May is Small Business Month, a time to celebrate the significant contributions of small businesses in our community, state, and nation. According to the Small Business Administration, the 34.7 million small businesses in our country account for 99.9% of the total number of business enterprises nationwide, contributing an astonishing 43.5% of our total GDP – about $12.9 trillion! In Illinois alone, there are 1.35 million small business enterprises employing about 43% of our state’s workforce. Within the service area of the Wilmette Public Library District – comprising the villages of Wilmette and Kenilworth – there are at least 1,450 small businesses.*
Wilmette Public Library supports the small business community in Wilmette and Kenilworth in many ways – from developing and maintaining our quality collection of books, periodicals, and cutting-edge online resources, hosting informative programs at the library and virtually, and developing partnerships with organizations supporting entrepreneurs, including the Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce and the North Cook and Lake Counties chapter of SCORE. What’s more, as the library’s dedicated business librarian, I am here as a resource to support entrepreneurs in all stages and experience levels and connecting them with our resources and partner organizations. Explore all we have to offer on our website.
Our marquee Small Business Month 2025 event will be our quarterly Lunch & Learn program on Thursday, May 8 from 12:30-2pm, featuring keynote speaker Tom Chowaniec, executive and FocalPoint-certified business coach. Tom will discuss ways businesspeople can level up their communications skills and effectively communicate with different audiences. Registration is free and includes a light lunch – join us!
Throughout May, we’ll be posting about our business resources and programs on Wilmette Public Library’s Instagram and Facebook.
Are you considering starting a business? Through our partnership with SCORE, we offer free one-on-one mentorship sessions for entrepreneurs of all experience levels and stages here at the library. Email me at jamundsen@wilmettelibrary.info and we can schedule your session today.
Want to keep on top of the library’s business offerings? Subscribe to our Strictly Business quarterly e-newsletter and get the latest news sent to your inbox.
*Small businesses as defined by the Small Business Administration threshold of less than 500 employees and $7.5 million in annual revenue