2009 Board Retreat
CCV staff and board members assembled the weekend of November 13 to discuss goals and the future direction of the organization. During the first day of the two-day retreat, CCV staff shared what they do and talked about projects from the last year. The group, led by Board President Torrence Moore, of the Kiwanja Redevelopment Fund, also spoke about trends in small business counseling services.
“We see financial empowerment and green initiatives as some of the new trends,” said Karen Scarpulla, a CCV public relations consultant in attendance.
Staff members said they noticed that a lot of small businesses don’t know how to look at their financials and go to the bank to get a loan. Getting clients ready for investing is a critical path to success for the year to come. Board Treasurer Joseph Kennedy, of Harris Bank, spoke from a banking perspective. He agreed that many small business owners are unprepared financially and that empowering these entrepreneurs would be an important next step for CCV.
"As CCV moves into another decade, the planning retreat allowed us to re-calibrate, re-focus, and re-energize the organization's mission and vision," said CCV President Anita Hollins.
On day two the CCV board reconvened to strategize for the upcoming year. They also worked on developing five and ten year plans. The CCV staff and board look forward to sharing more outcomes from the retreat in the near future and are looking to roll out new strategies and goals by April 2010.
CCV President Anita Hollins Goes to China for Business Exchange Trip
CCV President Anita Hollins recently returned from China, where she participated in a business to business exchange organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency and Pactrans Air & Sea. She traveled from November 30 to December 12, meeting with city governors, local business communities, and Chinese investors.
The trip was designed to guide minority business enterprises in doing business with China and to establish a working relationship with economic development organizations of the Chinese government.
Anita’s itinerary included stops in Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Shanghai is the most advanced city in terms of doing business with the U.S. and is a good entry point for minority businesses to explore opportunities abroad. In Beijing, the capital city, trip participants were able to experience Chinese culture and learn about the country’s history.
"Experiencing the culture first hand allowed me to re-evaluate my perceptions of the country and appreciate the value that China offers to the business landscape," said Anita.
25 Small Business Owners Attend U.S. General Services Administration Event
On November 12, CCV hosted a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) information meeting featuring Lonnette Bryan, President and CEO of Washington D.C.-based GSA Federal Solutions Inc. Ms. Bryan, who had a 25-year career with the U.S. federal government, offered advice to small businesses hoping to win big government contracts.
GSA is the agency that buys most of the goods and services that the federal government needs. “Getting on a GSA Schedule can really help a company grow,” said Hans Bonner, CCV Project Director.
At the morning meeting, Ms. Bryan counseled 25 small business owners on how to market their products and services to the federal government via the General Services Administration. The federal government is the largest buyer of goods and services, and therefore, represents a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs.
Some of Ms. Bryan’s advice included the following:
To get on a GSA Schedule you need to negotiate well and work with somebody who has experience getting companies on the GSA Schedule.
A GSA Schedule does not guarantee a contract; it is a tool to do business with the federal government. So, minority-business entrepreneurs still need to market their products, but having a schedule is a big step.
Hans organized the event, which also touched on how to win contracts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As of October 30, more than 24,000 Illinois jobs have been either created or saved by this government initiative.
“The event was very successful, some of the attendees are already working on getting on schedule. It was successful because of the attendance as well as the quality of the speaker,” Hans said.
Boeing Bazaar and MCD Recognitions
Held at the Boeing world headquarters at 100 North Riverside Plaza in Chicago, the 2009 Boeing Bazaar took place Tuesday, December 8. The bazaar was held in the morning for social enterprise businesses in the Chicago area to showcase their products. "The stalls were interesting and had plenty of items from each company," said CCV Loan Analyst Hussain Bhanpuri. "I bought some cards and coffee from Inspiration Corporation," he added.
Christy Uchida, Chicago community investor at Boeing, made opening remarks. She was followed by CCV Board President Torrence Moore, who discussed CCV’s history and the accomplishments of the organization to date. CCV Training Director Doug Cannon distributed the course completion awards to business owners.
"The program recognized social enterprises that are making a difference within the community and also making a profit, which is essential to be sustainable," Hussain said. "I can't wait to see more social enterprises enter the Chicago arena as they become a more prominent part of the small business sector," he said.
CCV staff members Doug Cannon, Hans Bonner, Christyn Freemon, Joshua Gutstein, Gwen Jones, and Diane Rodak-Salinas were in attendance. Also present was CCV Board Treasurer Joseph Kennedy.
CCV is looking forward to a continued partnership with Boeing in 2010.
Surviving the Holidays: How to Make Sure Your Business Comes Out Ahead
Control inventories. Mark items down sooner than you normally would to move through costly inventory.
Ask for discounts from vendors and suppliers. If you have the cash, offer to pay on delivery for a small percentage off. A lot of vendors are working with overdue accounts and are thrilled to be paid on delivery.
Don’t cut advertising and marketing, but consider new venues. Social networking and the Internet has made free advertising very easy. Log on to Facebook or Twitter to promote your business at no cost.
Take advantage of holiday parties and get-togethers to network with friends and colleagues. Don't forget to bring your business card to hand out to new clients and customers!
Does your company offer gift certificates? During this time of gift giving, you should definitely give customers the option of buying a gift certificate to present to friends and family as a holiday gift.
Recognize holidays other than just Christmas. Being sensitive to a broad range of winter holidays, such as Hanukkah and Kwanza, will both increase sales and build goodwill with a diverse group of customers.
Credit Report Resources
There are three nationwide consumer credit reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. Each of these companies is required to provide one free credit report to you annually. A credit report includes information like: where you live, how you pay bills, whether you have been sued or arrested, and if you’ve filed for bankruptcy. It’s important to be familiar with your credit report when trying to get a loan. Your credit score largely determines what interest rate you’ll be charged to borrow money.
To get a free credit report you can do one of three things:
Complete the annual credit report request form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can print the form from www.ftc.gov/credit.
Beware of imposter Web sites and scams! FreeCreditReport.com is not actually free. A lot of these Web sites will charge you for their services after a free trial period is up.
While annualcreditreport.com is the official government Web site, there are a few other sites that will give you a of where you stand in regards to the credit score rating. For a more in-depth explanation of free versus paid subscription credit reporting sites, read this New York Times article. One Web sites that allows you to estimate your credit score is creditkarma.com. Credit Karma allows you to see where you stand in comparison to others and gives you a pretty good picture of where your credit score lies. Still, for an official credit score it's best to go through annualcreditreport.com.
Visit the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s Web site for more information on how to improve your credit score, choose a credit card, get business credit, and manage debt.
CCV Market Mondays: Chopin Theatre Originally posted Nov. 16, 2009
Located in Wicker Park, the Chopin Theatre is an independent arts center established by Zygmunt Dyrkacz in 1990. As the theatre approaches its twentieth birthday, Zygmunt reminisces about his community and theatre.
“Our vision was to create a neighborhood based on people knowing and helping each other,” he said.
The Chopin Theatre, along with the Wicker Park area, has indeed made major progress since its beginning. The theatre has attracted stars like Jeremy Piven and John Cusack and international media such as the U.K.-based Guardian and the New York Times, which called Chopin "enchantingly funky."
“One of the reasons people come to Chicago is the theatre, it’s art,” Zygmunt said.
Recently, Chopin was awarded a Challenge Grant from CCV to help with the expenses that come along with being an independent theatre in the heart of a now-trendy Chicago neighborhood.
If you are a client interested in promoting your business please send a brief description of your business and whether you have a specific event you would like to promote to Seth Harrop . Clients with time-sensitive events to promote will be given priority.
Check our blog every Monday to see our featured Market Monday clients!
As any small business owner or entrepreneur knows, leisure time is not easy to come by. So when you do find a few free moments, consider looking at some of these books and Web sites, highly recommended by CCV staff.
CCV President Anita Hollins recommends Good to Greatby Jim Collins. The book is great because it looks at the business from a long-term perspective, Anita said. The book address a single question: Can a good company become a great company, and if so, how? In the book, Collins also debunks common myths about change, stock options, technology and revolution. He teaches lessons based on eggs, hedgehogs and buses.
Video: Meet Clifford Fort Smith, Small Business Owner Originally posted Nov. 30, 2009
Fort Smith, an affordable high-fashion clothing and accessory boutique, is new on the Chicago scene. Check out this interview with the owner, Clifford, who credits much of his success to CCV marketing classes.
Video: Meet Doug Cannon, CCV Staff Member Originally posted Dec. 8, 2009
Doug Cannon talks about his background and some of his experiences as a CCV staff member. Doug, who received his MBA from the University of Illinois, developed the award winning Marketing and Customer Development Program, a four-month, intensive class for small business owners.
CCV President Anita Hollins Goes to China for Business Exchange Trip
Located in Wicker Park, the 
