Quick business approval is key to success
As part of an ongoing project, the Daily Herald asked local business and village leaders about what kind of economic development projects were on the way in their communities. Here are the answers from Lake County and Gurnee Chamber of Commerce President Dwight B. Houchins.
Q. What new businesses are coming to town or have just opened?
A. Restaurants top the list, with independent restaurants outnumbering chains three to one. Risotto's, Gurneze's Diner, Timothy O'Tooles, Jersey Mike's (national chain).
Milan, a large banquet facility that seats 300 and has two movie theaters accommodating 200 people did their ribbon cutting recently.
Included on the list is LA Fitness, a national health club chain, and one independent Doctor of Optometry - Vision Care Consultants.
Q. What types of retail business are you specifically trying to attract right now?
A. Gurnee Mills has just added Neiman Marcus Last Call store and Victoria's Secret, so the general feeling is to attract higher-end retail and these are two examples. Because of the many vacancies in the numerous strip malls, my thought is that they are interested in any viable business that can fill their vacancies.
Q. What is the best kind of support your village or city can give small business in your community?
A. The best thing that any village or city can offer is fast, one-stop approval of signage, business licenses and occupancy permits. Make one trip do it instead of 'OK this looks good - but now I want you to do this or that.' Village and city governments need to realize that they are causing time to be lost and when you are a business owner trying to get everything approved, they are losing revenues to themselves and the government entity. In short, they should make opening a business fast and pleasant.
Q. What can a chamber do to assist its membership, particularly in this challenging economy?
A. Education tops the list of ways we are assisting membership in this down economy. Teaching members how to make do with less and still make a profit. How to use technology and relationship marketing have been the areas that we have been concentrating on for our seminars. And of course, face-to-face networking groups are popping up everywhere and we are providing numerous opportunities to do that as well. We have one group that meets the first and third Friday of each month, a women's networking group and a Hispanic networking group are but a few opportunities that we offer for networking.