Chicago Small Business Growth & Marketing Workshop

A practical Chicago workshop for small business owners and freelancers to clarify offers, map customer channels, and build an action plan. The Chicago Small Business Growth & Marketing Workshop is an in-person workshop for people involved in small businesses in Chicago. Stop collecting business ideas you never implement. Chicago Small Business Offer & Customer Acquisition Workshop is a hands-on working session for local business owners, freelancers, consultants, and service providers who want a clearer way to explain what they offer and test practical customer-acquisition channels. This is not a pitch night, investment event, or promise of revenue growth. During the workshop, you’ll complete three working frameworks: Offer Clarity Canvas Define the customer, problem, service scope, proof points, delivery model, and key reasons someone may choose your offer. Customer Channel Map Identify 2–3 channels worth testing, such as referrals, local partnerships, outbound outreach, content, or community-based visibility. 30-Day Action Plan Choose a small set of weekly actions, owners, and review points for the next month. Exercises use your own judgment and business context. The facilitator does not guarantee customers, profit, sales, leads, or advertising performance. Who Should Attend • Small business owners • Freelancers and consultants • Agency operators • Independent service providers • Early-stage founders with an existing offer No-Solicitation Standard Briefly describing your work is welcome. Aggressive pitching, MLM recruitment, repeated unsolicited selling, lead harvesting, and required course or consulting upsells are not permitted. Attendees should not share confidential client lists, passwords, private customer records, payment data, or sensitive employee information. 5:15–5:30 PM - Check-In Arrival, seating, industry badge, coffee, tea, and water. 5:30–5:45 PM - Welcome & Workshop Rules Format, privacy boundaries, and working-session expectations. 5:45–6:25 PM - Module 1: Offer Clarity Sprint Complete the Offer Clarity Canvas using your current business or service. 6:25–6:35 PM - Break & Table Reset Short break and group transition. 6:35–7:15 PM - Module 2: Customer Channel Mapping Evaluate potential acquisition channels using cost, effort, control, and fit. 7:15–7:45 PM - Module 3: 30-Day Action Plan Turn selected ideas into a practical weekly execution plan. 7:45–8:00 PM - Q&A & Optional Contact Exchange General questions and voluntary professional follow-up.