Chicago’s small businesses remain resilient—but cautious. At our latest WCA Speaker Series, leaders gathered at UIC to unpack new data from the 2025 Chicagoland Small Business Outlook Study, revealing that while more than half of businesses are still pursuing growth, many face mounting pressures around marketing, access to capital, and economic uncertainty. Read on for key insights and takeaways from Professor John Lynch, Matt Fajack, and WCA Executive Director Patti Doyle.
3 Streets in Chicago’s West Loop That Deserve Your Whole Afternoon
From award-winning restaurants to boutique shopping and lively neighborhood events, these West Loop streets offer the perfect mix of eats, drinks, and things to do.
Randolph Street – Chicago’s Restaurant Row
A culinary hotspot packed with rooftop bars, happy hour oysters, and must-try sweets from Levain Bakery.
Fulton Market – Where Trend Meets Tradition
A vibrant blend of historic charm and modern flavor, with globally inspired dining, cozy coffee shops, and a thriving arts scene.
Madison Row – West Loop Fitness & Fun
A charming stretch of shops, wellness studios, and beloved local eateries—plus seasonal festivals you won’t want to miss.
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The Threading House was built to provide people a platform that allows them to take care of their skin just like everything else they care about. Our vision is to make people look beautiful. This has enabled The Threading House to be the premium leading therapy session. Our main services include threading, waxing, facial, tinting, lash lifting, Henna Tattoo and oil massage.
Bartucci Beauty is a new and exciting hair salon in the Fulton Market district that offers premium hair care services for women and men and a curated selection of beauty and lifestyle products. Read below to learn more about Bartucci Beauty.
Easterseals, the affiliate of Easterseals serving Chicagoland and Rockford, fulfills their mission by operating campuses of Easterseals Academy that collectively serve 300 youth with autism. They also operate multiple early head start/head start centers across the Chicagoland area, lead the CFC #8 and CFC #12 in the south side of the city and south suburbs, and operate family support services and the autism program. Our organization is $60 million operating with 700 employees and we serve more than 30,000 families each year. Read below to learn more about Easterseals serving Chicagoland and Rockford.
Redeem City Church is a multi-ethnic church that wants to connect the way of Jesus to the realities of relationships, workplaces, and neighborhoods. They call themselves a church in the city for the city. Read below to learn more about the church.
Architerior3 is an architectural and interior design firm that provides innovative solutions to every day challenges in the residential and commercial industry. Read below to learn more about Architerior3.
Byline Bank has been a Chicago local business for over 100 years. According to their website, “At Byline, we believe in putting our name behind everything we do and rolling up our sleeves to get the job done right. We’re committed to our customers and being the bank that you deserve.” Read below to learn more about Byline Bank.
Guidepost is a national and international network of Montessori schools where joyful, self‑directed exploration leads to children who love to learn. There is so much support from their central team, and they ensure that every school that we open has the essence and maintains the high quality that Guidepost is all about. If for us its very important to have a nice environment, children should also have a pristine, engaging and nurturing environment. Read below to learn more about Guidepost Montessori West Loop.
Madison Row has some mainstays that have been around for quite some time. One of those has been the popular Madison Vine Wines, which recently rebranded to 1340BWS. We wanted to re-introduce the West Central Association community to this longtime WCA member through our rebranded member profile. Read below to learn more about 1340BWS.
