(date: July 24, 2019) Anyone wishing to break into Illinois’s new recreational marijuana industry should start preparing to apply for an operational license as soon as possible. Knowing when to apply and how the State will score applicants improves your chances of getting a license. Here is what we know about the process so far: Applications must [...]
With the holidays behind us, it’s time to get back to business and, with the turning of the calendar, your policies and processes might need to be updated to match changes in the law. The Illinois legislature passed several laws last year, effective on January 1, which affect small businesses. Here are some of the most relevant changes: The [...]
As the leaves fall every autumn, a seasonal specter rises to suffuse sepulchral storefronts with spirit and spook: the Halloween pop-up shop. For a few weeks every year, dusty ‘For Lease’ signs relinquish their vigil to bright orange-and-black banners broadcasting their bounty to the well-flannelled masses. Where do these stores come from? Where do they go? How can seasonal [...]
Owning a business is no cakewalk and, as with most facets of modern life, being a woman makes it harder. From the gender pay gap to the lack of maternity leave to discrimination and harassment in the workplace, the barriers facing professional women are well-documented. If they fall into other underrepresented communities – women of color, queer women, disabled [...]
With recreational marijuana on the cusp of legalization, businesses across Illinois could see a vast marketplace suddenly accessible. A recreational marijuana legalization bill was recently introduced in the Illinois legislature. The proposed bill puts small businesses in an especially advantageous position, promoting “craft growers” and banning large-scale operations. Without a corporate presence dominating the field, local cultivators and retailers [...]
