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Building Entrepreneurial Communities 2020

Streator Incubator Blog with business icons

Streator Incubator Feasibility Study

Streator is a forward thinking city. Successful incubation programs operate like the businesses they help launch, whether they’re located in rural areas or more urban areas. When budgets are tight, best practice programs identify efficiencies to conserve scarce resources. But they also develop new...
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Census 2020: All About the 2020 Census Podcast

Census 2020: All About the 2020 Census Podcast

Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development Specialists Zach Kennedy and Susan Odum were interviewed about the 2020 Census on WOC 1420 radio. They shared an overview of Census 2020 as well as discussing why participation is so important. Listen to the interview here: ...
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Photo of Michelle Sirles with farmer t-shirt

Farmers are my kinda people

In the last few months, there is a good chance you might have seen someone wearing a t-shirt with the phrase “farmers are my kinda people.” This is one of the latest designs from Rendleman Orchards of Alto Pass. Their locally-grown-and-farm-themed t-shirts are popular, but their latest trademarked...
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Restaurant staff in front of window.

Scaling UP: Restaurant Operations: Opening Safely

Local eateries, restaurants, cafes, pubs, and coffee shops are the social and economic lifeblood of many Illinois communities. Following the stretch of statewide shutdowns that began in late March, residents may be eager to see their favorite food and drink establishments reopen and employees...
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Scaling UP Illinois Restaurant Operations: Exploring Options

In every community throughout Illinois, restaurants represent a critical element of our social and economic well-being. We’re all eager to see restaurants reopen and employees back to work. In these two webinars, we’ll address management issues and plan for ways to make the reopen safe. This...
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photo of storeowner

Resilience is our new normal

The shopping experience has diminished as customers adhere to in-store social distancing guidelines, curbside pickup, scheduled delivery, and online ordering. While certain business activities are restricted, connecting with the customer is not. This connection, however, may look different as we...
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retail photo

Small Retailers Facing Big Decisions

Business owners should take a close, hard look at the long-term prospects for profit. Does it make sense to continue, or should you limit losses, close the doors for now, and save your time and energy for a future business? Retailing in the U.S. has been transitioning for the greater part of the...
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Be ready when your doors reopen

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...
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In a word, resilient

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...
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