L-R: Thomas Ketchum, SBDC at SSEGI client; Kristi DeLaurentiis, SSMMA Executive Director; Debbie Meyers-Martin, IL State Rep.; Jay Readey, SSEGI Project Manager; Vicki Foeman Brown, SBDC Director for the Illinois SBDC at SSEGI; Liz Castaneda, SSEGI Community and Outreach Manager; Tasha Brown,Associate Illinois SBDC Director; and Rodney Falls, Business Advisor for the Illinois SBDC at SSEGI
More than 100 budding or perspective business owners attended the “Insurmountable You! Conquering Your Fears & Building a Successful Business,” conference by Illinois Small Business Development Center at SSEGI. The event took place Nov. 8 and was hosted by Prairie State College in Chicago Heights.
The daylong conference was designed to reach new start-ups, existing small business owners, decision-makers, distributors, suppliers and anyone who was considering starting a business. Business owners connected to other business owners and provided innovative information that encouraged small businesses to grow
Panel topics included Conquering Your Fears, Getting Your Business in Order, How to Expand Your Business: Reaching Larger Contracts, Doing Business with the Government and Going International, Where’s the Money: From Opportunity Zones to Commercial Lending , and Branding and Marketing.
Attendees also participated in an interactive platform with procurement officers, financial and funding experts, supplier diversity and global market professionals, business owners and leaders, and industry influencers to discuss best practices on how to build and grow their businesses.
The Illinois Small Business Development Center at SSEGI is a collaborative partnership between the South Suburban Mayors and Managers (SSMMA) and the South Suburban Economic Growth Initiative (SSEGI). Our Illinois SBDC at SSEGI is designed to service all of the Southland’s entrepreneurial and small business ecosystem, through a hub-and-spoke system of spaces and partner outreach that will engage entrepreneurs and businesses throughout the Southland.