June 2023
The Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (ICNC) is partnering with the City of ChicagoDepartment of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), to provide hyper-local support to business owners and start-up entrepreneurs through the Neighborhood Business Development Centers (NBDC) program. ICNC has an expertise in offering guidance as an Industry Specialist in a variety of industries for our West Side community. Our services help entrepreneurs and business owners grow or sustain their small businesses.

ICNC is committed to helping you grow your small business by providing you the tools to support your entrepreneurial journey!
Get your business retail ready! Take your product to a regional, national, or global market with a brand like Costco Wholesale. Join Amy Becker, Assistant General Merchandise Manager of Costco, to learn about the standards and benchmarks that your products must meet to become a supplier for a big-box, national retail and wholesale chain to secure large, new accounts. 
To drive local awareness and sales in one of Chicago’s fastest growing, boutique retail environments, join Lauren Bijor, Senior Category Manager at Dom's Kitchen & Market, to learn what it takes to land a coveted spot on their shelves. Attendees will discover how building relationships with retailers is essential to building your brand presence. 
Make City Mentions + The Hatchery Chicago® Headlines
News Feature
Farmer's Fridge
News Feature
Laos To Your House
Farmer's Fridge Founder and CEO Luke Saunders joined the TODAY Show's Al Roker to talk about the inspiration behind the business, the logistics that keep their food fresh in their fridge vending machines, and their plan for continued growth. Watch here.
To celebrate AAPI Month, Keo and Stacey of Laos To Your House joined ABC 7 Chicago to share the inspiration behind their traditional Laotian dishes and how you can support their business. Watch the feature.
Award
Zazi Natural Foods
Retail Pop Up
Modern Sprout
Zazi Natural Foods recently won a Good Food Award for their Garlic Ghee! Zazi makes small-batch spiced ghee and coconut oil products that are healthy and delicious with a focus on supporting wellbeing.
Modern Sprout launched a Pop Up at The Sill Chicago store! Items from their extensive lineup of playful planting, grow kits, décor, and accessories are available to shop in-store until the end of June. Visit 1351 W. Roscoe St. to shop the pop up!
Impact Culinary Training is a job training program for young adults ages 16-24 on Chicago's West Side who are ready to begin a career in the culinary industry. The no-cost program takes place at The Hatchery (135 N. Kedzie Ave.) over 12 weeks. Recruitment is ongoing for the program that has limited space in each cohort, with the next session beginning in August 2023.
Connect with Us at Upcoming Classes + Events
ICNC's Workforce Team Can Support Your Business
The Workforce Development team at ICNC works to provide support, quality, and services that connect a skilled and qualified jobseeker with employment, as well as a variety of labor market services to meet the needs of local businesses.
Chicago Minimum Wage
HR Articles + Resources
Every July 1 for the past few years, Chicago’s minimum wage has increased per the Minimum Wage Ordinance. The Chicago minimum wage is tiered depending on the number of employees. As of July 1, 2022, the minimum wage in Chicago is $15.40 per hour for employers with 21 or more workers, and $14.50 per hour for employers with 4 to 20 workers.
SHRM (The Society for Human Resource Management) provides resources to help business create equitable work places. Below are helpful articles about post-pandemic hiring and what businesses need to know when hiring in 2023.
Grow Your Business @ Make City + The Hatchery
Make City - 320 N. Damen
The Hatchery Chicago - 135 N. Kedzie
ICNC's Make City incubator offers a thriving entrepreneurial community and immediate access to ICNC's advising, export, and advocacy services alongside 100 other small, modern urban manufacturing businesses. ICNC supports small businesses and the West Side community through incubation, advocacy, and advising.
The Hatchery Chicago is a non-profit food and beverage incubator dedicated to helping local entrepreneurs build and grow successful businesses through cutting-edge kitchen facilities, entrepreneurship curriculum, partnerships with generous corporate sponsors and foundations to create local job opportunities and accelerate local economic growth.
Check out our partners:
Learn more about the Illinois SBDC at ICNC here. 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 accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Please contact the center at (312)433-2373.