Small Business Essentials Directory
Connect with Vetted Small Business Experts
Welcome to the Inner Circle Small Business Essentials Directory—your trusted marketplace for elite B2B service providers, specialized business consultants, and community non-profits. Whether you are looking to scale your operations, outsource your financial management, or secure fractional executive leadership, our curated network connects you directly with verified professionals who specialize in accelerating small business growth.
Browse the categories below to discover trusted partners, view industry-specific capabilities, and unlock exclusive member-to-member perks, diagnostic strategy sessions, and referral incentives designed to help your business thrive.
Inner Circle’S Small Business Directory CatEgories
Marketing & Creative Services
Jessica Roubitchek
Strategize, sequence and drive marketing priorities for owner-led service businesses.
OFFER: Get a complimentary web presence assessment.
MBA Confidante, LLC provides Fractional CMO leadership for owner-led service businesses that need clearer marketing decisions, better priorities and stronger execution. I help business owners determine what to focus on, what to stop doing and what should happen next, then keep the team and outside partners aligned around those priorities. My work sits above individual marketing channels, connecting strategy, budget, vendors and execution to the larger goals of the business. Engagements range from strategic advisory to embedded marketing leadership, depending on how much support the business needs.
Carrie Lubing
Turn your expertise into a podcast that builds authority and brings in clients.
OFFER: Free podcast episode plan for your first five episodes.
Carrie Lubing Productions is a boutique podcast production and strategy company for established business owners and professionals who want their podcast to do more than sound good. We help you build authority, deepen relationships, and attract the right clients. You bring your expertise. We bring everything else. That includes show strategy, guest coordination, editing, show notes, and social media content, all handled with care so you can focus on the conversation. With a background in psychology and a genuine curiosity about people, Carrie takes a relationship-first approach to every show. She works closely with a small number of clients at a time, so you get real attention, honest guidance, and a podcast that reflects who you are. Whether you're launching a new show or ready to get more out of an existing one, we'll help you turn your conversations into credibility and clients.
Brian Sly
High-end plug-and-play video agency getting you noticed, remembered, replayed, and shared.
OFFER: 15% referral fee for every client referral that signs.
Emblem Creative Interactive is a high-end plug-and-play video agency for growth-minded lower mid-market organizations. We make videos that are entertaining and relatable so you are noticed, remembered, replayed, and shared. Whether you need an entire creative team, a specialist, easily searchable storage space for your own media, or a combination of the three, our plug-and-play model fills the media gaps in your organization without you having to change anything.
Kristi Miroballi
Innovative brand strategy with custom designs communicates your unique message with clarity and impact.
OFFER: Free 1 hour brand package strategy meeting.
Are you frustrated with...
• Al not getting your logo exactly how you want it?
• the ad you created in Canva just doesn't look right?
• half your images on your social media are cut off & no one likes your posts?
• and your website is outdated and it doesn't even work on your phone?
Designtology can help by mixing smart strategy, innovative concepts and eye catching designs that ensures your message connects with clarity and impact. Founder and Creative Director, Kristi Miroballi, has nearly 30 years of graphic design experience with specialties in brand strategy, logo development, packaging, advertising and website design and development in the marketing, B2B and consumer retail industries. She offers innovative creativity along with design development and the execution of projects from initial concept through final print production. Designtology, transforming your ideas into visual reality from first spark to final pixel!
Jesse Walker
High-impact promotional videos that capture your brand's unique story.
OFFER: Receive 20% off your first video production package.
Welcome to XVP Studios, where your creative vision comes to life. As Chicagoland’s premier video production partner, we offer state-of-the-art facilities and a dedicated team ready to elevate your project. Whether you're seeking professional video production, studio rentals, or top-notch equipment, XVP Studios is your one-stop destination. At XVP Studios, we take pride in being Chicagoland’s premier choice for video production. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our staff, strong partnerships, and a rich history of delivering outstanding results.
Julie Burt
Gain an entire marketing department, from strategy through execution, without hiring a single employee.
OFFER: 10% off your marketing launchpad, exclusively for Inner Circle Members.
Unlimited Marketing & Events helps professional services firms and nonprofits grow, with three services built around where you are. Fractional CMO: I bring the marketing strategy and leadership, plus a team ready to execute, so you get an outsourced marketing department and leader all in one. My ideal clients are great at what they do and have never had a marketing plan, so I build it from scratch. Event Planning: From client appreciation events to lunch-and-learns, I plan and coordinate events that feel personal, not corporate. Need just day-of coordination? I do that too. Marketing Coaching: Prefer to do it yourself? One-on-one coaching gives you a plan, accountability, and someone to think out loud with. Along the way, I’m a thought partner beyond marketing and in your corner everywhere, making introductions and cheering on your wins.
Coaching & Business Strategy
John Barcanic
Helping owners of B2B firms increase growth capacity while decreasing stress.
OFFER: 15% off your in-depth Growth Capacity Assessment™.
Every B2B firm owner wants their business to grow. At Barcanic Consulting we want to serve more clients, raise the value of our own business, and increase our impact. And we want to be able to do it without working crazy hours, managing every detail, and feeling like our business is an anchor rather than a platform. Here’s the rub: what got you here won’t get you there. Getting to the next level of growth requires a new level of thinking and acting. Barcanic Consulting helps owners of B2B firms increase growth capacity while decreasing stress. Together we diagnose the root cause of what’s holding you back and create a strategy to fix it. Then we help you expertly implement while gaining the new capabilities you’ll need at the next level. Healthy growth is possible. We can help you get there.
Angela Kesting
Practical, tactical, attainable next steps, measurable results, lasting change — for individuals and businesses.
OFFER: Free 30-minute consultation. 10% off coaching package or consulting engagement.
At AJK Coaching, I help individuals and businesses get clear on what’s next and turn that clarity into practical action. For individuals, I offer thought partnership, coaching, health and wellness support, and a somatic and nervous system-focused approach to help clients understand what they need, identify meaningful next steps, and make changes that fit their lives. For businesses, I draw on 25+ years of experience in strategy, technology, leadership, coaching, and organizational change to help leaders and teams navigate challenges and expand what’s working. My approach is practical, collaborative, and tailored to where you are. I ask thoughtful questions, offer useful perspective, and help turn ideas into attainable next steps, measurable results, and lasting change.
Angela Garcia
Practical solutions for the human side of leadership.
OFFER: 10% discount on executive coaching packages.
Fueled by a profound passion for simplifying the complex and managing overwhelm, Opportunities to Grow provides practical solutions to keep your team thriving. My purpose is to spread success and growth across various industries by helping leaders and teams align their collective strengths to the business objectives.
Leadership Consulting: A high-trust, high-impact niche at the intersection of leadership advisory, organizational effectiveness, and behavioral transformation. Unlike traditional consultants who focus on strategy alone, or trainers offering one-size-fits-all solutions, we specialize in rapidly diagnosing the root causes of leadership and team dysfunction and delivering tailored interventions that create measurable and lasting change.
Executive Coaching: A combination of authentic dialogue and leadership assessments help executives uncover the motivations, strengths, and blind spots shaping how they lead. By building self-awareness and aligning their leadership with organizational goals, executives strengthen their impact, engage their teams, and turn vision into results.
Information Technology
Noah Thompson
We solve IT and Cybersecurity issues for Small Businesses.
OFFER: Free 1-hour technology consultation or security health check.
SecurIT Consulting brings over 20 years of dedicated experience in IT and Cybersecurity. We are a strategic partner to a diverse portfolio of clients across critical sectors including healthcare, government, technology, finance, manufacturing, legal, construction, real estate, travel, and more. Our core mission is to significantly enhance your organization’s overall security posture while ensuring optimized IT operational support and readiness, empowering you to focus on your core business objectives.
Loren Williams
Secure, free, e-waste recycling and data destruction.
Turning retired organizational computers into home computers for low-income households.
When you recycle your electronics with PCs for People, you’ll join thousands of other businesses across the country who use their retired technology to power our mission. Your devices will be assessed, data-sanitized, and then refurbished and provided to families, individuals and nonprofits in need, or recycled (zero-landfill).
Family & Support Services
Michelle ValiukenaS
Helping families navigate high-risk pregnancies, NICU stays, and loss without facing financial crisis alone.
Supporting families, bringing stories left in dark to light, changing the world
The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation (CLTF) is a national nonprofit supporting families navigating high-risk or complicated pregnancies, NICU stays, pregnancy loss, and infant loss. Through direct financial assistance, education, and advocacy, CLTF helps families cover urgent expenses, connects them with trusted resources, brings often-silenced experiences into the open, and works toward meaningful systemic change. Since 2018, CLTF has provided more than $2.1 million to over 4,200 families nationwide. 100% of donations go directly to families in need. Founder and CEO Michelle Valiukenas draws from her personal and professional experience to provide speaking, training, and educational programs on grief-informed leadership, trauma-informed communication, workplace support, pregnancy and infant loss, NICU experiences, infertility, maternal and infant health, and the importance of words.
Kristen Jacobsen, LCPC
Helping high-achievers unpack the hidden beliefs keeping them anxious and stuck in survival mode.
OFFER: $25 off your first session.
You look put-together on the outside, while inside you’re anxious and running on empty. You’ve read the books and tried to think your way out, but understanding it doesn’t turn it off, it just tells you why it’s on. I’m Kristen Jacobsen, LCPC, founder of Cathartic Space Counseling and a licensed therapist with 18+ years of experience helping high-achievers with perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety. I combine clinical expertise with lived experience to uncover what’s running in your subconscious, so you can stop proving your worth through overfunctioning. My practice offers virtual therapy for adults who are ready to commit to their own growth. My book, “Unpacked: How To Detach From The Subconscious Beliefs That Are Sabotaging Your Life,” uses case studies and self-discovery exercises to help you recognize the patterns keeping you stuck. I also bring keynotes and workshops on imposter syndrome and self-sabotage to organizations..
Speaker & Author
Alina Rubin
Saving writers from the heartaches of publishing. Teaching storytelling and publishing strategy. Delighting historical fiction readers.
Helping authors publish books of their dreams!
Hearts and Sails Author Services provides one-on-one coaching on writing craft, revision, and book marketing. Alina formats manuscripts into beautiful paperbacks and ebooks, guides authors through KDP and IngramSpark uploads, sets up Amazon Ads, and optimizes Amazon book pages so stories have the best chance of finding their readers. If writing a book is one of your goals for 2027 but feels overwhelming, we’d love to help you move from idea to holding your finished book in your hands. Let’s talk.