About Us

Since it was founded in 1993, the mission of the Center for Urban Business at the University of Illinois at Chicago has been to provide clients with the support and resources essential to start and grow their enterprises. This support has included training, consulting services, mentoring programs and connections with resources to generate contracts and financing. The Center for Urban Business, a unit within the College of Business Administration, is part of UIC's Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.

In August 2002, we expanded the scope and impact of our services by becoming a Small Business Development Center. With the addition of the SBDC, we continue our mission of assisting companies in moving to that next level of growth by providing in-depth, ongoing support. The SBDC assists pre-venture, start-ups, and established businesses with management, marketing, and financial counseling. Assistance is also provided in the areas of business and marketing plan preparation, securing capital, improving business skills, accessing international trade opportunities and addressing other business management needs.