider is currently offering ICNC members with 10 or more computers a discount of 10% off their outsourced IT support. They help businesses with truly predictable IT costs, network reliability, backups that work, business portals and more.MXO
ICNC Incubator Space Available      
Enjoy competitive rent, a thriving entrepreneurial environment, and immediate access to ICNC's services. Click here to view more available spaces.Space
For more info call 312-421-3941 or email [email protected]