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February 12, 2025

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 the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce in partnership with District 112, District 113, TrueNorth Cooperative, and the Highland Park Library leaders on February 25th from 8:30 AM - 10 AM at the Highland Park Art Center for a community-wide discussion with the business community on the current state of Highland Park's local school systems and how the business community is impacted.

The deadline to register is Friday, February 21.

City staff and the Business and Economic Development Advisory Group will hold a special forum on Thursday, March 13 at 8 AM to engage with retail business stakeholders. This forum will provide a platform for open dialogue and valuable feedback.

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.

Calling arts and cultural organizations! ArtsLink North connects Lake County’s arts and cultural organizations, making exploring performances, exhibits, and festivals easy through a central event calendar. By joining ArtsLink North, your organization becomes part of a vibrant network of over 50 groups committed to enriching the art community. As a member, you can reach a new audience and boost visibility. As they build the initiative, ArtsLinkNorth offers free membership until April 1, 2025.

Click here for more information.

Click here to register as a member.

The Job Center of Lake County is hosting a webinar on resources and strategies for employment for individuals with a disability. Learn how to connect with this largely untapped talent pool, the benefits of employing those with varied abilities, and resources and incentives to hire and train individuals with disabilities. 

Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Register to attend in person at the Job Center of Lake County in Waukegan: bit.ly/4fitvqB

The Green Business Engagement National Network and Intuit have partnered to help small businesses in Illinois obtain rebates to save energy and money by implementing energy efficiency upgrades.

Some qualified projects include:

• LED lighting upgrades
• EV Charging stations
• HVAC maintenance
• Smart thermostats
• Electric water heater or cooler replacements/maintenance

Business Eligibility:

• Less than 100 employees
• Annual revenue less than or equal to 2.5M
• Achieve recognition in your state green business program
• Apply before February 21, 2025
• Complete your project by May 30, 2025

For more information on Grants Available for Green Businesses, please contact Sustainability Manager Austin Knight at 847.926.1037 or aknight@cityhpil.com.

The City of Highland Park's Exterior Improvement Grant Program is designed to assist and encourage both commercial property owners and sales-tax generating businesses citywide to improve their storefronts’ functionality and appearance.

The key parameters of the program are as follows:

• The annual program budget is $100,000 and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• The maximum grant available is 50% of the eligible project costs up to $20,000 annually. Applicants may seek an additional $20,000 in Grant funding for other eligible improvements annually to a maximum of $100,000 over five years. A grant for the same improvement would not be considered within the same five-year period.

For more information, please contact Business Development Specialist Corey Cohn at 847.926.1046 or ccohn@cityhpil.com.

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.

Kickstart your New Year by connecting with an experienced SCORE mentor to help you start, grow, or successfully exit your business.

Small Business Content Marketing: Planning and Creating Creative Content - Tuesday, February 18, 12:00 PM CST

Content marketing is a powerful tool for attracting and engaging your ideal audience, but success requires a clear strategy. From planning and creation to distribution and measurement, every step plays a role in driving results.

In this webinar, digital marketing expert Nicole McCullum will walk you through the key elements of an effective content marketing strategy, how to produce engaging content and how to measure performance to enhance your tactics.

Reserve your spot.

Mastering Small Business Taxes: A Startup Guide to Taxes - Tuesday, February 25, 12:00 PM CST Don't miss out on the opportunity to enhance your tax literacy. In this webinar, SCORE expert presenter, Barbara Weltman, will guide you through the key aspects of small business taxes and empower your business for financial success.

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.