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January 22, 2025

We are pleased to announce that The Custom Framer Highland Park has moved to a new location in Downtown Highland Park. A family-owned business, The Custom Framer Highland Park can take on larger-scale specialty art projects and offer the mom-and-pop service that comes with a local business. In addition to their framing services, The Customer Framer also has unique printing and framing services for personal and corporate needs.

607 Elm Place | 847.432.4630| thecustomframerhighlandpark.com

Learn more about the visitors in your business district and gain a competitive edge! The Office of Business Development has prepared a presentation highlighting key insights into Highland Park's customer base, including demographics, psychographics, and foot traffic data. The information

presented can help key business stakeholders make informed decisions,

including operating hours, targeting a customer profile, and discovering where your customers live. This presentation will review data pertaining to Q4 2024.

View the Placer.ai Report slide deck

Click here to watch the recording. The video includes timestamps for each business district.

In addition to quarterly reports, business owners and property owners may request customized reports for their specific addresses by emailing businessdevelopment@cityhpil.com.

Reports will be provided within 7-10 business days and can answer key questions:

• What are the busiest visitation days/hours for a business?
• Where do your customers come from?
• What are the demographics of the people who visit the business?

City Staff and the Business and Economic Development Advisory Group will hold a special forum on Thursday, February 20 at 8 AM to engage with restaurant stakeholders. This forum will provide a platform for open

dialogue and valuable feedback. During the forum, restauranteurs will hear from City Staff, Visit Lake County, the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce, and Ravinia Festival about marketing partnerships to boost visibility for their businesses.

This event is part of a series of Thursday morning forums offering valuable opportunities to connect with key business stakeholders and shape the community's future as the next Business Development Strategic Plan is created.

Join Lake County Workforce Development, the Job Center of Lake County, and Lake County Partners for a webinar exploring the future of the Lake County workforce.

This informative session will delve into key trends and job market conditions, discuss available career support and training grants, and provide insights into workforce program data.

Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Time:1:00 PM CST

This February, Visit Lake County is bringing together its popular Restaurant Week and the Libation Trail to create the February Flavor Festival, a month-long culinary adventure.

The month-long festival will highlight Lake County restaurants, breweries, distilleries, and wineries with exclusive dining offers, food and drink pairings, chef demonstrations, innovative libation concoctions, live entertainment, and more. Participating Highland Park businesses include Bluegrass Restaurant, Lou Malnati's Highland Park, Lynfred Winery Highland Park, Pixca, Steep Ravine Brewing Company, and Yana's Speakeasy.

Are you interested in participating as a restaurant or learning about opportunities to expand your marketing presence with Visit Lake County? Contact Johnathan Jones at Johnathan@LakeCounty.org or 847.662.3231.

The Food & Beverage Establishment Interior Improvement and Expansion Grant Program is intended to offer significant financial assistance to both new and existing full-service and limited-service food and beverage businesses that generate sales tax. These businesses often face substantial costs when upgrading and expanding their commercial space. Eligible establishments in the City can apply for a grant to help cover some of their improvements and business expansion expenses. This initiative not only encourages property owners to lease to high-quality establishments but also supports the economic vitality of the business community and removes barriers to existing business growth and new business attraction.

• Eligible full-service restaurant operators may apply for a grant to reimburse up to 50% of the eligible interior improvement costs to a maximum of $150,000.

• Eligible limited-service food and beverage establishment operators may apply for a grant to reimburse up to 50% of the eligible interior improvement costs to a maximum of $100,000.

For more information on the Food & Beverage Interior Improvement and Expansion Grant Program, please contact Business Development Specialist Corey Cohn at 847.926.1046 or ccohn@cityhpil.com.

The First Bank of Highland Park offers free access to Fundica, a funding tool for entrepreneurs. Fundica is an AI-powered search tool to assist businesses in locating both government and private-sector funding and financial support. The search tool is updated in real-time by automated web discovery, tracking bots, investors, and a team of funding specialists.

The free search tool lets you find potential business loans, tax credits, grants, and loan guarantees by filtering search criteria according to your needs and activities. You can choose the programs that best suit your business needs.

Small Business Development Center (SBDC) – SBDC has centers across the state that provide no-cost business counseling. They can assist you with a business plan, marketing, financial bookkeeping, finding grants, starting a business, growing your business, etc. For more information on the SBDC: Illinois Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) - First Stop.

There are three SBDC Centers serving Highland Park:

• Illinois SBDC at College of Lake County: 19351 W. Washington - Grayslake, IL 60030 Contact Michael Darling: 847.543.2033 illinoisSBDC@clcillinois.edu
• Illinois SBDC at Harper College: 1200 Algonquin Rd., Palatine, IL 60607 Contact: Sarah Cervantes: 847.925.6570 cs20267@harpercollege.edu
• Illinois SBDC at Oakton College: 1600 E. Golf Rd., Des Plaines, IL 60016 Contact: Maurae Gilbert McCants: 847.635.1645 mgilbert@oakton.edu

Please note that many SBDCs do provide assistance in Spanish. If you need help finding an SBDC that provides assistance in Spanish, please contact Diana Alfaro at diana.alfaro@illinois.gov.

Click here to locate your nearest SBDC Center.

Looking to boost your marketing efforts, attract your customer demographic, and collaborate with fellow businesses? Apply for an Influencer Spotlight Grant funded by the Downtown Highland Park Alliance. These grants help you create exciting marketing assets that draw people to the vibrant downtown core. 

Requirements:

• Collaborate with at least two Central Business District businesses to brainstorm an event.
• Submit an Influencer Spotlight Grant Application and pay the reimbursable $250 application
• 50% of influencer expenses can be covered up to a maximum grant award of $5,000.

For more information, please contact Kira Kessler at kira@shoprocknrags.com. See influencer content in Highland Park on @downtownhighlandparkil on Facebook and Instagram for inspiration for ways to amplify your marketing efforts.

January is National Mentoring Month! Kickstart your New Year by connecting with an experienced SCORE mentor to help you start, grow, or successfully exit your business.

2025 Hottest Business Ideas, Trends & Markets - Tuesday, January 28, 12:00 PM CST 

If you’re looking to start or expand your business, staying up to date with the latest business trends is key to your success. In this webinar, you will discover the latest business trends, startup ideas and consumer behaviors and how to transform products and services to better reach today's consumers.

Reserve your spot.

Email Marketing Strategies to Boost Your Business Growth - Tuesday, February 4, 12:00 PM CST

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools for growing your business. Ron Cates, President of the SCORE Foundation, will share actionable strategies to elevate your email marketing. This session will equip you with the tools and strategies to craft impactful email campaigns that deliver exceptional results.

Reserve your spot.

Mentoring Opportunities

SCORE participants who received three or more hours of mentoring reported higher revenues and increased growth. SCORE mentors are successful business professionals, some retired, some working, from all industries and experiences. They offer in-person or virtual sessions using phone, email, or video.

To schedule an in-person or virtual session, click here and find a mentor based on your business interest.

For general business inquiries and assistance, contact the Business Development Team:

• Specialist Corey Cohn at ccohn@cityhpil.com or 847.926.1046
• Specialist Angela Shaffer at ashaffer@cityhpil.com or 847.926.1008
• Assistant City Manager Erin Jason at ejason@cityhpil.com or 847.926.1004

Carolyn Hersch has retired as of 12/31 after 18 years serving the businesses of Highland Park. The City is currently seeking a new Business Development Manager.

Opportunities for Free Business Promotion

The City encourages business owners and managers to share information regarding upcoming events, promotions, or news for possible inclusion in the City's marketing modalities, including The Weekender, Enjoy Highland Park, and social media. Please email these items to the City at businessdevelopment@cityhpil.com. The City reserves the right to edit and filter submissions.