SBA Disaster Loans

WASHINGTON – How do you apply for a U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loan? What are the loan limits? Can the SBA disaster loan help with those losses not covered by your insurance?

Get answers to those and other questions during a webinar on Understanding Disaster Assistance Funding with the SBA hosted by Agility Recovery Solutions on Tuesday, August 24 at 2 p.m., EDT. During the live, interactive webinar James Rivera, SBA’s associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Assistance will explain how the loan program works, how a disaster declaration is made, and the steps to take to apply for a loan.

SBA has partnered with Agility Recovery Solutions to offer business continuity strategies for small business owners via their “PrepareMyBusiness” website (www.preparemybusiness.org). Visit the website to access previous webinars, and to learn more about disaster preparedness.

Since 1953, the SBA has provided more than $48 billion in disaster recovery assistance to 1.9 million homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes in the form of long-term, low-interest loans.

WHO: James Rivera, SBA Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Assistance

WHAT: The Understanding Disaster Assistance Funding with the SBA webinar will begin with a presentation by Rivera on SBA’s disaster assistance program, to be followed by an online question and answer session.

WHEN: 2:00—3:00 p.m. EDT

HOW: Register in advance for Understanding Disaster Assistance Funding with

the SBA by visiting Agility’s “Prepare My Business” website at

www.preparemybusiness.org/education.

Tom and Eddie's puts out the welcome mat for 'Dressed to the Nines'

One lucky person will win a weekly burger meal (entrée, side and drink) for the rest of his or her life, and 80 people will win the same for one year at Tom & Eddie’s Grand Opening titled, “Dressed to the Nines.” Doors open to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 27, at 348 Yorktown Shopping Center (The Shops on Butterfield) in Lombard, IL.

Every nine minutes, beginning at 10 a.m. on opening day, a name will be drawn to win a free weekly burger meal for one year. There will be great excitement when, at 9 p.m., the one winner of the free weekly burger meals for life will be announced.

Winners need not be present to win, and they will be notified by Tom & Eddie’s. In addition, winners will be posted on the website, Facebook and Twitter.

The “Dressed to the Nines” theme recognizes Tom & Eddie’s nine signature burgers which are “dressed” indeed with an amazing array of toppings, cheeses and sauces.

For Tom & Eddie’s’ first nine days of operation, any guest who is “dressed to the nines” in formal wear - a tuxedo or evening gown - will receive a free meal (entrée, side and drink). Business attire is not eligible.


Ribbon Cutting

Another proud moment on opening day will be the official ribbon cutting. At 10 a.m., students from the culinary arts program at College of DuPage will do the honors. Tom & Eddie’s salutes and supports these students – the “chefs of tomorrow” - who are first place winners of the American Culinary Federation’s Windy City Chapter Burger Throwdown held in June.

“We serve a terrific burger, and we hope tons of people will try us out on our first day,” said Tom Dentice, executive vice president and co-founder of Tom & Eddie’s. The title on Dentice’s business card is “Chief Fry Guy (Preeminent)”.

That sense of fun is part of every aspect of Tom & Eddie’s. It’s a happy restaurant that serves delectable burgers. The nine signature burgers will be featured, one a day, for nine days of promotions.

As the Boys Scouts’ say, ‘Be prepared’

It’s doubtful whether any restaurant has undergone the rigorous preparation and taste-testing that Tom & Eddie’s put itself through. During the winter, Tom & Eddie’s set up kitchens at the Culinary and Hospitality Center at College of DuPage.

In the space of two months, more than 1,200 friends, relatives, students and members of clubs and organizations were invited to dine free in exchange for filling out a questionnaire. Tweaks and changes were made accordingly. Tom Dentice and Ed Rensi, founders of Tom & Eddie’s, assigned themselves bus-boy duties.

The three days (Aug. 24, 25, 26) prior to the grand opening are titled, “Sneak Peek & Eat.” Construction workers who helped build Tom & Eddie’s and their families are invited to eat for free as are friends and families of the management team, neighbors at Yorktown Mall and others who will attend the “by invitation only” days.

The three days will provide the wait staff time to polish service skills. Rensi and Dentice want everything perfect for the Grand Opening for the public on Friday, Aug. 27.

Between the Sneak Peek & Eat and the winter taste testing days, a grand total of 2,000 people will have eaten Tom & Eddie’s gourmet burgers, and each has provided valuable feedback.

“After a year of meticulous planning and taste-testing, we are proud to welcome our hungry customers,” said Ed Rensi, president and co- founder of Tom & Eddie’s. “Now it’s time to fire up the grill.”

For more information, call 630-960-5900 or visit http://www.tomandeddies.com/

Above photo features The Blue Chip: Fresh 100% Natural Angus burger, ripe avocado slices, Tom & Eddie's roasted garlic aioli, vine ripened tomato & crumbled blue cheese topped with homemade potato chips.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TomandEddies
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TomandEddies
Yelp: http://yelp.com/biz/tom-and-eddies-lombard

Illinois Chamber Endorsement for Governor

By Mary Crego, Chairman of the Board, Illinois Chamber of Commerce

The relationship between government and business is a key focal point in this year’s race for Illinois governor. An environment conducive to the success of private enterprise must be restored to put Illinois on a path to recovery. Illinois government desperately needs a dose of fiscal discipline. Illinois employers and citizens desire political leadership that restores confidence, stability and the sound economic policies necessary to put the state on a positive trajectory that supports business investment and job growth.

Recently, the Chamber board hosted Governor Pat Quinn and Senator Bill Brady, individually, to discuss the state’s future. Both candidates made presentations and fielded questions from Chamber board members as we contemplated which candidate offers the right solutions for Illinois. The Chamber’s fact-finding process also included an extensive questionnaire answered by both candidates.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is pleased to report that both major party candidates for governor in the Nov. 2 election recognize how important business and job growth is to Illinois. Both candidates emphasized job creation and economic growth as their highest priorities.


The endorsement process was fair, civil, and thorough. We took care to give both candidates the time they needed and gave appropriate consideration to their policy positions.
The Chamber board – a diverse group that represents businesses large and small from across the state – believes that Bill Brady, the Republican from Bloomington, is the best choice for governor. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors endorses Senator Brady for Governor in 2010. We appreciate the time both candidates devoted to our discussion and the frank dialogue on the critical issues facing the State of Illinois.


Senator BradySenator Brady, a business owner, would bring a much-needed change and a new direction to Illinois government. Perhaps now more than ever before, employers and business owners desire a stable, responsible state government that understands what it takes to retain, create and attract jobs.


Senator Brady’s voting record on business issues has been exemplary. While serving in the Illinois Senate he has earned the Chamber’s Champion of Free Enterprise Award by ranking at the top of the Chamber’s legislative scorecard each of the last eight years. We believe his past performance is the most reliable indicator he will retain an interest in the issues so important to assuring the growth of free enterprise. His top priorities for the state align with the Chamber’s own – create jobs, eliminate excessive taxes and fees and reform the workers’ compensation system. As Senator Brady pointed out during his presentation, it costs much more to start a business and keep it operating in Illinois than it does in neighboring Indiana and many other states. It is but just one of many barriers to job creation in Illinois that he intends to remove.Senator Brady knows we must reduce the cost of doing business in Illinois and make it a priority to restore as many as possible of the almost 450,000 jobs that have left the state in the last 10 years (according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security). The future health of our economy depends upon this growth, as do the citizens of this great state. Without a healthy business environment, Illinois will not create new jobs and the economic vitality of the state will continue to suffer.


Senator Brady is also determined to reform the overly litigious legal environment in Illinois. We applaud Senator Brady for his plans to revamp the state’s archaic tax code and for recommending spending cuts that will force this state to live within its means. We’re impressed that he wants to install administrators with business experience to run state agencies. The Chamber is ready to embrace change because continuing down the same path is unacceptable. We believe Senator Brady understands our state’s challenges and will best serve the interests of our members – the employers – who provide the jobs with incomes that support the well being of Illinois residents and their families.

Governor Quinn We appreciate the Quinn administration has been a welcome relief from the experience Illinois had with the previous governor. The Chamber and its members likewise have appreciated Governor Quinn’s willingness to engage with business leaders, as well as his willingness to serve during a difficult period in Illinois history.

The Chamber board’s endorsement of Senator Brady does not reflect negatively on Governor Quinn’s good intentions or dedication. However, Chamber board members believe that the current challenges facing state government and the Illinois economy call for a significant change. Illinois needs leadership that will champion a new course for job growth while imposing the fiscal discipline that is required today. It is in that context the Illinois Chamber of Commerce fully endorses Senator Brady to be the next Governor of the State of Illinois.

Featured Member - Anna Weselak, Weselak & Associates

Anna Weselak of Weselak and Associates is a seminar trainer and organizational development consultant. Her client base includes corporate, non-profit and educational organizations. Anna is an independent contractor who customizes training programs to help each client overcome the challenges that they are facing. Seminar topics related to interpersonal relations and communication skill building including: team work, management and supervision, sales, customer service, leadership, dealing with difficult people, employee engagement, time and stress management. She has been trained to facilitate a number of instrumented learning profiles from various publishers to identify individual strengths and opportunities to increase effectiveness.

From a business development perspective, Anna works with clients on visioning, goal setting, strategic planning and action planning. Anna also teaches college and university classes on a part-time basis.

Anna has always been a teacher at heart. As a former public and private school teacher, she met a woman at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in July of 1994 who was giving a program on how to increase your sales by building relationships. As Anna listened to the presentation, she decided that presenting workshops and seminars is what she wanted to do. She met with the woman the following week for lunch and made the decision to start her own business and become a seminar trainer. This year marks Anna’s sixteenth year in the business.

The favorite part of Anna’s job is working with individuals one-on-one or in a group and observing the “ah-ha” moments when they discover something about themselves or other people that will increase their effectiveness. She really loves speaking to groups and leading seminars, workshops and classes. Anna’s least favorite part of her job is “keeping up with the paperwork associated with running the business”.

There is no “typical” part of Anna’s day, as every day is a unique experience. Her day is driven by her goals and filling client requests, which makes every day different. Generally she begins by checking e-mails, following up on inquiries, making follow-up appointments with clients, preparing seminars, meeting potential clients, sending on-line assessments to clients or seminar participants, printing hard copies or sending out electronic reports, and preparing proposals. Anna sets a high priority on attending chamber luncheons, networking events and professional organization meetings which is where she conducts most of her marketing. Anna considers herself a life-long learner who attends professional development events and conferences to stay current with trends and research.

On a personal note, Anna has been a Lombard resident for 36 years. She has learned a great deal from being involved in the community and taking on various leadership roles. These experiences have paved a path of volunteer opportunities that far exceeded her own expectations. As the owner of Weselak & Associates, she has built a company where she can take all that she has done and it to all that she knows in order to help others to be successful in all that they do. Anna would love to work with Chamber members and their organizations to solve their challenges and help them increase their effectiveness.

Anna Weselak
Weselak & Associates
630-889-0626
aweselak@weselak.com
www.weselak.com

Featured Member Illinois Business Systems

Illinois Business Systems is one of the newest members of the Lombard Chamber, having joined just this past March. President, Rick Mytnik, describes himself as a promoter of the image of his company. He sells “the company” not “the product” by being an Evangelist/Chief Marketer. In the 2 ½ years since he created Illinois Business Systems, he has transitioned it to a 21st century company, and won’t consider his work finished until he has a 100% saturation of the local area. He believes that his company is the best for every business. What makes them different is they do not simply sell copiers. They provide service, support, supplies and products designed to help clients run their business more effectively. He is very proud of the fact that “a live body answers all of our customer calls, not an automated voice system”.

Rick has been in the office equipment industry for the past 30+years, and was finally in a position to open his own company and develop better business sources for his clients. His favorite part of the job is the team building and strategies that he has implemented and then seeing the plans come to fruition. He believes that the growth of the company belongs to all of his staff, not just him as an individual. Rick is not fond of keeping track of the “nitty gritty” details, and would rather work on the business, rather than in the business. He sees small businesses getting caught in the stress and crunch of the economy, and would like to help.

Rick’s day is a busy one that generally begins around 7 am with a strategic networking or leads group. He belongs to no less than 6 of these types of groups, as well as 2 owners groups and a number of Chambers of Commerce. By being a part of all of these groups, he can reach approximately 240 people per week to tell his story. Rick also goes on sales calls, meets with vendors, lawyers and other sales reps. Rick will tell you that he thinks Illinois Business Systems is a well kept secret. They are customer oriented, and treat the client the way they would like to be treated.

Rick lives in Batavia, and has 3 daughters. He admits that he is a “terrible loser” and is very competitive, especially when it comes to sports. “If the sport has a ball, I’m a fan”. Illinois Business Systems sales territory covers Cook, Du Page and Kane counties. Their customer base is composed of a mixture of commercial accounts, municipalities, churches and schools. You can contact them at 630-620-6024 or visit their website at http://www.ilbusinesssystems.com/

Featured Member - Meet Kathleen Roberts

Potted Petals has been a Chamber Member since July of 2005. Owner Kathleen Roberts says that Potted Petals is a one-stop shop for all your gift giving and decorating needs. Not only do they carry unique and unusual home décor and garden accessories, they can also help you with landscape design or container gardening and planting.

Kathleen has always like plants and flowers and all things pretty, so began work as a floral designer. She then went on to school and earned a bachelors degree in Horticulture from Texas A&M. Not knowing which she preferred more – floral design or horticulture, she decided to open a business where she could do both. Her favorite part of the job is seeing the customer’s reaction when she has achieved or gone beyond their expectations. She does admit, though, that she does not like being the only one in charge of everything that is involved with running a small business, from promoting Potted Petals on down to minding the store.

Kathleen’s day begins with arriving at the store more than an hour before opening. Her time involves sweeping and vacuuming, watering the plants, checking email and returning phone calls. During shop hours she is tending to customers, setting up shop displays, advertisements, bookkeeping, product ordering and planning events or classes. Her shop has been compared to those found in Long Grove or Lake Geneva. Stop on by soon, and check out their large variety of gift and decorative items.

Featured Member - Meet Steve Flint

*This is the first in a series.

Flint Architects has been a Lombard Chamber Silver member since February, 2009. Owner, Steve Flint describes his Architecture business as leading people through the building process, whether it’s for commercial or personal use. This would include the design of the project, contractors, permit process and construction to the finished end product. The biggest factors, in his opinion, would be to stay on schedule and budget.

Steve became interested in architecture when he was in school and discovered he had a talent for drawing. His sister suggested that he look into it as a career. He initially obtained an Associates Degree, but realized that to actually get licensed in architecture, he would need to pursue the 5 year professional degree, which he finished in 3 ½ years. Steve noted that now a days, someone pursuing an architectural degree would need a Bachelors degree as well as a Masters Degree and 3 years of work experience in the field.

When Steve was asked what his favorite part of his job was, he didn’t hesitate to say that he loved to see a project come to fruition, and to see the client’s enjoyment of the end product. He also really loves the drawing aspect, which is now done by computer. He told us that the least favorite part of the job was meeting with prospective clients, and then never hearing from them again; not even to say that they have gone in another direction.

A day in the life of Steve Flint can vary, of course, but generally he begins his day at 8 AM by updating his Social Media accounts; LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. He’ll then return phone calls and follow up on prospective clients. When his assistant Kimberly arrives, he will update her on the projects of the day. There is some traveling involved, as he will meet with clients from all over the area. He attends Rotary meetings and Chamber Luncheons on a regular basis as well.

Personal Stats:

Married to Diana for 30 years this August
Father to Chad, 20 and Elizabeth, 13

Lombard Rotarian for the last 7+ years
Has served on the Village of Lombard Planning Commission and Board of Appeals
Volunteer at the Lombard/Villa Park Food Pantry
Avid hockey fan, both Wolves and Blackhawks
Enjoys watching his kids’ activities and sports
Lombard Man of the Year 2000

*If you would like you and your business to be featured here, please call the Lombard Chamber office at 630-627-5040 or email us at info@lombardchamber.com