Dear Members:

The Small Business of the Year Awards is one of the highlights of the year. Last week’s ceremony was another wonderful celebration of the outstanding small businesses in our Chamber. We laughed, cheered and toasted the best of Naperville’s entrepreneurial class.

My congratulations are extended to this year’s winners and all of the nominees for this prestigious award. The competition was tough and I know the judges had difficulty making their selection. The wonderful team at Clark’s Car Care really spoke to the success, frustrations and overall opportunity afforded by taking the plunge and opening your own business.

I wish Matt and Laura continued success as they take advantage of the American dream and the promise afforded by our entrepreneurial system. As they say, good fortune is the residue of hard work.

All of the organizations nominated for this year’s award put all of their energy into their businesses, hoping to succeed and grow their business, one client at a time.

This week’s column is brief, as I’m off to Washington to participate in the U.S. Chamber’s annual small business summit. We have a series of meetings on the hill with the offices of Illinois’ congressional delegation, and will take advantage of numerous policy briefings while we’re in town.

These past few days are an example of the outstanding value the Chamber strives to provide you, our Members. We celebrated the best of our Members on Friday evening and are now off to Washington to advance policies that will help the small business community grow and thrive.

Congratulations again to all of this year’s winners and may they continue to achieve success.

Sincerely,


John Schmitt

President & CEO

Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce

D: 630-544-3370

E: jschmitt@naperville.net