Business Assistance

Business Start-Up & 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
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
Workforce Development Center/IETC – 217-235-2222 – www.lakeland.cc.il.us
academicprograms/workforc1
Lake Land College Center for Business and Industry – 217-234-5305 – www.lakeland.cc.il.us/cbi

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