Neighborhood Business Center to Serve Wheeling's Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

Entrepreneur Michael Looby of Deerfield, Ill., is on a mission to help Wheeling small businesses with the opening of the area's first PostNet franchise on Feb. 3, located at 735 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, near the Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel.

PostNet of Wheeling provides design, print, and shipping services all under one roof, catering to small-business owners, employees who work from home, and busy consumers in the area. PostNet offers a number of digital printing, document finishing and professional packaging services as well as freedom of choice for the customer as an authorized shipping outlet for FedEx, UPS, DHL and the U.S. Postal Service.

Looby and the PostNet staff take a consultative approach to marketing, working closely with each client to identify their objectives, build upon their ideas, and develop the best solutions to meet their needs. This includes everything from designing and printing custom invitations or signage for an important company event to helping create a brand image for a new or existing business looking to re-invent itself.

Looby brings to PostNet of Wheeling more than 35 years of printing industry experience. Before opening the PostNet location, Looby owned Diversified Graphics for 29 years, a printing and graphic services firm whose customers included Fortune 500 Chicago-area businesses. Having successfully owned and operated the independent firm, Looby decided to partner with PostNet because it would allow him to expand his capabilities for small businesses, including adding packaging and shipping, e-commerce, and Web and email services.

Looby graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin and has held several civic positions throughout his career, including president of the Niles Chamber of Commerce, of which he sat on the board for seven years.

"We're filling the void for convenient design, print, copy and shipping services that are essential to the success of start-ups and current small businesses in the area," said Looby. "It's rewarding to know we are helping the local economy in Wheeling by supporting entrepreneurism."

PostNet has more than 700 franchises globally, and has successfully carved a niche as North America's first and currently only Neighborhood Business Center.

"Our franchise partners understand the challenges and opportunities that are unique to small businesses in their communities because they are small business owners themselves," said Steve Greenbaum, co-founder and CEO of PostNet. "Of course there are other providers that design, print and ship, but it's our culture, the guidance and direction we provide small-business owners and the ongoing partnerships we build with customers that makes the difference."

PostNet of Wheeling is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit www.PostNet.com/IL140 or call (224) 588-8666.