The City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) announced new efforts to support entrepreneurs and growing small businesses across Chicago. BACP released the first Chicago Small Business Scorecard, highlighting the City’s efforts over the past seven years to modernize and streamline business processes, improve access to capital and provide technical expertise and education to help residents start and grow their small businesses. The first Chicago Small Business Scorecard provides a picture of the degree to which the city has removed obstacles for business owners. The Scorecard demonstrates the positive impact that these changes are having and allows the City to track and expand the initiatives that are working.  The Scorecard highlights initiatives have been underway since 2011 and include the following highlights:

• 117 business licenses have been reduced to 40
• 10,000 businesses have seen a reduction in license fees
• 2,000 businesses have seen a reduction in required inspections
• 286 business owners have received microloans through the Chicago Microlending Institute