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A how-to blog for Chicago business
Prepping Your Business for Marketing Success
So your business is going to be featured on TV or in a print article. It's very exciting, but are you, and your business, really prepped and ready for the increased sales and attention? Read »
Social Media Lessons Learned from Kickstarter
Has your Facebook or Google+ page stalled because of lackluster engagement? As an SEO analyst and social media expert at OpticsPlanet.com, I’d love to tell you that posting 5 percent more often or with a perfect... Read »
Is PR Right for Your Business?
Sometimes I feel like a doctor. It never fails that whenever someone asks what I do and they hear “public relations,” they suddenly say “I want to be on TV." “Really? What’s your story?” They give me a quizzical... Read »
Why Startups Shouldn't Have a VC Mentality
Some friends in college invented a beer tap. It poured beer faster with less foam. If your business involves pouring beer, you'd make more money using this device. They won $10,000 in an inventor contest,... Read »
How to Create Wealth Through Your Entrepreneurship
If you’re like most business owners, you probably started your enterprise out of a heartfelt belief that you could provide a better product or service. Wealth creation most likely was not the objective. You... Read »
How to be a Better PR Person
This is piggybacking off a list over at PR Daily. So, if you want, you can hop over to its list, “7 Traits of a Solid PR Professional” first. Or you can read this and be fine. I’m just giving props for the... Read »
10 Apps Every Entrepreneur Should Use
Again, I am pretty loathe to do “refer posts,” or ones that just use up your time and reading efforts to point you to another post, but this one I’m pointing to here is the sort of thing people love and it’s... Read »
Why Shortcuts to Success Don't Exist
We all want to be successful. Some of us want to give off the impression of being successful, just wanting to be successful in other people’s eyes. And I don’t mean to simplify things, but some people understand... Read »
In Defense of Andrew Mason and Daily Deals Model
This blog is my campaign to free Andrew Mason from all the criticism levied against him and to crown him the Startup King of Chicago. After all, he turned the basic idea of group-buying discounts into a... Read »
Why Entrepreneurs Don't Need to Go it Alone
To state the obvious, most business owners are really good at what they know. If they love wine they can tell you anything about wine, if they are chef they will cook you an incredible meal, if they own an... Read »
About
NBC Chicago's "How-To" start up blog aims to help your entrepreneurial idea germinate and grow into a fully functioning business. Lean on our experts, ask questions and find out best practices to take your passion project professional.
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Photos & Videos
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Spotlight: Guaranteed Rate
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CEO Spotlight: Enova's David Fisher
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Rahm Lauds Tech Incubator 1871
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Spring Clean Your Career
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Spotlight: Redbox Instant's Amy Gibby
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Ask an Owner: Work on Business, Not in Business
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Ask an Owner: Keep an Eye on the Money
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Ask an Owner: Have a Clear Branding, Marketing Strategy
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Ask an Owner: Why You Need to Delegate Tasks
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Ask An Owner: The Biggest Lesson Learned
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Ask an Owner: Share Your Idea
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Just One Drink: Chef Stephanie Izard
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Spotlight: Baird Capital Venture Partners
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Spotlight: Discover Card's Mike Boush
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CEO Spotlight: Threadless Founder Jake Nickell
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CEO Spotlight: kCura's Andrew Sieja
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Spotlight: Sertifi's John and Nick Stojka
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Just One Drink: Chef Fabio Viviani
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'Salsa Truck' Gets City's First License for Onboard Cooking
What We Cover
See more What We Cover
Pets
Some officials have estimated the City of Chicago's dog population to be somewhere around 500,000. Add in all the cats, fish and birds and you've got yourself an industry just begging -- and barking -- to be...
Fashion
There are plenty of questions for a fledgling fashionista to answer. Never fear: We've got the goods.
Marketing
Good luck making a dent in the public conscience if you don't have marketing and branding plan to get your message out.
Food Business
Experts say 90 percent of new restaurants fail in their first year of operation. You want to be the 10 percent that makes it. But how?
Authors
David Wolinsky
David Wolinsky is a freelance writer, lifelong Chicagoan, and reasonably handsome business-study scion.
Kim Vatis
Kim Vatis joined NBC5 News in 1997. She currently Anchors the weekend morning newscasts, is general assignment reporter and special projects reporter for the 10 PM newscasts.
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