You’re cordially invited to attend a reception honoring our 2010 Circles of Seven graduates on Thursday, June 10th from 5-7 p.m. at Central Station Cafe in Bloomington.

At the event, we will also be holding an informational session regarding the 2010-2011 C7 program. For more information about the next round, click here.

Congratulations to our 2010 C7 graduates:

Erik Barnlund – Mavidea Technology Group, LLC

Martha Burk – Main Gallery 404, Inc.

Jim Carroll – Churchill’s Formalwear

Hombre Darby – News & Views for the Young at Heart

Chuck Fisher – Fisher Driving School

Peg Hayden – Blooming Grove Academy

Cathy Heissler – Learning for Tomorrow, Inc.

Amy Hyunh – Le Bow Wow Club, Inc.

Chad Jones – CJ Photo

Brad Kalavitinos – Le Scent Studio

Maria Kemp – Decadence Bakery & Pastries

Paul Komar – American Business Solutions

Rosemary Komar – American Diversity Business Solutions

David McCloud – The Organic Cleaning Machine, Inc.

Chad Ritchie – Ritchie Law Office

 

The Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area is proud to be a partner in a new program offered by Heartland Community College. Entrepreneur Essentials is a vocational training program that seeks to prepare people for the reasonable expectations, issues and responsibilities related to business ownership, with the end result being a complete, ready-to-implement business plan.

Each student will attend five hours of class a week for 16 weeks, with independent projects assigned between classes. Community volunteers, such as the EDC and SCORE, will provide support to the program through experiential learning opportunities and business mentoring.

This program is unique in that it specifically targets the unemployed  and underemployed populations of Heartland Community College District #540. All applicants must possess a high school diploma or GED. Base funding for the program is provided by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the federal government through Mid Central Community Action. There are no out-of-pocket expenses for those who meet eligibility requirements.

An advisory board has been developed to address the specific details and curriculum for the program, comprised of representatives from Heartland Community College, the Economic Development Council, SCORE, Mid Central Community Action, Illinois State University’s Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development and Commerce Bank.

The program is set to begin in June. For more information or to register, contact Sandy Hoffmann in HCC’s Workforce Services department at (309) 268-8048 or sandra.hoffmann@heartland.edu.

The Economic Development Council is busy preparing for our next session of Circles of Seven (C7) to begin in September. C7 is our business mentoring program in which we group local business owners together with a mentor. The groups meet once a month for nine months to discuss various business-related topics such as customer service, employee relations, marketing, budgeting, etc. They also have the opportunity to discuss individual business concerns at each meeting. The program is likened to a support group setting for business owners.

Entrepreneurs benefit through the relationships they build with each other, and many of our past participants have gained many new contacts through the program. A few groups have continued to meet even after the program’s duration of nine months. This program is a great way for small business owners to get to know each other, gain new insight for business practices and garner support and advice for any struggles or frustrations they may be experiencing with their business.

This year, we are trying something new: specialized groups – grouping business owners with a common interest. Some groups we are considering include:

• a group for entrepreneurs who have a full-time job in addition to running a business
• one for business owners who are working towards a college degree
• a group for west-side businesses
• a group for rural-based businesses
• one for web-based businesses
• a home-based business group
• a group for those in the process of starting a business
• a group for retail businesses
• a group for not-for-profit executive directors

In addition to the specialized groups, we will still offer general/uncategorized groups for those who do not fall under one of the specialty categories.

To download an application, click here. For more information, contact Brooke Weishaupt at brooke@bnbiz.org or (309) 452-8437.