STARTING YOUR BUSINESS Illinois Business Website: Point of entry for business registration, filings, licenses and permits for doing business in Illinois. www.illinois.gov/business Illinois Small Business Development Centers: DCEO's Office of Business Development administers a wide array of programs and services designed to help Illinois businesses thrive in today’s economy. We offer expansion incentives, technology support services, access to capital, global marketing expertise, and job training and education for workers. www.ildceo.net/dceo/Bureaus/Entrepreneurship+and+Small+Business/sbdc.htm Business Plan Start-up Guide: Features questions to ask before writing a business Plan by the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Waubonsee Community College. www.waubonsee.edu/learning/business/sbdc Sites and Buildings: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity provides the LocationOne Information System for conducting searches for available commercial and industrial sites and building locations throughout Illinois. www2.locationone.com University of Illinois Business Resource Library: Documents and links that address the concerns of Illinois business. www.library.illinois.edu/bis SBA (Small Business Administration): Resources and links to program and services to help your business grow and succeed. www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives): A non-profit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. www.score.org Illinois New Hire Reporting: All employers are required to report new employees to their state's New Hire Directory within 20 days of the employee's first day on the payroll, and provide all the necessary information. www.ides.illinois.gov Your local Chamber of Commerce: Your local point of contact and resource clearinghouse for local business needs. Contact the Executive Director in your town. Career Center: For tips on hiring and managing employees, visit the federal Small Business Administration’s (SBA) on-line resource. www.sba.gov/content/hire-your-first-employee Illinois Business Registration Licensing and Permits: Browse links to information and resources on registering, incorporating, and obtaining licenses and permits. www.illinois.gov/Business/Pages/registration.aspx
MAINTAINING YOUR BUSINESS Employment and Labor Law Guide: Resources that will help you understand federal and state labor laws. http://business.usa.gov/jobcenter-wizard Internal Revenue Center Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center: SB/SE serves taxpayers who file Form 1040, Schedules C, E, F or Form 2106, as well as small businesses with assets under $10 million. www.irs.gov/Businesses Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Grant: Information regarding available grants targeted at specific workforce development issues. www.commerce.state.il.us/dceo/Bureaus/Workforce_Development/Resources DISABILITYWORKS: Disabilityworks at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is a statewide initiative funded by DCEO to innovatively and aggressively develop, cultivate and facilitate public and private sector partnerships that educate, advocate and create systemic change in the employment of people with disabilities. www.disabilityworks.org/Pages/default.aspx Regional Employer-Assisted Collaboration for Housing (REACH): Employer-assisted housing (EAH) is a cost effective, easy to administer, hassle free way for employers to help their employees buy or rent homes close to work. www.reachillinois.org
EXPORTING Illinois State Trade and Export Promotion (ISTEP) program: The Illinois State Trade and Export Promotion (ISTEP) program offers Illinois’ Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises financial and technical assistance to help grow their export sales. Illinois International Trade Centers provide information, counseling and training to existing, new to-export companies interested in pursuing international trade opportunities. www2.illinois.gov/gov/exports/Pages/STEP.aspx NASBITE: In the early 1980's, a strong movement began to place international trade education in a more prominent position in colleges, universities, and various public service institutions. Many programs were begun, mostly housed at educational institutions, world trade centers, chambers of commerce, and other trade-related groups. www.nasbite.org
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS Illinois Business Development: DCEO's Office of Business Development administers a wide array of programs and services designed to help Illinois businesses thrive in today’s economy. We offer expansion incentives, technology support services, access to capital, global marketing expertise, and job training and education for workers. www.ildceo.net/dceo/Bureaus/Business_Development America’s Central Port®: America’s Central Port®, which is managed by the Tri-City Regional Port District, is strategically located in the heart of the U.S. on the Mississippi River and adjacent to an excellent highway system. The Port, and its tenants, offer a wide range of services and facilities including barge, rail and truck transfer of commodities, industrial, commercial and residential development sites, and warehouse and commercial lease opportunities. www.americascentralport.com Southwestern Illinois Development Authority (SWIDA): SWIDA is Southwestern Illinois’ hands-on regional economic development authority. Through its partnerships with parties in the public and private sectors, the organization works to jumpstart investments in St. Louis’ Metro East region, helping to take plans off the drawing board and turn them into bricks and mortar. www.swida.org St. Louis Regional Chamber: The merger of three organizations: the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, the St. Louis Regional Industrial Development Corporation, and the St. Louis Research Council. www.stlregionalchamber.com The Technology Entrepreneur Center - Engineering at Illinois: TEC was created in 2000. 12 courses are offered in Technology Entrepreneurship, Engineering, as well as others. Four on-site and online certificate programs for education and professional development. www.tec.illinois.edu Central Illinois Regional Collaborative Effort: Individuals, organizations, and communities in Central Illinois intuitively, purposefully, and effectively collaborate around shared priorities to achieve social, economic, and environmental health and prosperity across the region. www.circleillinois.com Economic Development Council for Central Illinois: The Economic Development Council for Central Illinois serves the businesses and communities of the Peoria metropolitan region by strengthening the local business structure and assisting companies in relocating or expanding in our region. www.centralillinois.org Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce: The primary role of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is to make Chicagoland the most business-friendly region in America by enhancing our members' success through aggressive programs in advocacy, member benefits and services, and actionable information. www.chicagolandchamber.org Business.gov: Official business link to U.S. Government. www.business.gov Illinois Chamber of Commerce: www.ilchamber.org The ILLINOIS Business Resource Guide was developed by VillageProfile.com, the leading Chamber of Commerce directory and map media company in the United States. It is a quick reference guide that is built on the stages of business development needs. Included are more than 15 of the best business and economic websites in the U.S. All of the information outlined below can be covered more extensively by contacting your local Illinois chamber executive or the Illinois Chamber of Commerce: www.ilchamber.org