The team of Michelle and Brendan Sullivan have over 25 years of combined experience in branding, digital marketing, video production, and instructional design. Their passion for their field of expertise and to help serve the community led to the creation of 1826 Creative Company, which offers top-notch design, photography, and video production services that capture the unique branding and product desires of their clients.
Challenge: Michelle and Brenden started working with Justin Bergman at the Illinois SBDC at Sauk Valley Community College in July 2023. They sought assistance with a business plan and additional funding to help grow their business.
How Illinois SBDC helped: During the first session, Business Advisor Justin Bergman met with Michelle and Brendan to learn more about their business goals and aspirations as well as to highlight all the no-cost services that the Center offer to the region. Justin had learned that they needed some assistance in writing a comprehensive business plan to obtain funding for their business expansion through the Genz Small Business Development Fund. 1826 Creative Company and the Illinois SBDC worked together to create an extensive business plan with financial projections, which also included several meetings on developing the revenue streams and growth strategies for the business. The Illinois SBDC also provided valuable market research for the industry and regional statistics that helped further develop the mission, vision, and growth strategy of the business.
Result: With the help of the Illinois SBDC and working with their Advisor, Justin Bergman, 1826 Creative Company was awarded the Northwest Illinois Economic Development’s Genz Small Business Development grant on January 31, 2024 to help grow their business and to build a stronger presence within the community to provide high-end content using state-of-the-art photo and video equipment.