Northwest Side CDC
Our mission is to provide the Northwest Side and Belmont Cragin with the tools and resources to preserve affordable housing and prevent displacement and provide business development assistance to local small businesses.
About
The Northwest Side CDC is a small 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization located in Belmont Cragin in the Northwest Side of the city of Chicago. We’re your small business advisor, your rental counselor, your fellow organizer— and we’re here to help you grow your business, secure housing, and strengthen Belmont Cragin as a neighborhood where your community lives and thrives. We provide technical assistance and support services to small businesses, advising and resources to renters and landlords, and advocate for the best interests of the Belmont Cragin community. We provide our services free of charge through our partnerships with the City of Chicago as Neighborhood Business Development Centers (NBDC) and Technical Assistance Community Housing (TACOM) partners. Our small services include but are not limited to the following: Business Planning A strong business plan is the roadmap for all areas of your business: management, marketing, finances, and operations. And a well thought-out plan helps you make purpose-driven decisions, secure funding, and grow. We can help you create or revisit yours. Financial Planning We can help you create a budget, cashflow analysis, and get financial statements. This helps you understand the health of your business, allows for better planning, and makes applying for grants and loans easier. Professional Service Referrals As a small or family-owned business, outside expertise can help you scale. We can connect you to professional services that you need to be able to operate your business, such as IT, accounting, or marketing. Technical Assistance We can help you navigate City licensing, permits, and applications to ensure your new or existing business is in compliance– and avoiding fines. Target Marketing Do you need help better identifying who your target customer is? We can help you create a plan and goals to get more customers in the door, allowing for more strategic and cost-effective marketing. Access to Capital Need help getting a loan to grow or start your business? We can help prepare you to be loan-ready and connect you to lending institutions. Workshops & Trainings See our calendar for upcoming business development workshops. Past partners have included experts from the City of Chicago, BACP, Health Department, financial institutions, insurance agencies, BSO\’s, and more small business experts. Businesses Achieving Wealth Property ownership can be a pathway to building wealth, especially in the Latinx community. The Northwest Side CDC is committed to helping small business owners purchase a property in the community through small business coaching and resource guidance. Crecer Business Incubator Program The Crecer Business Incubator is a first of it’s kind small business pop up incubator program of the Northwest Side CDC. The program includes training, advising, and a physical storefront in the Belmont Cragin community. The goal of this program is to incubate and accelerate creative click –and –mortar entrepreneurs in their quest to launch a successful business. The program provides a low risk and controlled environment that allowed entrepreneurs to test their business model with access to educational resources. The Incubator provides participants with support, trainings, guidance, and other resources in a shared pop up retail space.Services Provided
Develop ideas
- Establish goals (Specialty)
- Define products
- Price products
- Create business plan (Specialty)
- Create forecast
Formalize structures
- Register legally (Specialty)
- Secure licenses (Specialty)
- Buy insurance
- Buy or rent space
Find financing
- Establish accounts (Specialty)
- Manage books (Specialty)
- Analyze needs (Specialty)
- Apply for a loan (Specialty)
- Apply for a grant (Specialty)
Increase sales
- Update forecast
- Improve marketing
- Establish online
- Develop partners
- Update business plan
- Join accelerator
Optimize operations
- Measure operations
- Write handbook
- Prep for wholesale
Hire / retain staff
- Write job specs
- Draft staff manual
- Implement payroll
Capture wealth
- Update pitch deck
- Seek legal counsel
- Plan for succession
- Sell your business
Contact Information
Jessica Vazquez
Jessica Vazquez
Address
5233 W. Diversey Ave.
Chicago, IL 60639
5233 W. Diversey Ave.
Chicago, IL 60639
Phone
(773) 283-3888
(773) 283-3888
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