Small Business
-
Fight over Illinois’ swipe fee law heats up as implementation deadline nearsApr 18, 2026 4:00 pm - A unique-to-Illinois law prohibiting banks and credit card companies from charging swipe fees on tips and taxes is set to take effect July 1, but opponents are challenging its legality in federal appeals court and blitzing the airwaves with ads calling for its repeal.
-
The Biz Week That Was: Illinois maker aids moon mission, royal Indian cuisine in Schaumburg, and O’Hare flight cutsApr 18, 2026 12:15 pm - Device that helps make space travel possible named ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’ Astronauts just returned from their first voyage around the moon since 1972 and a...
-
Bigger not always better: North Chicago among best small cities to start a business, analysis showsApr 17, 2026 2:20 pm - North Chicago ranked first in Illinois and 56th in the U.S. among the “Best Small Cities to Start a Business,” according to information released by the personal finance company WalletHub.
-
How to make sure prom isn’t ruined by scammersApr 16, 2026 3:36 pm - The Better Business Bureau warns that scammers and unethical businesses are again targeting promgoers and their families — now with increasingly sophisticated tactics, fueled by social media and online marketplaces.
-
Mendocino Farms restaurant chain opening in Vernon HillsApr 16, 2026 2:59 pm - Mendocino Farms, a fast-casual restaurant known for farm-fresh crafted sandwiches and salads, is opening its first suburban Chicago location Tuesday in Vernon Hills.
-
McHenry County friends create bookstore on wheels
Apr 15, 2026 9:04 am - The business idea came to Jacquee McLeod and Cassi Hunn while the two McHenry County women were in a Florida pool. Their families — including their husbands and two children each — were vacationing together, and the two longtime friends were talking about their dream of jointly running a bookstore. On that day last June, mobile bookstore Here for the Plot was born.
-
Rohrman boosts its Schaumburg presence with new Kia dealershipApr 14, 2026 1:14 am - Schaumburg is welcoming a new dealership with a new look to its auto row on Golf Road. The 45,000-square-foot Rohrman Schaumburg Kia dealership at 750 E. Golf Road opens this week, and the Rohrman Automotive Group is pulling out the stops with a grand opening celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. to be attended by Chicago sports celebrities.
-
‘Works of art’: Hanover Park artisan crafts world-class pool cues that cost up to $10,000Apr 13, 2026 3:08 pm - Thirty years ago, then teenage Tim Prince discovered his passion for pool and his talent for creating Art Deco-inspired custom pool cues which sell for up to $10,000.
-
Gurnee invests in art and coffee as new uses for empty spaces on Grand AvenueApr 13, 2026 12:18 pm - Gurnee is investing in the arts and coffee to fill longtime vacancies on Grand Avenue.
-
Everything Expo in Lake Zurich offers ‘perfect opportunity’ for small businessesApr 11, 2026 4:48 pm - Live entertainment including dance demonstrations and a reptile show combined with vendors from 60 local business and organizations at the Everything Expo at the Folglia YMCA in Lake Zurich Saturday.