Business owners looking to turn their excess merchandise into something they might need may find help at the Illinois Trade Association.
The bartering organization lets members trade products and services for other goods and services. That gives owners a way to not only get rid of extra inventory, but also procure needed materials and services and expand their business network.
The Illinois Trade Association has 5,000 members in the Chicago area and posted $50 million in trade sales last year.
A business posts a good or service for trade with the Illinois Trade Association. In return, that business owner gets a trade credit based on the dollar value of the goods or services offered. The owner can then use those credits to buy goods or services offered by other members.
The trade association takes a 12 percent cash commission from the buyer to cover the cost of executing the trade.
The Illinois Trade Association can be reached at 847-588-1818 or at www.illinoistrade .com.
Getting ready to venture out?
Venture capital firms may be loosening their grip on their wallets after keeping a tight grip on investment capital in the fallout of the dot-com bomb.
Venture capital firms are optimistic that the economic environment will improve by next year, according to a survey conducted by Dee Power and Brian Hill, authors of two books on how entrepreneurs can secure investment funds. Power and Hill surveyed 74 venture capital firms in 23 states, and 60 percent said they believed the opportunities to make investments would be better by next year as a result of an improved economy and stock market performance, more money being available and improved options for potential liquidity.
Midwestern venture capital firms were optimistic, but not as much as those in the Pacific Northwest which were the most optimistic that conditions would improve. Firms in New York were least likely to believe that the environment would get better for venture capital investments.
Workshop to cover employment law
Business owners concerned about how various workplace regulations may affect their businesses can get answers from an employment law workshop sponsored by the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, a division of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
The session is scheduled for 8 to 10 a.m. Feb. 19 at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. The cost is $20 for members and $40 for non-members.
A panel of attorneys will discuss topics including equal employment opportunity and workplace discrimination, immigration regulations and how to investigate employee misconduct. Call 312-494-6709 for details and reservations.
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