Business Assistance

Business Start-Up and General Assistance:

• Federal Assistance – www.FirstGov.gov - One-stop access to the Federal Government for information on trade, tax, environment, OSHA and business advisory services.
• Small Business Administration – www.sba.gov/il - Access information on business development, starting a business, counseling and training, financial assistance, minority enterprise development and welfare-to-work.
• Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity – www.commerce.state.il.us
• First-Stop Business Information Center of Illinois – www.commerce.state.il.us
• Inc. Online – www.inc.com – An online resource for people starting and running their own business.
• Labor Market Information – www.ides.state.il.us
• Coles Together Economic Development Council – www.colestogether.com
• East Central Illinois Development Corporation – www.ecidc.com
• Mattoon Chamber of Commerce – www.mattoonchamber.com
• Step-by-Step Manual for Running a Business – www.illinoisbiz.biz/bus/index.html
• SCORE® - Southeastern Illinois Branch Chapter 296 – www.eiu.edu/~score

Workforce Development

• Illinois Employment & Training Center, Skills Match Program – www.illinoisskillsmatch.com - This free system allows employers to select potential job seekers based on the skills the job seekers have developed through past employment and training, and to contact them directly for further employment consideration.
• Eastern Illinois University Business and Technology Institute – 217-581-2913 – www.eiu.edu/~bti/main.htm
• Workforce Development Center/IETC – 217-235-2222 – www.lakeland.cc.il.us/
  academicprograms/workforc1.htm
• Lake Land College Center for Business and Industry – 217-234-5305 – www.lakeland.cc.il.us/cbi

Environmental Standards & Safety Compliance

• OSHA - www.osha.gov
• Free On-Site Safety & Health Consultation – www.commerce.state.il.us
• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Division – www.epa.state.il.us/smallbusiness/index.html

Federal & State Government:

• State of Illinois – www.state.il.us
• Secretary of State – www.sos.state.il.us
• The White House – www.whitehouse.gov
• U.S. House of Representatives – www.house.gov

Legislative Issues:

• Hot Federal Issues – www.thomas.loc.gov
• Governing Magazine – www.governing.com
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce – www.uschamber.com
• National Federation of Independent Business – www.nfib.com
• Illinois Chamber of Commerce – www.ilchamber.org