Local chapters provide free counseling and low-cost workshops in their communities.
Both working and retired executives and business owners donate their time and expertise as business counselors. Each session contains lectures on various aspects of starting a business, followed by a question and answer period. In 1979, several retired business executives and professional people met in the Quad-Cities to discuss how they might use their talents in helping others to start new businesses, or in helping local and area existing businesses become even more successful. The application was approved and the chapter now serves the business needs of the Iowa-Illinois Quad Cities and vicinity. In June of 1999 the Quad Cities Chapter was named Region 5 Chapter of the Year and one of the top ten in the nation.