HCC to Offer Entrepreneur Essentials this Fall

Those who have toyed with the idea of opening their own business may find the motivation they need to get started with the help of Heartland Community College's Entrepreneur Essentials program.

Entrepreneur Essentials at Heartland Community College is a vocational training program that focuses on a person's dreams, interests and abilities. Through experiential classroom learning and the development of a targeted support structure, students in Entrepreneur Essentials will prepare for the expectations, issues and responsibilities associated with organizational management and business ownership. The program concentrates on market research and projections, money management and financial planning, business and tax structures, insurance, marketing and mentoring. Students who complete the course will have created a business plan that they are able to take to banks or loan institutions in order to make owning their own business a reality. In addition, students will benefit from small class sizes, individual attention, professional networking, laptop loans, and HCC and local support during and after program.

Entrepreneur Essentials meets from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays for 16 weeks beginning August 20. Classes will be held at Heartland's Normal campus, located at 1500 W. Raab Rd. The fee for the course is $425, and scholarships are available for eligible individuals.

Enrollment is limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to call (309) 268-8048 right away to apply.

For more information about Heartland Community College, visit www.heartland.edu.

GLCEDC Hosts Unemployment Insurance Workshop

In conjunction with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), the GLCEDC is hosting a Unemployment Insurance Workshop to assist local businesses with employment programs and so much more including: 

• ”How To” Guide to completing the UI Protest Form with a subject matter expert
• Work Opportunity Tax Credits From $2,400 up to $9,000 for each individual new hire
• Illinois Labor Market Information
•  Role Plays of Actual Cases of unemployment hearings and provides an awareness of the hearing process
• Illinois Job Link Labor Exchange System is an internet database designed for both the employers and employees to find jobs/candidates that meet their criteria for employment
• Benefits of Employing Illinois Veterans
• New Employee Fidelity Bonding Program
• Re-Entry Employment Services Program and Reducing Recidivism in Illinois

It will be held at the Elks Club Conference Room in Pontiac on Wednesday, May 16th.  Registration begins at 8:00am, and the program itself is from 8:30am - 11:30am.  Continental breakfast will be served.  The cost is $10, and you can RSVP at 815-842-2900 before May 7th.

Enterprise U Application Deadline March 16

Register now for the Enterprise U program co-hosted by the GLCEDC and being held at Kankakee Community College.  The application deadline is March 16.  The application can be found at www.enterprise-u.com.  New entrepreneurs and small business owners will benefit from the small business "boot camp".  Even if you do not want to submit a business plan in the competition, you can register for the program.  These classes will benefit any small business.  Courses include:

• Pre-Business Workshop—April 5, 2012 6–8 p.m.
• Business Plan Writing Workshop—April 12, 2012 6–8 p.m.
• Business Recordkeeping—May 10, 2012 7–9 p.m.
• Legal Issues for Small Business Owners—March 22, 2012 6–8 p.m. 
  Room D124
• Business Marketing—April 26 2012 6–8 p.m.
• How to Apply for a Small Business Loan—May 3, 2012 6–8 p.m.
• Moving Your Business to the Next Level—April 11, 2012 6–9 p.m. Room D124
• Social Media Marketing for Small Business—April 18, 2012 1–5 p.m. Room D123, LECT9046.A

Planning and Funding your Business

Planning & Funding your Business 

SCORE sponsored workshop to be conducted at the Bloomington Library on March 15th

at 6:30 PM.  Free.

Planning and funding your business are intimately tied together. Luckily one document forms the basis for both - the Business Plan. Learn the components of the plan and how it influences your success in attracting investors - including loan institutions - and in launching the business.  Hear from a loan officer what goes into approaching the loan insti- tution and find out what infor- mation a bank will typically require and what they are look- ing for. This discussion will also touch on some of the various government programs such as Small Business Administration and how they can help you obtain bank financing.

For more information, please contact SCORE at 309-664-0549.

Energy Incentives and Programs

DCEO is offering up to $13 a lamp incentive for retrofit T8s and new T8 and T5 fixtures between June 1, 2011 and May 15, 2012.  ComEd Smart Ideas is offering an additional $2 per lamp bonus incentive for T12-to-T8 retrofits between September 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012.  Ameren Illinois ActOnEnergy The 10% T12 phase-out bonus extended to May 31, 2012.  Complete by March 31, 2012 and get a 10% early completion coupon. NICOR Announces New Program

Nicor Gas has launched a new program to help redevelop and revitalize communities through building upgrades. The Nicor Gas EEP Economic Redevelopment Program focuses on serving communities that are in need of economic redevelopment, as well as businesses and organizations that create jobs, offer social services or provide affordable housing. The program offers financial incentives and extensive technical assistance, helping building owners with every step of the process from evaluating energy efficiency needs to applying for rebates and finding qualified contractors.  Projects that complete the recommended energy efficiency upgrades can qualify to receive up to $100,000 in rebates.  The program also offers extensive technical assistance (valued at up to $20,000) to help building owners through every step of the process. WHO IS ELIGIBLE?  Commercial, industrial and large multi-family buildings served by Nicor Gas.  Public-sector buildings are not eligible. Projects located in, or promote economic development in, Enterprise Zones, TIF districts, or other economically challenged areas Other projects that could qualify are those that create jobs, offer social services, rehabilitate brown fields or vacant buildings, or provide affordable housing.  Qualifying facilities should be at least 10,000 square feet. To apply for this program or for more information, please contact the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Economic Redevelopment Team at 773.328.7040 or erp@cntenergy.org or visit http://nicorgasrebates.com/programs/economic

Business a Little Slow Today? Offer an Instant Coupon!

Many businesses have now realized that email is an old and unreliable way of generating sales. In our world of instant communication and gratification, we need to reach our customers where they live - next to their cell phones. Here is a link to a service that offers you the ability to put coupons in your customers' pockets instantly via text messages. Check it out.

http://coupontext.com/

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Coupon Text delivers highly targeted text message marketing to small businesses. Our mobile marketing campaigns draw better results than other forms of advertising.

Don't Miss the Final Two Biz Ed Seminars

Our "Back to (Business) School" Seminar series has two remaining. On Tuesday August 23 the topic will be "Fast Financials". The seminar will be led by Roger Corrigan of FREESTAR Bank and Mike Cohlman of Champion Fitness. They will share their insights on various financial matters related to small business including, business loans, financial reporting, Quickbooks, and the signs of a growing business.

On Tuesday August 30, the topic will be related to protecting your work with patents. Norm Rittenhouse and Greg Benoit of EVT Global will share their insights as to how to protect your invention or product with a government patent. This can seem to be an enormous obstacle for small business owners, but Norm and Greg will offer some practical steps to make the process more manageable for small business owners.

Both seminars will take place from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at the Farm Bureau Office in Pontiac. Please rsvp by sending a quick email to colleen@glcedc.org.

Get "Back to Business" School with GLCEDC

Get in the "back to school" spirit this August by participating in the Annual "Biz Ed" Series sponsored by the GLCEDC. Hosted every Tuesday in August at 4pm in the Farm Bureau offices (901 W. Howard Street, Pontiac), this seminar series covers all the business basics and more.

This year's line-up includes:

• Business Planning: Creating a Business Plan That Gets Financed (August 2nd)


• HR 101: Small Business Basics (August 9th)


• Building an Online Presence: Simple Website Development & Marketing (August 16th)


• Fast Financials: Finance Tools to Grow Your Business (August 23rd)


• Patent Pending: Protecting Your Work with a Patent (August 30th)

Available at No Charge to Livingston County residents, the "Biz Ed" Series features key speakers from the local business community and engaging learning opportunities for entrepreneurs and current business owners. Join the GLCEDC and other sponsoring members like SCORE, Caterpillar Inc, Creative Ag Solutions, Champion Fitness and EVT Global for free educational seminars focusing on the fundamentals of building a better business.

RSVP to attend by contacting Colleen O'Toole, Economic Development Specialist, at (815)842.2900 or email colleen@glcedc.org. Look for updates on the "Biz Ed" Series and other educational opportunities by visiting our Facebook page!