Supporting Small Business in your Community
- Shop Local: It's not just a Christmas Thing: "Studies have shown a multiplier of as much as seven in larger communities, but for rural areas, it may be more like a multiplier of one or two simply because there are not that many places any more to turn the money over and keep it going…however, every time you do keep the money local, it supports the community, supports the tax base again and goes back into the community. When the money leaves, that multiplier is zero.
- Promoting and Supporting your Local Business
- What Is a Creative Economy? Are you interested in learning the how-to’s & possibilities of developing a creative economy in your community?
- Your Creative Business Ready to turn your creative passion into a business? Are you an artist, musician, designer (any type), writer, specialty food producer, retailer or other creative type? This four-part series uses a unique teaching methodology to demonstrate business skills to the "right-brain" student. Learn to make money with your art and have fun doing it!
Small Business Education
- Attracting and Welcoming Customers
- Working with entrepreneurs and speaking to chambers clarifies the idea of marketing basics... effective selling incorporates all useful tools and devices for web-based and store-based sales.
- Writing your Business Plan
- Starting a Specialty Foods Business
- Welcome Mat Out for Business Start Ups
- What Direction is Your Business Heading?
- Global Trade is Here to Stay
- Reasons to Export: A Place to Start
- Getting Paid for Foreign Sales
- ILLINOIS - A Lion in the International Marketplace
- Illinois is the largest exporter of goods in the Midwest; Our terminals, airports, harbors, rail yards and foreign trade zones move billions of dollars annually. Over 300,000 jobs are sustained by exports. The number of Illinois small and medium-sized exporters is nearing 25,000!
- It's Easy When You Know How - any Illinois business can easily move to expanding domestic shipping of their products to the international market
Examples from the Field
Small Business Development Resources
Assess your small business development needs.
- Business Community Needs Assessment
- Countywide Business Assessment
- Local Consumer Survey
- Simple Local Business Survey
- Millennial Survey