About me
The Center for Urban Business (CUB) is an Illinois Small Business Development Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago that receives government funding from the Small Business Administration and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. We assist Chicagoland area small to medium sized companies to grow and become successful enterprises.
FREE BUSINESS COUNSELING SERVICES
Our core services are marketing, managing, and financing, which we achieve by providing free counseling to business owners on the following:
1) FINANCING SOURCES - Identify funding sources (debt or equity financing) such as business lines of credit, SBA loans, bank loans, grant programs, and investor financing. Prepare the loan package to expand/grow the business. We also assist startups with obtaining financing to get the business started.
2) FINANCING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE - In respect to business loans, we also function as a free “broker” in assisting the business owner find the appropriate lender or financing instrument for their business growth needs. Since we work with so many lenders and business owners, we know which banks are more likely to fund which business loans.
3) MANAGING - We assist existing businesses with managing their growth and connecting them to the business resources they need to succeed.
4) RESOURCES – There are lots of resources high-growth fast performing businesses so if your company has high growth potential within the next three to five years, please ask your counselor about these resources, especially the cash-matching grant for up to $10,000.
5) MARKETING - We help companies identify who are their target markets, create a marketing plan, and develop strategies to grow the business. We do NOT write the marketing plan for the entrepreneur, but we critique it and offer suggestions on ways to improve the plan.
Once again, we try to connect business owners with the resources they need to succeed. If we do not know the answer to your questions, we usually know who to refer you to for additional assistance.
AFFORDABLE WORKSHOPS
CUB provides affordable, quality, and content-rich workshops that train small business owners on how to operate their company more effectively. Workshop fees are usually $35 to $45 for a two-hour session, but may be higher depending on speaker fees and other costs associated with conducting the workshop topic. Past workshops topics include:
1) How to Start a Business
2) How to Write an Effective Business Plan
3) How to Buy an Existing Business Workshop
4) How to Obtain Free Publicity for Your Business
5) Business Financing & Business Loan Day
6) Understanding Your Financial Statements
7) Marketing Your Biz on a Shoestring Budget
8) QuickBooks Accounting Software Basics & Advanced Level
9) How to Write an Effective Business Plan
10) Using Direct Mail to Increase Sales & Profits
11) COSI - Improve Your Business Operations to Increase Profits
12) Employment Law - Human Resources
13) Creative Ways to Finance Your Business Growth
ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONSULTING SERVICES (ECS) STUDENT TEAM PROGRAM
Another service that we offer to established businesses is the ECS Student Team Program where teams of 1 to 4 business students, from UIC's College of Business Administration, work closely with companies to help them solve real business issues. The projects are determined by the clients' needs, and typically run 8 to 12 weeks out of a 16-week semester. For more information about the ECS Student Team Program or to download the application please visit this webpage of our website
http://www.uic.edu/cba/cub/ecs.html
Thank you again for your interest in our center, we look forward to working with you.
-The Cub Staff
For More Information:
If you would like more information about CUB, please call us at (312) 996-4057 or visit our website at www.uic.edu/cba/cub. We are open Monday-Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm.
What is your current career title or dream job?
Center for Urban Business
What languages do you speak?
English, Spanish