New opportunities are out there. We want to help you find them.

During Front and Center’s series on jobs, we heard from many of you that you were no longer working in traditional offices. Sometimes by choice, and sometimes by circumstance you’re working as freelancers or starting your own small businesses.  Others of you are working jobs you hate, and trying to find a creative way out.

 So we organized an event for you.

This month WBEZ’s Front & Center hosts “Making Your Own Job.” Freelancers and small business owners will find helpful resources, speakers and insights.

REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED. BUT SPACE IS LIMITED. ARRIVE ON TIME TO ENSURE YOUR ENTRY. 

PRESENTATIONS BY:

6:00 Entrepreneurship 101 by Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship
Come learn the first 10 steps you need to take to make your idea become your start-up business.

6:20 Taxes for the Self-Employed by Center for Economic Progress
CEP’s tax expert Barbara DelBene will highlight basic income tax issues that affect self-employed taxpayers, with emphasis on record-keeping, types of business entities, and employment taxes. Founded in 1990, the non-profit Center for Economic Progress (CEP) provides free tax and financial services to improve the bottom line of 20,000 Illinois’ families each year. 

6:40 Create. Innovate. Repeat by Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship
Learn the art of your pitch from 4 individuals who have 5 minutes and 7 slides to show you how it’s done.

7:00 Funding your project with alternative lending by ACCION
ACCION will be briefly going over the services that ACCION Chicago provides, what lenders look for in loan applicants, and alternative financing options for small businesses.

RESOURCE FAIR PARTICIPANTS:

LAW PROJECT
The Law Project of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights provides pro bono legal assistance to nonprofit organizations and to low/mod income entrepreneurs.   Visit us for a brief legal consultation.  

INDIEMADE
IndieMade offers a simple, affordable way for indie entrepreneurs to build an online presence. Stop by the IndieMade table and get all the information you need in order to build a strong web presence on a tight budget.  

ACCION CHICAGO
ACCION Chicago is an alternative lending organization dedicated to providing credit and other business services to small business owners who do not have access to traditional sources of financing. By encouraging the self-reliance of micro-entrepreneurs throughout the Chicagoland area, ACCION Chicago strives to help strengthen businesses, families, and communities.

ROCKSTAR CPA
Rockstar CPA is an accounting firm specifically geared toward clients in the creative and entertainment industries.  Stop by to learn how incorporating your one-person business might save you thousands in taxes per year.

NORTHSIDE FREELANCE NETWORK
Launched January 20, 2011, the Northside Freelance Network is a collaborative resource and community-building tool for current and fledgling freelancers and solopreneurs living and working on Chicago’s far north side, from Uptown through Evanston.

INDEPENDENT WRITERS OF CHICAGO
IWOC (Independent Writers of Chicago), an organization of professional writers, provides tools, support, and connections to help freelancers succeed in writing for clients in various business, marketing, technical, journalistic, and nonprofit fields. Come talk to practicing writers about how to use your expertise to define a niche and launch your own independent writing business.

THE INSTITUTE FOR ARTS ENTREPENERUSHIP
Developing the creativity, human intelligence and ethical culture to fuel sustainable productivity in today’s world.  

coLAB  EVANSTON
coLab provides shared working space for companies, individuals, and organizations. We are a member-only community, driven by the need for collaboration and interpersonal interaction in a work-centered environment. coLab is ideal for individuals or teams who are tired of working from a home office or public, coffee-shop environment.

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE
Illinois Department of Insurance’s mission is to “To protect consumers by providing assistance and information, by efficiently regulating the insurance industry’s market behavior and financial solvency, and by fostering a competitive insurance marketplace.” Swing by the table to find out what options are available to you as an individual or small business and learn about the current and future status of health insurance in Illinois.

NORTH SIDE COMMUNITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
North Side Community Federal Credit Union is a full service community based federal credit union with an array of products and services including small business loans up to $35,000 for the entrepreneur.

INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL OF NEARWEST CHICAGO
Located on Chicago’s Nearwest Side, ICNC offers no cost Small Business Development and International Trade assistance in one of the world’s largest business incubators.

10,000 SMALL BUSINESSES
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a $500 million investment to help small businesses in the United States create jobs and economic growth by providing entrepreneurs with a practical business education, access to capital and business support services. 

Illinois Small Business Development Center at UIC
The Illinois SBDC at UIC assists pre-venture, start-ups, and established businesses with management, marketing, and financial counseling. Assistance is also provided in the areas of business and marketing plan preparation, securing capital, improving business skills, accessing international trade opportunities and addressing other business management needs.

Freelancers Union
Freelancers Union and its members are building a new support system to help the growing independent workforce thrive. A free membership gives you solidarity, benefits, community, and a political voice.

This event is sponsored in-part by: