The following information is to provide practical assistance to business owners. In addition to the information listed on this page, the For Entrepreneurs page contains information on funding opportunities, training, and additional resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners. The Calendar page and GLCEDC blog provide dates, times and locations of local training available for entrepreneurs. Many educational opportunities are free of charge or at a low cost, so please take advantage of these opportunities.
You can also learn more about the projects we are currently assisting on by visiting the Current Projects page of this website.
GLCEDC Loan Program
In cooperation with the Livingston County Board, GLCEDC is offering a Low-interest Loan Participation Program to Livingston County business owners. The program offers loans at below average interest rates with the potential for loan-forgiveness after a defined number of successful payments. Please note that at this time loan funds are limited. See the information below and contact GLCEDC staff with questions.
GLCEDC is partnering with SCORE of Central Illinois to provide free, confidential business advising to small business owners and entrepreneurs in Livingston County. SCORE advisors will be at the GLCEDC office every 3rd Wednesday from 9 - noon. Please email office@glcedc.org or call us at 815-842-2900.
Please see what follows for more information and resources from SCORE.
Starting a Business in Illinois - State Resources
U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) SBA was established in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government tasked with aiding, assisting, counseling, and protecting the interests of small businesses. The SBA website contains a wealth of information on planning, managing, and funding your small business.
State of Illinois Business Portal
This website, established by the State of Illinois, provides information for starting, running, and changing a business. It also contains business news, links to state agencies, and information on grants and loans.
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) DECO is the lead state agency for commerce and economic opportunity in Illinois. The website provides information on business assistance, workforce development, tourism, and funding opportunities.
DCEO provides a handbook for starting your own business in Illinois. The information provided includes how to register your organization, tax information, and other business services. It is helpful for both the entrepreneur and small business owner.
SBA Assessment Tool This assessment tool is designed to help you better understand your readiness for starting a small business. It is simple to use and will take less than 5 minutes to complete.
SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" is America's premier source of free & confidential small business advice for entrepreneurs. SCORE is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization formed in 1964 to help small businesses flourish. SCORE provides a public service to America by offering free small business advice and training. The SCORE chapter serving Livingston County is located in Bloomington, IL. For more information on the local SCORE chapter, please follow this link.
The SCORE website provides a variety of templates to help you start your business. Topics include but are not limited to:
Business Plan for a Start-up Business
Business Plan for an Established Business
Balance Sheets
Bank Loan Request for Small Business
Breakeven Analysis
Cash Flow Statement
Sales Forecasts
Start-Up Expenses
Google
Google offers many applications and programs for small business owners for free or very low cost. Here are some of the applications and programs that may be helpful for you:
Google Adwords
Google adwords are the small ads that pop up when someone has searched for a certain phrase. For a small fee you can advertise your business on google adwords. It is easy to set up an account and get started. Google Analytics
Google analytics allows you to monitor traffic on your website for free. You can view were people are located when they visit your site, the content that they view, and words or phrases they used to search
to name a few things. Google Maps
Google Maps can be useful for a variety of different things for your internal operations as well as advertising. Check out how GLCEDC uses google maps on the Sites and Buildings page to advertise available sites and buildings. Use google maps free of charge. All you need to do is set up a gmail account. Google Local Business Center
Watch the video below for more information on the Google Local Business Center:
