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Since 2007, the Chicago Urban League's Entrepreneurship Center has touched hundreds of businesses creating a strong hub for business development and networking. Building upon this history, nextCONNECTION is a central resource center comprised of an entrepreneurial network of business owners, corporations, government entities, business assistance providers and strategically aligned community partners to facilitate revenue growth, profitability, procurement opportunities, and operational best practices of African American owned businesses.

Through nextCONNECTION we're connecting entrepreneurs to valuable resources, to real business opportunities in the public and private sectors, to large corporations for mentoring, and to each other for strategic partnerships. Also, in keeping with the overarching mission of the Chicago Urban League, we are connecting the community around key issues that impact economic development. The program components of nextCONNECTION include:

• Business Information Exchange Forums
• Corporate Mentoring
• Procurement Portal and Pipeline
• Financing Assistance
• Alumni Network

Entrepreneur Assistance Programs

SCORE

The Entrepreneurship Center at the Chicago Urban League has partnered with SCORE Chicago to provide free business counseling and management consulting to help you develop your business idea or grow an existing business.

SCORE - Counselors to America's Small Business - is a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small business in the US.

Set up an appointment today with the Chicago Urban League and SCORE to obtain one-on-one advice about loan packaging, marketing strategy or putting together a business plan.

Start date: October 4, 2011

10,000 Small Businesses

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is designed to give local small business owners resources to grow
by providing entrepreneurs with greater access to business education, financial capital and business support
services.

Application Deadline: October 26, 2011