Know your rights during the COVID-19 crisis

We're Hiring!

                                                         Photo courtesy of Cytonn Photography
The Greater Southwest Development Corporation is hiring. Join our team and help improve the community on Chicago's southwest side. For more information, click on the open position below:

• Maintenance Technician:
• Assistant Property Manager: 
• Commercial Services Director:

Equal Opportunity Employer.

Woman owned business? Read this!

Do you own a business? Are you hurting due to stay-at-home orders and COVID-19? We're here to help.

We're directory of woman owned business to help folks find you and support you through the downturn. If we all help each other out during this time, we'll all make it out on the other side.

If you or your female friends own a business, submit through this form and you'll be included in the public directory. We're launching soon, so please complete ASAP!

FREE business education workshops are now available as WEBINARS!

The City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection’s FREE business education workshops are now available as WEBINARS!  To register visit www.chicago.gov/businessworkshops

Wednesday, April 8th at 3PM Webinar: Cutting Through the Clutter: Understanding Your Options to Navigate Your Business During the Pandemic Presented by ChiBizHub Join us to discover all the resources to help your businesses manage through COVID-19 and beyond: ChiBizHub – One stop shop portal for resources Somercor – How can the Paycheck Protection Program Can Help My Business 37 Oaks – How can I promote my local business now, for free Q&A ChiBizHub, an initiative of World Business Chicago, provides Chicago entrepreneurs and small businesses with free, easy access to a large network of service providers offering a wide variety of business-building services for small businesses.This webinar is intended to help you easily understand what you can do NOW to stay afloat.  Register by visiting www.chicago.gov/businessworkshops

Friday, April 10th at 9:30AM Webinar: The One Page Business Plan Presented by Vincent Williams, MBA, Vice President of Economic Empowerment & Director- IL-SBDC @ YWCA Metropolitan Chicago|Woodlawn Resource Center  This webinar will provide the basics behind cultivating and creating a working business plan that can be applied to all of your business ideas. Register by visiting www.chicago.gov/businessworkshops

All webinars are free. To register for a webinar visit www.chicago.gov/businessworkshops

COVID-19 support portal

Information is coming fast-and-furious so ChiBizHub has launched a COVID-19 support portal here, that is updated hourly with all of the city, county, state, federal and private programs available to our small business community.  

Arts for Illinois Relief Fund

The Arts for Illinois Relief Fund provides financial relief to workers and organizations in the creative industries impacted by COVID-19. This includes all artists and artisans, including stage and production members and part-time cultural workers, and large to small arts organizations in all disciplines. Donations to the fund will go directly to artists and arts organizations throughout Illinois. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For details, visit their website.

Hungry?

Lots of tasty choices for delivery or carry out here on the southwest side. Find a downloadable list here.

Applications for the Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund now open.

The City of Chicago recognizes that COVID-19 has put a difficult burden on our business and non-profit community. As a response to this challenge, the City of Chicago has established the $100 million Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund (the Resiliency Fund), which will provide small businesses and non-profits with 
emergency cash flow during this health crisis. Funds will be provided to eligible businesses as low-interest loans.For more information, or to apply, go here.

What's for dinner?

Lots of tasty choices for delivery or carry out here on the southwest side. Find a downloadable list here.

Announcing the LISC Rapid Relief and Resiliency Fund

LISC is taking swift action in response to the coronavirus pandemic, to 
mitigate economic impact on residents in the hundreds of communities where we work. 
We are launching the LISC Rapid Relief and Resiliency Fund to assemble and deploy 
resources to our local partners, small businesses and residents who are being hit hardest. 
The Fund will deliver operating capital, emergency subsidies and IT support, as well as technical assistance, to keep our partners and their communities strong and functioning through this unprecedented situation. Find details here.

Beware of scams, frauds and schemes

The Office of Inspector General recognizes that we are facing unprecedented times and is alerting the public about potential fraud schemes related to economic stimulus programs offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration in response to the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19). Find more information here.

Families First Cornoavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Requirements

Effective tomorrow, April 1st employers must post a notice of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requirements in a conspicuous place on its premises. All employers covered by the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) (i.e., certain public sector employers and private sector employers with fewer than 500 employees) are required to post this notice.
More information and downloadable poster versions of the notice are available here.

IMPORTANT: Given many are working remotely, an employer may satisfy this requirement by emailing or direct mailing this notice to employees, or posting this notice on an employee information internal or external website.

Hungry?

Lots of tasty choices for delivery or carry out here on the southwest side. Find a downloadable list here.