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Tuesday, December 30, 2025
How Small Businesses Can Simplify and Strengthen Their Tax Process
Small business owners in the Oak Park–River Forest community often enter tax season with equal parts determination and dread. With shifting rules, varied business structures, and tight schedules, the filing process can feel like another full-time job. Yet with the right systems, tax season becomes far more manageable — and even predictable. In brief: Build repeatable habits that make record-keeping easier year-round Understand common deductions and how to track them Use professional help strategically
Thursday, October 09, 2025From Competition to Collaboration: Strategies for Thriving Small Business Alliances
Running a small business can be a lonely pursuit — but collaboration changes that. Working with another owner can open new markets, strengthen your community reputation, and spark ideas neither of you could execute alone. Whether it’s a joint marketing venture, shared workspace, or co-developed product, the key to success is structure, trust, and mutual clarity. Collaborate only when goals and ethics align. Revisit your business structure before committing. Clarify financial terms and
Thursday, August 14, 2025Stories That Resonate: Business Narratives That Move People
There's an odd thing that happens when numbers are swapped out for names, and charts are replaced with characters. Suddenly, attention sharpens, posture straightens, and what once felt like noise becomes necessity. This is the hidden edge of storytelling in business—when wielded with care, it becomes more than presentation flair. It evolves into a tool that persuades clients to care, investors to believe, and employees to belong. The aim isn’t to charm with fluff, but to construct narratives that feel
Thursday, July 24, 2025From Top Agent to Founder: How to Launch Your Own Real Estate Agency
So you've mastered the hustle. You've built the relationships. Maybe you've even got a wall of sales awards tucked behind your desk. Now, there's a different kind of ambition knocking: building your own real estate agency. Not a side hustle, not a vanity brand—an actual, operating, revenue-earning business under your own name. But making the leap from top-producing agent to founder-operator is its own kind of terrain. Here's how to navigate it—starting with the decisions that matter most, not just the
Monday, July 21, 2025Toshiba Grant Press Release: 7/21/2025
Nineteenth Century Charitable Association Receives $10,000 Grant from Toshiba International Foundation The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association is pleased to announce it has received a $10,000 grant from the Toshiba International Foundation in support of programming to expand and enhance understanding of Japanese culture. During its 2025-2026 program year, the Nineteenth will feature a “Japanese Themester,” a series of programs focused on various aspects of Japanese life and culture, under
