Blogs

During the past several weeks, families and businesses around the country have endured tragic loss of human life, modified their way of life, and lost vital economic resources. Many of us stay at home “doing our part” not to risk exposure and illness that might further burden our hospitals, as...

Life has been doling out lemons to our small, locally owned businesses, so they are busy making lemonade. While social distancing, they are thinking outside the box, engaging through social media, transitioning to online shopping, and identifying new ways to interact with their customers. They are...

Overwhelmed, inundated, backlogged. These are just a few of the words employees, employers, government officials, and community leaders are using to describe working through the COVID-19 pandemic. Transitioning to remote work has created challenges for employees across the state, with kitchen...

Unemployment claims nationwide are soaring. According to the Department of Labor, in the week ending March 28, 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits – doubling the previous week’s level of 3.3 million. In March, the State of Illinois began issuing...

Rural community and economic development professionals are working furiously to share the latest information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. This information includes closings, new regulations, government orders, and information about resources for businesses. Local offices rely on various levels...

We’re adjusting to a “new normal.” We hear it daily on the news, in our virtual meetings and at the dinner table, but how can we make sure we stay connected during these challenging times?  People in crisis are confronted with stress and pressure with too little, distorted or...

Updates from the SBA webinars SBA is encouraging small businesses and nonprofits interested in the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to...