Grow Your Business

Strengthen and Grow Your Established Business

The Women’s Business Development Center offers programs and services that help established business owners achieve optimal size and sustain growth. Established business owners are those who’ve been in business more than one year and completed a business plan. Our programs help women entrepreneurs: 

    * Sustain a successful business
    * Achieve the next level of growth and profitability
    * Move from a “doer” to a manager
    * Explore new opportunities to generate revenue
    * Establish and implement formal policies, procedures and systems.

Programs/Services

Workshops

Targeted Workshops and Seminars 

We offer a variety of workshops and seminars specifically designed for established business owners.. Please click here to view workshop descriptions and to register.

Counseling

Marketing and Business Opportunities

The WBDC is an Illinois Procurement and Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and our expert staff assists women business owners by helping them build relationships; and identify, bid and win contracts with corporations and government agencies.  Please contact Freida Curry, PTAC Director, at 312.853.3477 X 53 or fcurry@wbdc.org for more information.

Events/Networking Opportunities

Business Exchange – This is a chance to meet other women business owners and discuss issues and challenges you’ll likely face as you continue to grow your business.  Use the group setting as a resource and for peer support.  The Business Exchange is open to all businesses earning a minimum of $50,000 in annual sales.  For more information or to register, please call 312.853.3477 X 0 or wbdc@wbdc.org

Specialized Assistance

The WBDC offers business assessments, sales presentation critiques, sales prospect evaluations, and advisory panels to established business owners.  Please contact Established Business Program Director, at 312.853.3477 X 0 or wbdc@wbdc.org  for more information.

Business Assessments – The WBDC Business Assessment employs analytical tools to help an entrepreneur assess her business, create a plan to strengthen her business and identify ways to capitalize on new opportunities.

Our goals for this  process include, to
     • identify issues that inhibit growth or affect profitability
     • uncover root causes of problems
     •  provide recommendations for dealing with identified issues
     • develop strategies for leveraging challenges into new opportunities. 

Established businesses who qualify for consideration for this assessment will be located in the six county Chicagoland area, and been making money in their business for at least 5 years. To determine if you meet the requirements for a business assessment, please contact Meg Herman, Manager, Entrepreneurial Training/Counseling, at 312.853.3477 X 13 or mherman@wbdc.org

Sales Presentation Critiques – As part of our services for established business owners, the WBDC assembles a small panel of business professionals to evaluate the sales presentation you use to promote your company’s products or services.  The panel provides suggestions for fine-tuning and enhancing the presentations’ effectiveness.  To learn if you are eligible for this service, please contact Sylvia Wynn, Business Consultant, at 312.853.3477 X 41 or swynn@wbdc.org

Sales Prospect Evaluations – Do you need assistance determining how to prioritize your sales efforts?  Do you know the revenue your company can realistically expect from your sales pipeline?  Through Sales Prospect Evaluations the WBDC helps evaluate  your sales pipeline.  Please contact Sylvia Wynn, Business Consultant, at 312.853.3477 X 41 or swynn@wbdc.org for more information on this evaluation.

Advisory Panels – The WBDC is a key sponsor of the Chicagoland Athena Powerlink, a mentoring program, that promotes business growth. It helps qualified women-owned businesses by connecting them to an advisory panel for a 12-month period.  The panel is comprised of volunteers who meet the specific needs of the business owner.

Participants meet with their panels at least quarterly and receive advice at no charge. Athena Powerlink acts as an incubator of ideas, strategies, best practices, and plans for growth.  To learn  if you can qualify,  please contact Meg Herman at 312.853.3477 X 13 or mherman@wbdc.org

Referrals to Specialized Business Professionals – The WBDC has a database of professionals with expertise in a variety of disciplines, including accountants, lawyers, graphic designers, and sales consultants.  For referral information, please contact Meg Herman at 312.853.3477 X 13.

 

 

Intake Form

Market to Government

Government agencies seek diverse (minorities and women) suppliers may not know where to find those that have the capacity to fulfill many of the contracts. Through our Procurement and Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), the WBDC helps clients build relationships and identify, bid for, and win contracts with government agencies.  

All businesses that include government agencies or major corporations in their target market benefit from the services of the WBDC’s Business Opportunity Program.  Although businesses in the start-up phase are not excluded, more established businesses typically experience better results.

Targeted Workshops

Are You Ready for a Government Contract – This workshop determines if your business is at the right stage and how to pursue opportunities with government agencies and major corporations.  Click here for complete description and to register.  

Business Coaching 

Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference and Women’s Business & Buyers Mart -  This is the premier event in the Midwest for women business owners.  The Women’s Business & Buyers Mart offers access to over 200 corporate and government agencies committed to buying products and services from women business owners.  Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings between WBEs (certified as a Women Business Enterprise) and corporate and government buyers are scheduled through Corporate Connections, one of the Conferences most effective services.  Please <click here> for more information. 

Specialized Assistance 

Free Online Bid Matching Service – The WBDC offers a free online service that matches your company's products, services, and manufacturing capabilities, with federal, state and local government entities and private buying entities..  Please call 312.853.3477 X 0 or wbdc@wbdc.org for more information and to register.

Market to Corporations

Similar to government agencies, corporations also seek diverse (minorities and women) suppliers but often have difficulty finding those that have the capacity to fulfill many of the contracts. Through our Business Opportunity Program, the WBDC helps clients build relationships and identify, bid for, and win contracts with government corporations.  

All businesses that include government agencies or major corporations in their target market can benefit from the services of the WBDC Business Opportunity Program. Although businesses in the start-up phase are not excluded, more established businesses typically experience better results.