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 [...]
On July 31st, 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law House Bill 2462, an amendment to the Equal Pay Act of 2003. Previously passed through the legislature in 2017 and 2018, it was struck down both times by previous Gov. Rauner. The bill introduces provisions which prevent an employer from discriminating against job applicants based on their previous wage [...]
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 [...]
As your business grows, you’ll need employees to continue developing and expanding. In a perfect world, your employees stay forever, never step out of line, and get along fabulously with their coworkers. Our world is no such utopia, however, and eventually you will likely face an unemployment claim from the Illinois Department of Employment Services (“IDES”). The unemployment insurance [...]
