The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC) is excited to announce a new partnership with the Small Business Administration (SBA) Community Navigator Program housed at IHCC and Self-Help Federal Credit Union that will help bring access to resources to the small business community.
“Throughout the pandemic, we did Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and IHCC was a valuable resource because they knew what businesses were struggling and we were able to help them apply—they are a very valuable resource to the business community,” says Rudy Medina, President of Self-Help Credit Union.
The credit union has branches in several underserved communities, including Little Village, Archer Heights, Aurora, South Chicago, and many more. “IHCC is trying to build the resources-under-one-roof approach with the different programs they have, offering help with grants, giving small businesses access to capital, marketing, and technical assistance, something that many Latino businesses don’t know where to get help,” he says.
The partnership is based on technical assistance services that IHCC’s SBA Community Navigator Program provides, for both start-ups and established businesses including:
- One-on-one bilingual business counseling in every phase of the start-up (under three years old)
- Emerging business development for businesses that have been around longer than three years
- Micro-loans
- Business loans
- Help with grant applications
- Help establish businesses
- Securing a location
- Preparing businesses plans
- Understanding financial statements
- Marketing and social media
- Applying for small business certifications
Marisa Alcantar is the director of the SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program. This program provides community outreach and technical assistance to support Hispanic small business owners to start or improve their businesses. Through the program, she does target outreach to small businesses in underserved communities. Alcantar and business advisor, Michael Mendez are always in the community looking for businesses that may be struggling, they help them find the resources that they need in order to help them succeed. Businesses are encouraged to register for a no-cost business consultation through this link.
“Working with the Self-Help Credit Union will allow us to better serve Latino small businesses, so it’s a win-win for the community. We have the resources and programs that these businesses can benefit from, including the SBA Navigator Program that is partnering with Self-Help Credit Union, LatinX Incubator which focuses on tech companies, Cook County Business Source that helps those affected by COVID, Procurement Collaboration helps with government contracts, and the Small Business Development Center, which was named the Illinois 2022 SBDC of the year. We are always looking for resources and partners like the Self-Help Federal Credit Union that can help businesses with the financial resources that small businesses need to thrive,” says Jaime Di Paulo, President, and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
For more information on this partnership call IHCC at (312) 425-9500.