Skip to content

SBAC Advocacy Update: Health Insurance, Government Contracts & Outdoor Dining

SBAC Advocacy Update: Health Insurance, Government Contracts & Outdoor Dining Illinois legislators concluded their regular session. We are excited to report there were some big wins for the small business community! Health Insurance Many small businesses are struggling to afford the cost of health insurance. The Illinois General Assembly passed legislation focused on protecting small…

Read More

City Council Expands Outdoor Dining in Chicago!

City Council Expands Outdoor Dining in Chicago! Chicago’s City Council passed an ordinance that reinstates policies that expand outdoor dining in Chicago. This ordinance will permit restaurants and taverns to serve customers near the curb, on the sidewalks of adjacent buildings, and in parking areas in proper situations. The ordinance also permits street closures to…

Read More

Reduce Recidivism and Grow the Workforce

Reduce Recidivism and Grow the Workforce HB 3418 FACT SHEET Read H.B. 3418 Labor shortage requires unconventional hiring… Expand JPMorgan says labor shortage requires unconventional hiring, including people with criminal records PUBLISHED THU, MAR 10 20224:53 PM EST How hiring individuals with criminal records can benefit workforce… Expand How hiring individuals with criminal records can…

Read More

Support Outdoor Dining in Chicago

Support Outdoor Dining in Chicago Download the Outdoor Dining FACT SHEET Prompt Action Needed to Support Outdoor Dining in Chicago Chicago’s neighborhood restaurants suffered greatly during the pandemic. When people were unable to gather indoors at restaurants, outdoor dining became the viable alternative. Chicago policymakers took action to provide restaurants with more flexibility and to…

Read More

Small Business Mayoral Forum Recap

Small Business Mayoral Forum Recap The Small Business Advocacy Council and a robust number of chambers and organizations hosted a small business mayoral forum.  This was a lively discussion about each candidate’s visions for supporting small businesses and neighborhood business districts. We want to thank all of the local chambers of commerce that partnered with…

Read More

Legislation to Support Local Chambers Passes

Legislation to Support Local Chambers Passes Many chambers of commerce were devastated by the pandemic.  However, this did not stop them from providing crucial support to local businesses. The SBAC is thrilled to report that Illinois politicians have provided 5 million dollars to support the recovery of chambers of commerce in Illinois.  The SBAC has…

Read More

Ordinance Filed to Reduce Special Use Zoning Fees For Small Businesses

Ordinance Filed to Reduce Special Use Zoning Fees For Small Businesses The Small Business Advocacy Council has been working with a strong coalition on efforts to revitalize neighborhood business districts in Chicago.  As part of these efforts, we are advocating to reduce fees for small businesses that want to open in Chicago.  We are thrilled…

Read More

Coalition Engagement Sparks New Chicago Zoning Guide

Coalition Engagement Sparks New Chicago Zoning Guide Navigating the zoning rules in Chicago just became easier.   The newly released Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Chicago Business Zoning Guide will help small businesses and property owners more easily navigate the zoning process in Chicago.  This was crucial as chambers of commerce…

Read More

NRC New Look, New Logo, Same Mission

NRC New Look, New Logo, Same Mission New Look, New Logo, Same Mission In our 2nd year of actively and ardently working to revitalize neighborhoods throughout Chicago, we thought we’d bring a fresh new look to the incredible work that the SBAC and a robust group of chamber partners have spearheaded. We continue to advocate…

Read More

New SBAC Empower Educational Webinars

SBAC Empower strives to provide up to date resources to assist in your small business growth. We are proud to announce new Educational Webinars viewable at your leisure focused on helping small businesses open brick-and-mortar establishments in underserved communities. These webinars review programming that pertains to navigating the process of zoning, licensing, and leasing space…

Read More
Scroll To Top