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A how-to blog for Chicago business
How to Make Your Twitter Positively Hack-Proof
The Internet can be a scary or glorious or place, depending on who you are and what you do on it. If you’re running a business, there is literally unlimited potential to reach anyone with a pulse and an Internet... Read »
Why You Should Use Twitter as a Recruiting Tool
Social networking has become the norm for how we interact with one another. It doesn’t stop at the casual; social networks are now a market for professional opportunities as well. And while Twitter is a... Read »
How Twitter is Changing Vending-Machine Technology
It’s always funny and a bit amazing when old tech seamlessly gets blended with new tech. I don’t know if Hot Wheels is the first to do this, but the company is certainly the first to get a bit splashy piece... Read »
CoSupport’s Sarah Hatter: Why You Should Trust Your Instincts
We have all experienced the vague automatic response after submitting a question to a support team found in a website’s convoluted “Contact Us” section. Rarely does it solve the problem and the interaction... Read »
How Some Old-School Businesses are Getting Future-Focused
Common sense is a funny thing considering it’s not as common as we might think. What we may see as glaringly obvious might be totally foreign to somebody else. With technology where it is, the line separating... Read »
How Fuzzy Social Media Can Clarify Your Goals
A VineSprout client recently used the term “fuzzy marketing” to describe marketing initiatives such as social media. While the term may have a negative connotation to some, I like it. Typically, marketers... Read »
How to Avoid Classic Business-Building Blunders
As a small business owner marketing your product or service, you want to interest, intrigue and compel your audience to engage with you. You know your niche and the people it serves, so it should be easy to get... Read »
Go to There: WordPress in a Nutshell Workshop
You’ve no doubt heard it before: Content is king. Right, but how do you get that content online and how do you manage it? The answer to that is also king, and it’s also probably WordPress. It’s a super-versatile... Read »
Let's Date's Sean Suhl on Why His Online Dating Platform is Better
Online dating is broken. At least, that's what Sean Suhl, the general manager of Let's Date, a new contender in that fight, says. If you don't believe him, well, consider the fact that Suhl also was the... Read »
How Apps Can Generate Great Marketing Buzz
Recently, Zero Motorcycles released a highly anticipated, first-of-its kind app for its loyal fans. The electronic motorcycle manufacturers successfully designed a way to give users the ability to control their... 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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