One Voice, under the leadership of the EDC, is a pro-community campaign that has brought together leaders from the City of Bloomington, the Town of Normal, McLean County, labor, local educational institutions and local private businesses. These groups have formed the One Voice Task Force. The goal of the campaign is to make McLean County a stronger economic force and a better place to live.

Each year, the One Voice Task Force chooses local projects to support in their quests for federal funding. Each spring, the One Voice Task Force travels to Washington, D.C. to meet with our congressional delegation and show them our community stands united in support of the projects. Click here to learn about the 2010 Priority Projects.

The 2010 One Voice Washington, D.C. Fly-in will take place:

Tuesday, March 9th – Thursday, March 11th

Cost per person is $1450. This includes hotel, receptions, some cab fares and most meals. (Note: Airfare is not included and must be booked on your own.)

To Register:

Registration is now closed.

The New Leadership Board (NLB) is an advisory group of people ages 17-39 who work with the EDC leadership to establish an additional set of priorities for the economic future of the Bloomington-Normal area. The goal is to create a generational dialogue and provide ongoing input to our business, economic and political leadership regarding these emerging generations’ concerns, bringing a voice to this untapped resource.

The NLB recently finished the development of a final whitepaper based on four topics of discussion over the past year: The Future of the Workplace, Who’s the Boss?, Quality of Life and the Value of Technology. The whitepaper includes several recommendations for local municipalities, employers and the EDC to consider when planning for the future.

If you’re interested in having the NLB present its findings to your organization, please contact Brooke Weishaupt at (309) 452-8437 or brooke@bnbiz.org.

Read the final whitepaper. Watch the video.

The Community Development Corporation of Bloomington-Normal (CDC) is a sister organization to the EDC that houses all of the EDC’s financing programs for businesses. Businesses of any size in need of financing options for growth can participate in one of the CDC’s four main financing programs.

The CDC has three financing programs:

• Microloans that range from $1,000 to $8,000
• Revolving Loan Fund I, which ranges from $50,000 to $250,000
• Angel Capital, which can reach upwards of $3 million

Participation in any of these loan programs is contingent upon each project’s potential for success. CDC financing is not a replacement for traditional borrowing. The EDC recommends that in every circumstance, businesses looking for financing should approach their local banker first before contacting the EDC. Also, please note that some CDC programs require application prior to starting the project, so it is important to involve the CDC as early as possible in the process.

To set up an appointment to discuss financing options, please contact Ken Springer at (309) 452-8437 or ken@bnbiz.org.

The EDC’s annual Community Leaders Breakfast will take place Thursday, Nov. 5th from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at the new Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uptown Normal.

Learn about the EDC’s efforts to COLLABORATE and ENGAGE local and regional leaders to ACT to enhance our business environment. We will also introduce new initiatives for the upcoming year.

Our keynote speaker will be Alma Powell, chair of America’s Promise Alliance.

About the Speaker:

Under the leadership of current Board Chair, Alma Powell, the America’s Promise Alliance has become the nation’s largest partnership focused on the well-being of young people. Founded by the five living Presidents in 1997 and initially chaired by General Colin Powell, the Alliance is focused on delivering more of five essential resources or “Promises” to the most needy of our children. Mrs. Powell has been chair of the Alliance since 2004 and has spent the last four decades advocating for the needs of young people and encouraging Americans at home and abroad to engage in volunteer service.

She also chairs the advisory board for the Pew Center for Civic Change, and from 1989 to 2000 served as the chairman of the National Council of the Best Friends Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of young girls. She is the author of two children’s books, My Little Wagon and America’s Promise, which were published in 2003. (taken from www.americaspromise.org)

To Register:

Registration is $35/person or $300/table of 10. Registration is available:

• By mail – Click here to download registration form

• By phone – Call the EDC at (309) 452-8437

Cash, check or credit card (Mastercard, Visa, Discover) accepted.

Click here to add event to your Outlook calendar. (Works best with Internet Explorer)

One Voice, under the leadership of the EDC, is a pro-community campaign that has brought together leaders from the City of Bloomington, the Town of Normal, McLean County, labor, local educational institutions and local private businesses. These groups have formed the One Voice Task Force. The goal of the campaign is to make McLean County a stronger economic force and a better place to live.

Each year, the One Voice Task Force chooses local projects to support in their quests for federal funding. Each spring, the One Voice Task Force travels to Washington, D.C. to meet with our congressional delegation and show them our community stands united in support of the projects. Each project must meet three criteria:

•  It must have an economic development impact in McLean County.

•  It must improve the quality of life in McLean County.

•  Federal funding must have already been formally requested for the project.

The EDC is now accepting proposals for projects for the One Voice Task Force to consider for support for 2010. If you feel your project meets the above three criteria, please contact Marty Vanags or Brooke Weishaupt at (309) 452-8437.

The Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area is currently accepting applications for the third round of our business mentoring program, Circles of Seven (C7). C7 is a unique program designed to provide small and medium-sized business owners the opportunity to be mentored by a seasoned business person. The mentorship experience is conducted in a group setting with five other individuals seeking the same mentorship experience. C7 groups meet each month for a nine-month period to discuss a wide variety of business issues.

Entrepreneurs benefit through the relationships they build with others in their groups. They have an outlet to discuss business struggles or frustrations with others who may be experiencing similar hardships. Mentors offer wisdom and knowledge acquired from their experiences with growing their businesses. The program also offers an avenue for the sharing of new ideas and insight.  Check out our C7ista Twitter page.

The next session of C7 will begin in September 2009. There is a $20 application fee and a $75 program fee. To register, download the application and send it to the EDC. For more information, contact Brooke Weishaupt at brooke@bnbiz.org or (309) 452-8437.

 

 

 

The EDC’s strategic plan has as its foundation a concentration on local business retention and expansion. Eighty percent of all new jobs will come from local companies over the next several years. The EDC’s ability to assist these local companies with expansion, job creation and capital investment is at the core of its mission.

The SBDC was established in March 2005 to help support and grow the businesses already in the area, as well as assist new businesses as they begin with a firm footing. More healthy businesses in the area means more jobs and better quality of life for everyone. Together, the EDC and SBDC are building a small and medium enterprise business infrastructure that will encourage and assist local businesses. Mentoring is a key component of the plan.

What are the obstacles to recruiting new companies to the area? What are the needs of small business? How does a company access incentives from the federal, state or local government? What is the role of the local economic development group in this process? If you have these types of questions, we have the answers.

The EDC is hosting Economic Development 101, an informational course that will answer these questions and more. This course will provide a basic introduction to economic development processes and procedures. You will learn how the EDC pursues a number of specific strategies to ensure a healthy economy for our local community. The EDC staff and invited guests will cover a variety of topics from economic development finance to business retention and expansion. Click here to see the agenda.

When: Saturday, October 24th

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Where: Bank of Illinois Building, 4th floor community room (200 W. College Ave., Normal)

Cost: Free for elected/appointed officials, $35 for general public

Click here to download a registration form. For more information, please contact Cathy Milligan at cathy@bnbiz.org or (309) 452-8437.