In the book The Tipping Point the author, Malcolm Gladwell, describes it as the little changes that can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or “tipping point” is reached, changing the world. I have been lucky enough to be involved with dozens of startups in the Chicago community through consulting, working for and starting a few of my own. It seems like the ground swell of entrepreneurship is finally reaching that “tipping point”. Chicago has been getting some much deserved press with the recent Fast Company article featuring Chicago as a great place for startups or the fact that Crain’s launched a section for small business. We are fortunate to have dozens of organizations in Chicago who have been supporting entrepreneurship for years. But, I am talking about the grass root efforts that are taking place under the radar, that is slowly changing the landscape. I – Read the full article
Many have said that the business world is a dog-eat-dog one, but at the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center in DePaul University, success is a thing that’s meant to be shared and taught. Founded in 2003 by Dr. Harold Welsch, the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center is a business outreach center and an extension of DePaul’s highly acclaimed academic entrepreneurship program. On campus, the Center helps students and aspiring entrepreneurs launch and grow their own ventures. In the entrepreneurial community of Chicago, it serves business owners with programs and consulting services that support their careers and professional ventures. With an advisory committee composed of DePaul faculty, students, and staff members within various departments and centers throughout the university, the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center is committed to supporting the entrepreneurial spirit at DePaul. Through guidance for young entrepreneurs in their social, non-profit, and business interests, through collaborations with academic and administrative groups, and through peer-to-peer programs designed to refresh business perspectives, the Coleman Center has become – Read the full article
In its effort to bring together today’s most dynamic business leaders and entrepreneurs, Business Network Chicago (BNC) is holding a panel discussion on Wednesday morning to help business owners and professionals establish themselves and foster successful relationships in the city’s business community. Entitled “Panel Discussion on What does it take to run a small business”, the event will be held on February 10 at the Wells Fargo Advisors, Adams and Canal, 3F South Riverside Plaza in Chicago. The agenda is to share resources, best practices, and experiences crucial in supporting BNC’s members – startups, small business owners, and solo entrepreneurs, among others – and helping them lead a successful company. The discussion will feature four panelists: Pattie Cagney Sheehan, marketing and advertising professional and cancer recovery advocate; Donald Strzepek, owner of leading Chicago jeweler The Tucker Company; Priscilla Taylor, owner of a Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffees & Smoothies franchise; and Lakeshore Branding’s very own Chris Campbell, visionary entrepreneur and SEO – Read the full article
An Internet marketing summit featuring the best talent from the Chicago and Milwaukee areas, and which focuses particularly on search marketing and social media, is poised to become one of the most talked-about events in Wisconsin this February. Dubbed “Think Tank Live!”, the summit brings together several of the most dynamic and talented Internet marketers this side of America, as well as C-level executives, small and medium-size business owners, top branding and communications professionals, and IT and web design experts. “Think Tank Live” will be held February 23 at Country Springs Hotel, Waukesha, WI. Sponsored by Biz Times Media and Mashable and organized by I.M. Think Tank (a collective group of integrated marketing professionals in Chicago and Milwaukee areas), the summit will focus on educating people on utilizing today’s best Internet marketing and social media practices to strategically drive business results, increase profits, and lower costs. “Think Tank Live!” will have a track on Internet marketing strategies that align businesses – Read the full article
This week we received an email from a DePaul student (Go Blue Demons!), who was looking to interview a web design company about usability. I spent some time thinking about it and developing some answers and I thought I would share it on our blog- Enjoy! (1) Describe the company. Briefly describe the products they build and/or the services they provide Here are some quotes from our website but basically we are a web design company that focuses on Search Engine Optimization and Conversions by using the latest W3C complaint coding (xHTML and CSS) and also using the latest usability compliance. “Web design is more than just creativity, it’s usability. Understanding your visitors and how they use your website will lead to increased conversions. For each new website, our team of graphic designers, SEO consultants and marketing specialists work together on strategy, design, usability, and goals.” Lakeshore Branding, what started as a small marketing firm in 2007 has evolved into – Read the full article
Busy Beaver is a Chicago company that is close to our hearts as a fellow active supporter of the Coleman Center. I recently got an email from Alex White that included this attractive invite to their grand opening. If you are in the market for some pretty cool buttons, give them a try. Congrats Busy Beaver on your new facility!
Web design is more than just creativity, it usability. At Lakeshore Branding, we believe understanding your visitors and how they use your website will lead to increased conversions. For each new website or website redesign, our team of graphic designers, SEO consultants and marketing specialists work together on strategy, design, usability, and goals. Custom SEO Packages Let Lakeshore Branding introduce you to our talented web designers who can help you build a website that not only conveys your message, but has a strong emphasis on usability and conversions of your traffic. E-Commerce SEO Solutions For clients that require an out of the box custom solution, we specialize in building e-commerce websites on the Magento framework. Magento is an open source program that has been regarded as the future of e-commerce with a list of features that few can match. This shopping cart is fully customizable with full SEO integration. Chicago Central Dearborn Park/ Printer’s Row: 60605 Gold Coast/ Streeterville: 60610, – Read the full article
Some of our fantastic clients include… E-Commerce Websites Chicago Bears Pro Shop (Internet Marketing Consulting) Elevate Printing (E-commerce, Custom Web Application- Banner Creator, Internet Marketing, Social Media) So Cute and Cozy (Custom E-commerce Solution, Internet Marketing, SEM optimization, Social Media) Buji Products (Internet Marketing Consulting) Retail Stores Colori Chicago (Internet Marketing Consulting) GreenMaker Supply (Internet Marketing Consulting) Service Companies Green Dream Group (Internet Marketing Consulting) GreenWerks (Web Development, Website Copy, Social Media, Graphic Design, Internet Marketing) Hooked Up Installs (Internet Marketing Consulting & PPC Optimization) Executive Home Theaters (Internet Marketing Consulting & PPC Optimization) Berk Legal (Web Design and Development, Local Search Engine Optimization) Pallandrome (Internet Marketing Consulting) Chicago Blueprints (Web Design and Development & Search Engine Optimization) WBS Equities (Web Design and Development) Blank Canvas Chicago (Web Design and Development & Search Engine Optimization) Chicago Solar Panels (Web Design and Development & Local Search Engine Optimization) Dialogue Consulting (Web Development and Internet Marketing Consulting) Cause Strategy (Web Development) Hooking – Read the full article
