Nearwest News
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PMD Plans
Make City Mentions
SBDC Workshops
HR Corner
Make City Available Space
Hatchery Workshops
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The Illinois Small Business Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, and the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (ICNC). Reasonable accomodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Please contact the center at (312)433-2373.

January 2019
What's next for the PMD?
DPD Proposes Updates to Kinzie Zoning
The Kinzie Industrial Corridor's Planned Manufacturing District has guided land use here for more than 20 years. As the types of uses in the corridor change, the City's Department of Planning and Development is examining how to adapt the underlying zoning so that it welcomes new uses while protecting the jobs that modern urban manufacturers provide. Their proposal would allow greater density and some retail uses in the portion of the PMD between Ashland and Ogden. Full details of the proposal are on The City's website.

Photo provided by Helios Visions
ICNC Advocacy for Modernized Kinzie PMD
The PMD is essential to modern urban manufacturers and other small users who choose to stay in or come to the Kinzie Industrial Corridor. Read more about the PMD and ICNC's work to strengthen it.
Make City Mentions
Netizen, a nonprofit organization created by Make City companies studiothread and Branger_Briz , is hosting a series of conversations entitled D.R.E.A.M. (Data Rules Everything Around Me) about the systems and data that rule our world. The next conversation is Thursday, January 31st at Make City, with Tara Vancil and will focus on democratizing and decentralizing the web.  Learn more .

- Quari Handcrafted Ice was featured by Steve Dolinsky on ABC 7 Chicago! Watch the video and read the article here

- ROQ Innovation's HEADLIGHTZ, a beanie with a built-in, rechargeable LED light, was named one of Oprah Magazine's Favorite Things for January
Entrepreneurship Education: 
Export Finance & Healthy Workplace Conflict
The Illinois SBDC and International Trade Center are hosting their first FREE workshops of 2019! 
Navigate Export Finance
Business owners interested in exporting are frequently put off by the idea of figuring out the financial aspect. This workshop simplifies the process of international finance.  Subject matter experts at the workshop will help exporters learn about international payment methods, export payment how-to's, and SBA export financing. 

Wednesday, January 30th
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Healthy Conflict in the Workplace
Conflict occurs daily in business life. When committed people work together toward an important vision or goal, there is invariably conflict. The way conflict is resolved can make a big difference in how employees, customers, and owners feel about the individuals and the organization.

Tuesday, February 5th
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM


The HR Corner 
- Are you ready to hire staff but lack the time to screen resumes? Our workforce development department can assist you!  Learn more.

- Employee Reimbursement for Business Expenses, Effective January 1, 2019  - An amendment to the Illinois Wage Payment Collection Act will require employers to reimburse employees for "all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee within the employee's scope of employment and directly related to services performed for the employer." Learn more about the details here

- Your business can receive money back for hiring full-time Chicago residents through the TIFWorks 50/50 Program! For more information, contact Hannah.
 
To discuss the above amendment, and more, please contact Nancy or Priscilla in our Workforce Development Department!
Available Make City Space
Enjoy a thriving entrepreneurial community and immediate access to ICNC's advising, export, and advocacy services.
  
Click here to view the available spaces.    
Upcoming Food Workshops
The Hatchery, a collaboration between ICNC and Accion Chicago to bring education, capital, and support to the Chicagoland food entrepreneur community, has upcoming food workshops.  

Hatchery Networking - January 30
*Workshops are free for members of the West Side communities (Austin, Garfield Park, North Lawndale, and West Humboldt).
For more information, call ( 312)421-3941 or email   info@industrialcouncil.com .