Chicago Community Ventures Blog

Market Mondays: Fort Smith

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 Chicago Community Ventures marketing classes.

Fort Smith is located at 1007 E. 43rd St. in the Kenwood neighborhood.

 

Market Mondays: Borrow a Dress Couture

High-fashion, designer clothes and accessories are seemingly out of reach for many people.  But it’s no longer the case with Borrow a Dress Couture, Chicago’s fancy clothes rental shop that just opened in May of this year.

 

To nab a special dress for a special occasion like a wedding, date, birthday, reunion or for the holidays, it costs between $35 and $400 for a three-day rental.  It’s a huge savings from buying the garment outright, which would cost anywhere from $200 to $3,000.

 

Long-time North Side Chicagoans Bree Lara and Teonna Ingram recognized that young women wanted stylish, chic clothing but could not always afford it.  Young ladies were borrowing dresses from each other and even illegally from department stores to stay in vogue.  That’s when Bree and Teona stepped in to help.

 

“Women, no matter what the economy, still have events they have to attend,” Bree told Boutiqueville, a Chicago retail and shopping guide.

 

Teonna calls the store’s merchandise “a diverse selection of great dresses that are in style now.”

 

Borrow a Dress Couture carries Vera Wang, Alexander McQueen and Dolce & Gabbana, just to name a few.  And they have sizes 0 to 18 and maternity wear.  The store leases clutches and high-style coats and jackets to complement the dresses and provide a full evening look.

 

Visit the shop’s Facebook page to see some of the latest fall fashions available for rent and for purchase.

 

Borrow a Dress Couture is located at 3221 North Sheffield Avenue and is open seven days a week.

Read This! CCV Recommendations

Small business looking to bone up on strategy can turn to these sources for great ideas.

• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technology by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff
• http://myownbusiness.org/ 

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 Great by 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.

 

Tom Cassell, director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center, suggests checking out the Web site, Myownbusiness.org, a non-profit established in 1992 to help people succeed in business.  Browse some of the sample business plans, take a quiz and go through the start-up checklist.

 

Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technology by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff helps business owners who may need a little advice about creating a company blog or Facebook page.  Josh Gutstein, CCV financial analyst, calls the book “a great introduction to the power of social networking.”

 

The how-to book uses a variety of companies, such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Dell, and even a small, but very successful winery in South Africa, for case studies.

Certification Webinar - December 11!

The Illinois PTAC at the Women's Business Development Center and the SBA invite small business owners and entrepreneurs to attend a free webinar. This webinar session will provide information to individuals, small business owners and entrepreneurs about certification for women owned businesses.

"Is Certification Right for You?"

Date:     Thursday, December 11th.

Time:     It will begin at 1:00pm and is scheduled for 90 minutes.

The webinar will use ReadyTalk, SBA's multi-media training tool. ReadyTalk allows you to attend valuable training from the convenience of your home or office at no cost to you. It is also very easy to use.

To register, please send an email with WEBINAR RESERVATION and the SESSION DATE you wish to attend, in the subject line. Include your name, phone number and, if applicable, company name.

You will be sent an email two days prior to the event, confirming your registration. It will also include the toll free conference dial in number and the participant access code for both the phone and web portions of the seminar.

Register today, space is limited!

Latin American Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Leaders' Breakfast - November 19!

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The Minority Business Leaders' Breakfast, formally known as the President Breakfast Club, has been organized to facilitate networking among business, government leaders, and entrepreneurs. During the breakfast, everyone is encouraged to promote their respective businesses while becoming more familiar with the new projects at the LACC.

November's President Breakfast will feature Aetna presenting on Aetna's Illinois Community Plan.

*Bonus Presentation on the 2010 Census

Date:           Thursday, November 19, 2009

Location:     Lazo's Restaurant
                    2009 N Western Ave
                    Chicago, IL 60647

Cost:            $10 before event, $20 at the door

Time:           7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Sponsored by:

Reserve your seat by calling 773-252-5211 or send an email to L.A.C.C.