ISU/EDC Business Incubator

presents

So You Want to Start Your Own Business? Seminar

A free community seminar for understanding the process of starting a business

Thursday, September 23rd, 7:00–8:30 P.M.
Uptown Normal Heartland Bank Community Room (4th floor)

Have you dreamed of being your own boss? Do you have a passion that could be turned into a business? Owning a business is the dream of many people – for some people this is an exciting and rewarding adventure, but for others, starting and running their own venture is a bad choice. The reality is that most businesses will be out of business in less than five years after they get started- and most of these because they failed. The sad truth of the matter is that most of these business failures can be avoided.

Kelly Mathy, owner of Kelly’s Bakery and Cafe in Bloomington, and Andy Scott, owner of Energistics: High Performance Energy Efficient Home Solutions, will discuss their experiences of starting and operating small businesses and provide insight and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Space is limited: Register in advance by contacting Brooke Weishaupt at (309) 452-8437 or brooke@bnbiz.org.

The Business Incubator is a joint initiative of Illinois State University and the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area. The concept of the incubator is to encourage local economic development by assisting a wide variety of early-stage companies in their growth and maturity through direct assistance, consultation, mentoring/coaching and educational services.

Please join us to celebrate Central Illinois at a REGIONAL COLLABORATION SUMMIT on Friday, October 8th from 8-11:00 a.m. at the Marriott Bloomington-Normal Hotel and Conference Center (201 Broadway, Normal).

 

Hear from:

• Dr. Allen Goben, President of Heartland Community College
• Dr. Janet Krejci, Dean, Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing
• Mike Baker, Planning Manager, Illinois Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
• Rex Duncan, Director of Community Development & Outreach, Southern Illinois University

and learn more about CIRCLE!

 

Please RSVP by Sept. 24th to Cheryl Harvey at (309) 452-8437 or cheryl@bnbiz.org.
There is no charge to attend; however, registration is required as seating is limited. Buffet breakfast included.

Click here for more information about CIRCLE.

 

This event is sponsored by: 
Illinois Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
Grand Victoria Foundation
Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area

The 2010 Community Leaders Breakfast will take place Thursday, November 4th at 7:30 a.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center in Bloomington. Our keynote speaker will be Ted C. Fishman, bestselling author of China, Inc. and Shock of Gray.

Sponsoring the event is an excellent way to show support for our community and to get your company’s name in front of several key community leaders. This event typically attracts over 600 attendees!

 

Sponsorship Levels:

PLATINUM- $2,500
As a platinum sponsor your company or organization will receive the following:

• A table for 10 people
• Recognition in the event program (large logo)
• Recognition both before and after the program on two large meeting screens
• You will have a Premium location in all print advertisements

 

GOLD- $1,200
As a gold sponsor your company or organization will receive the following:

• A table for 10 people
• Recognition in the event program (small logo)
• Recognition both before and after the program on two large meeting screens

 

SILVER- $600
As a silver sponsor your company or organization will receive the following:

• A table for 10 people
• Recognition in the event program (name only)

To become a sponsor, contact Cathy Milligan at cathy@bnbiz.org or by calling (309) 452-8437.

To download a registration form, click here. You can also pay by Visa, MC or Discover by calling Cathy Milligan at (309) 452-8437.

 

About the Speaker:
Ted C. Fishman is a veteran journalist and former commodities trader who has emerged as a leading expert on the People’s Republic of China and its development as a world power. In his writing, Fishman is noted for taking seemingly complex topics – particularly how global economic trends influence people’s everyday experiences – and making them understandable and meaningful for a general audience. In his bestselling book, China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World, Fishman describes the effects of China’s recent emergence as a world power on the lives and businesses of people across the globe. In addition to success of China, Inc. in America, the book has been translated into 25 languages and is an international bestseller.

Fishman’s latest book, Shock of Gray: The Aging of the World’s Population and How it Pits Young Against Old, Child Against Parent, Worker Against Boss, Company Against Rival, and Nation Against Nation, will be launched as one of the lead titles from Scribner Books in the fall of 2010. The book, which will also be published in several foreign language editions, discusses how the aging of the world’s population drives globalization. It looks at how age demographics inform the exchanges between the U.S., Europe, Japan and growing China. In an early review, Kirkus Reviews calls Shock of Gray “a timely wake-up call.”

Ted C. Fishman has been featured on ABC, CNN, Fox, the BBC, CNBC, PBS, NPR, Public Radio International, and Sky News (UK), among many others. Fishman also frequently consults local, state and federal leaders concerned about how to navigate China’s economic rise. A former floor trader and member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, he ran his own trading firm until 1992. He has been a visiting scholar at the Stanford Center on Longevity and a faculty director and lecturer with programs for global executives through Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.

Fishman’s essays and reports appear in many of the world’s most prominent journals, including The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Money, Harper’s, Worth, INC, Esquire, USA Today, GQ, The Sunday Times (London) and Chicago Magazine, and his commentaries have been featured on Public Radio International’s Marketplace.

Despite positive results from the first quarter of 2010, McLean County foreclosure filings showed a depressing increase in the second quarter. Foreclosure filings rocketed up to 143 for the quarter – a full 83.3% increase over the same period in 2009. Looking at the first two quarters together, McLean County stands at 274 filings, higher than 2009 and just shy of 2008’s record total of 278 for the same period.

These results demonstrate the continued economic challenges persisting even as the country begins to flirt with economic recovery. As I have stated in the past, home foreclosures lag the overall economy in the sense that foreclosures follow job losses at a distance of some months. Foreclosures happening today are likely indicative of the job market from six to nine months in the past. Based on unemployment figures, I would expect to see a moderate-to-bad third quarter for foreclosures followed by a fairly-positive fourth. Overall, I predict that foreclosure filings will end 2010 just slightly below the 2009 figure.

Sources: McLean County Recorder’s Office, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Central Illinois business leader Larry Maschhoff has been selected to help launch the first operational phase of the McLean County Business Incubator, a joint initiative of the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area (EDC) and Illinois State University. Maschoff, who currently serves as chair of the EDC Board of Directors, will work part-time through the University’s department of Research and Sponsored Programs. The department has received $845,000 in federal funding for the incubator project.

“Our research indicates there is a strong market demand for a McLean County area incubator,” said EDC Chief Executive Officer Marty Vanags. “McLean County has fewer micro-businesses than average, and they are smaller than their equivalents elsewhere in the state or nation. In addition, the presence of two universities and community colleges is a strong asset, both as a potential source of expertise as well as a possible source of entrepreneurs.”

Once operational, the business incubator will serve as part of a network of business assistance programs, which will include Illinois State University-affiliated campus organizations that have economic development or research interests. Other regional and local organizations offering business services may assist clients through the incubator. The mission of the incubator is to assist aspiring entrepreneurs, existing small to medium-sized business owners and researchers with the potential to develop commercial enterprises.

Initially, Maschhoff will work as the incubator’s Business Incubator outreach manager, conducting a range of recruitment, marketing and course development activities toward a target date of delivering services beginning in September. If initial efforts confirm the need for a higher level of activity, Illinois State and the EDC will seek a facility for the incubator to provide more extensive services.

“We are very pleased that Mr. Maschhoff will join the University and work with the EDC to further develop the McLean County Business Incubator,” said Rodney Custer, associate vice president for Research, Graduate & International Studies. “His talent and long-standing knowledge of the Central Illinois business community will be a big asset as this project moves forward.”

Maschhoff currently works as a consultant, helping private businesses arrange financing and increase sales and profits. He also served as president and chief executive officer of the Bank of Illinois for 23 years.

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.

Central Illinois Placements (CIP) is a pilot program consisting of an online centralized clinical placement system.  The online system uses StudentMax software to efficiently schedule and place nursing students at healthcare sites for clinical experiences in the Central Illinois region and supports a collaborative process.

Pilot partners include schools of nursing and acute care centers from: Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, Jacksonville, Pontiac and Springfield.  CIP is a grant-funded initiative that evolved out of the Economic Development Council’s  Central Illinois Regional Collaborative Effort (CIRCLE).

We are excited as CIP continues to grow!  Pilot partners’ participation started with twelve in September ’09 and has currently expanded to 16 engaged partners.  Participants are described as either clinical or educational.

Web site addresses for your review:

General viewing by all:  www.ciplacements.com

StudentMax:   www.studentmax.org

If you are unaware of the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area’s One Voice program, you may be missing out on a very important opportunity. One Voice is our government advocacy program in which we support local projects in their quests for federal funding. Each year, the One Voice task force (comprised of local government, business, education, labor and other community leaders) convenes several meetings where local municipalities/educational institutions/other community organizations present projects for which they are requesting federal appropriations. The One Voice task force chooses 4-6 projects to officially support for the year. Each March, the EDC and a group of 30+ community leaders travel together to Washington, D.C. in order to present these projects to our elected officials and advocate for their financial support.

One Voice, now entering its fifth year, has become well-known by our congressional delegation and is often referred to as a “best practice” for seeking federal appropriations. To date, we have helped local entities secure over $2.5 million in federal funding (over $24.5 million with the recent TIGER grant allocated to the Town of Normal for the Multi-Modal Transportation Center).

Due to the rising popularity of this program, we are changing the way we manage the One Voice project submittal process. For the 2011 One Voice program and beyond, all applicant projects will need to go through a screening and development process in conjunction with the EDC. EDC staff will now be working with each entity submitting a project to develop a rigorous and objective “argument” for every project. This argument will include a full analysis of the project’s potential economic development impacts, its risks, feasibility and financial picture. The outcome will be a comparative report for each proposed project for the One Voice Task Force’s review. We have also instituted a $250 application fee to help cover the administrative costs associated with the project development and impact studies. The EDC believes our new process will ultimately provide our elected officials with better-vetted projects with stronger arguments and objective metrics.

Because this process will be much more involved than in prior years, the deadline for project submission has been moved forward. All potential One Voice projects must be submitted to the EDC by August 1, 2010 in order to be considered for the 2011 Washington, D.C. trip – NO EXCEPTIONS. Click here to download a project application form.

For more information, contact Brooke Weishaupt at brooke@bnbiz.org or 309-452-8437.

Calling all businesses! Find out how to become one of the first Illinois green certified businesses:

The Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area, Illinois State University and the Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA) are coming together to launch green business certification in McLean County, and we are looking for businesses interested in greening their practices. Through the IGBA’s green business certification program, we and ISU students will provide your business with assistance in becoming a certified Illinois green business. The program reviews nine sections of sustainability, with some measures being required while others are optional. Participating businesses will receive a green consultation, an energy audit, resource assistance, connectivity to incentive dollars for energy efficiency, and a detailed green management practice implementation plan. Please contact Ken Springer at (309) 452-8437  if you are a restaurant or retail/office business and would be available for a consultation with our team between June 14^th-July 8^th. We look forward to working with your business to become Illinois green business certified!

About the IGBA

The Illinois Green Business Association is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization that assists businesses in reducing their ecological foot-print by attaining our green certification. We assess a business’ current environmental performance and guide them towards certification through nine areas of sustainability. We utilize applicable grants and incentive packages to aid businesses through the certification process. The Illinois Green Business Association then promotes and markets a business’ successful efforts to the community in order to build a culture of sustainability and responsible consumerism.  With our partners, we look forward to launching our certification state-wide in June of 2010. To learn more about the IGBA, visit www.illinoisgba.com or call (217) 531-2179.

From April 17th through April 23rd, classes will be held in a dozen different locations around Bloomington-Normal to promote financial literacy as part of a community-wide program called Money Smart Week®.   Money Smart Week offers classes to anyone from the public that has an interest in learning about money matters.   The best part about Money Smart Week is that these classes are free to the public.  How smart is that?

Money Smart Week was created by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank in order to promote personal financial literacy in the overall population.  While the program is just a decade old, it has already spread throughout the Midwest, and new cities are added every subsequent year.  Money Smart Week topics typically run the gamut from basic financial literacy all the way through complex investing strategies and retirement planning.

The EDC will be offering a series of three classes specifically focused on business financing on Friday, April 23rd in the community room on the 4th floor of the Heartland Bank building at 200 W. College Ave., Normal.  The first class, which starts at 2:00 PM, will cover topics related to financing a start-up.  The second class, which starts at 3:00 PM, will be devoted to financing business expansions.  The third, beginning at 4:00 PM, will be a general seminar on resources available to businesses in McLean County.  Representatives from the Illinois Small Business Development Center, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Central Illinois SCORE will also participate in these courses.

To see more details on these classes and the rest of the great MSW offerings for 2010, make sure you check out the MSW Web site at  www.moneysmartweek.org/illinois. Money Smart Week is a registered service mark of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.