Written by: Matt Wilhelmi Kickstarter hosted a super cool all-day workshop on Saturday, September 16 at Lost Arts on Goose Island in Chicago. Leading the discussion was Craighton Berman, who teaches a course at UIC dedicated to launching successful projects on Kickstarter. He took his year-long curriculum and shared it with attendees in this 8-hour workshop. Also in attendance were several staff members from Kickstarter who shared their best practices and success stories. Towards the end of the day, they hosted a food truck and participants got to mingle with...

Written by: Brian Smith The economy of the past few years has created a great number of obstacles for small business owners.  As an advisor to owners and managers across the country, advice on sustaining the current situation grows more and more difficult, as that advice includes decisions that affect my clients and their employees’ quality of life.  However, I believe that advice will pay dividends as our economy changes and begins to grow again in the future. The current labor pool is deep.  From laid off professionals, to recently...

Written by: Mary Smith Customer service is a major part of any business. Your customers are what keep your company alive! If it wasn’t for the consumer, there would be no need for businesses. So, it should go without saying that customer service should be on your top priority list! I have been working in customer service for eight years, and during these eight years I have learned SO MUCH about customer service. I have been able to work in four different states with five very different jobs, and in...

Written by: Matt Wilhelmi Over the past 2 years of working with IA Business Advisors, I’ve noticed there are several “different types” of business consulting we offer. It’s certainly not all straightforward. In fact, some clients don’t know exactly what they need. When prospects or contacts at networking events ask: “So, what exactly is it that you do?” I often need to watch how I respond. I’ve met so many “business consultants” who are really merchant processors, insurance salespeople, or “widget of the month” sales people. No, no, no. IA...