Four Humboldt Park business owners received a free Dell Optiplex desktop computer as an earned incentive for participating in the Smart Communities Program.

The Smart Communities Business Resource Network works with business owners in Humboldt Park and helps them become more tech savvy  to improve their business, reduce costs, and bring in more customers.

The following businesses received the desktop computers:

• Paisano’s Tacos, 2429 W Division St
• Chicago Retail at Wholesale Prices, 3711 W Chicago Ave
• Oliver’s House of Beauty, 3850 W Chicago Ave
• Child Development & High Quality Care, 3906 W Chicago Ave

The four business owners were very excited to receive a new computer for their business as none had a dedicated computer at their business that had the capability and RAM to run today’s software and applications.  They were very grateful for both the computer and the one-on-one assistance provided by the Smart Communities Program:

“Thank you for all your support and help in aiding us to grow.  The staff is excited about the computer.  I’m excited about all the good software. “                     Francine Lewis, Child Development & High Quality Care

The way the program works is we meet with business owners and assess how they currently utilize technology within their business.  An Action Plan is developed with suggested next steps for utilizing tech tools to drive more customers to the business and improve efficiency.  Most of these tools are free or very low cost; That is the beauty of the web.

We have worked with dozens of businesses in Humboldt Park.  By suggesting ways to utilize social and place based marketing such as (Face Book fan pages, Twitter, Yelp, Google Places) business owners can see a dramatic rise in visibility and sales.  Customer Relationship Management software can help you track your interactions with your existing and potential customers.  Email Marketing is a way to stay in front of your customers without being intrusive.  Google Analytics provides advanced tracking of traffic on your website.  Numerous other hardware, software, equipment, and applications (apps) are available to help your business be successful.  Let us help you sort through the “clutter” and provide some targeted suggestions customized for your business.

For more information on the Smart Communities Business Resource Network contact Tom Otto at (773) 342-0036 ext 23 or tom@whpdevelopmentcouncil.net.