State Seeks Input from Local Businesses

Waterloo- On May 12, Monroe County businesses will have a chance to provide input to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (ILDCEO) on how the State of Illinois can help small businesses create sustainable jobs over the next few years.

The meeting, sponsored by the Southwest Region ILDCEO Office of Outreach in partnership with Monroe County Economic Development Council (MCEDC) and Community & Economic Development Department, City of Columbia (CEDD) will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 12 in the old courtroom on the second floor of the Monroe County Courthouse in Waterloo.

ILDCEO is working with the University of Illinois on an extensive research and data gathering process to determine whether developing a program to assist locally owned businesses is a good strategy to spur economic prosperity for Illinois.

There are 500,000 businesses with less than 50 employees in Illinois--if every small business added just one job, the unemployment rate would be lowered five points. To lower the state's unemployment rate by one percent, 100,000 jobs will have to be created.

At the May 12 meeting, business can:
Interact with senior staff from the ILDCEO Director's Office;
Help ILDCEO supplement their academic information by giving input on what local/small businesses need;
Offer creative local economic development ideas;
§ Help identify obstacles or share keys to success of small, local, independent businesses and potential entrepreneurs;
Participate in an important initiative aimed at developing new policies, best practices, and programs to help small businesses in Illinois.


Seating is limited, so advanced registration is required. RSVP by May 10.

To reserve a seat for this meeting, send contact information to U of I Extension Community and Economic Development Educator Nora Feuquay , nfeuquay@illinois.edu or 618-939-8681 ext. 309 or Paul Ellis, Director of Community and Economic Development City of Columbia at, pellis@columbiaillinois.com.