Lobi Trusted
Our reach engine reads the reviews, the ratings and the comments owners leave when nobody is selling them anything. Then we book the demo, meet the operator, and often run the thing ourselves. If the price does not earn the value, it never lands here. Some partners hand our community a discount or a free trial.
Business Tools
The software you log into every morning. Phone, CRM, filings, the stack we run our own front desk on.
A real business number keeps your cell private and makes a one-person shop sound like a company. These are the three we point members to.
Business phone, texting and AI call handling on one platform.
Modern shared number and texting app for small teams.
Full phone system when you outgrow a single line.
Missed calls are missed revenue. A live answering service catches the ones you cannot take, screens spam and books work while you are heads down.
Professional remote receptionists who answer every call in your company name.
24/7 answering with intake, scheduling and CRM handoff.
Long-running US-based receptionist service with a polished script.
Form the entity, get a registered agent with a real Illinois street address, then keep the filings current. Order matters — the address you file with follows you for years.
Illinois registered agent at a staffed Chicago address.
No-upsell LLC formation with privacy built in.
Formation plus attorney access for founders who want hand-holding.
A spreadsheet works until the third follow-up slips. These are the three we point members to when deals start falling through the cracks.
Free CRM that grows into marketing and sales automation.
Visual pipeline built for people who sell, not admin.
Best value if you want the whole office suite in one bill.
The stack we run at 1655 S Blue Island Ave. Boring, reliable, and cheap enough for a business of one.
Email at your own domain, plus docs, calendar and storage.
Docs, SOPs and a lightweight project tracker in one place.
The bookkeeping your accountant already knows how to open.
Business Coaching
People who make you a better operator. Classes, advisors and programs, many of them free in Chicago.
Structured programs with real advisors. Two of the three below cost nothing, which is the best deal in Chicago small business.
Free one-on-one mentoring from retired operators and executives.
Free business education program for owners ready to scale.
Chicago neighborhood business academy and coaching.
Short courses when you need one specific skill — bookkeeping, ads, hiring — rather than a full program.
Free advising and classes funded by the SBA and the state.
City-run workshops on licensing, permits and compliance.
On-demand skill courses when you cannot make a class time.
Local Services
Chicago pros you can sit across from. Insurance, marketing, brokers, accountants, consultants.
General liability, professional liability and a certificate you can send a client the same day. Most Chicago leases and contracts require one.
Online general liability with instant certificates.
Professional liability for consultants and service firms.
Human help when your risk does not fit an online form.
Video, brand and demand generation from people who work in Chicago and can show up in person.
The simplest way to find, book and hire local talent, crew and content creators in Chicago.
The free listing that decides whether Chicago finds you.
Keyword and competitor research before you spend on ads.
When you outgrow a suite or need space we do not have, these are the people we hand you to.
Bring a client, we pay the commission and handle the tour.
Free to you — the landlord pays the fee on most Chicago deals.
Do your own market research before you talk to anyone.
Books, taxes and the outside brain you call when a decision is bigger than a spreadsheet.
Bookkeeping plus a dedicated accountant on a flat monthly fee.
Done-for-you bookkeeping with a real human team.
Worth it once you have employees, inventory or an S-corp.
Research is provided by Lobi Space. Lobi Space may receive commissions, discounts, referral fees, free trials or other promotional compensation from time to time when you sign up with or purchase a listed provider through our links.
That compensation never influences our editorial choices. We only list products and services we believe deliver exceptional value for Chicago small businesses and would be comfortable recommending to a member sitting in the building.
The information on this page is for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, financial, accounting or professional advice. Features, pricing, terms and availability change, and we do not guarantee that any listing is complete or current. Before you buy or hire any provider, please do your own research and verify the details that matter to your business.
This affiliate disclosure is not covered by the Lobi Space money-back guarantee, membership terms and conditions, or any other Lobi Space contract. Lobi Space is not a party to your agreement with any listed provider and is not responsible for their products, services, refunds, billing, privacy practices or customer support.
If you have questions about how we choose, test or disclose our relationships with partners, contact us at Support.Website@lobispace.com.
Research is provided by Lobi Space.
If a resource is not worth the money, tell us. Our team will work directly with the provider on your behalf to make it right — whether that means a refund, a credit or a better-fit recommendation. That is a service commitment, not a legal warranty or insurance guarantee.
Virtual office, business mailbox and private suites at 1655 S Blue Island Ave in Pilsen.
