January 04, 2011

Spring business start-up workshops planned

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- If you have ever thought of starting your own business, Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s entrepreneurship and business development unit can help you take your great idea, make it better and perhaps actually make your dream of business ownership come true. The Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is sponsoring a series of “Starting a Business in Illinois” workshops. Each two-hour informational seminar offers valuable information about the basic requirements for starting your own business. Instruction will cover legal structure, start-up requirements, securing financing and the basics of business planning.

The workshops are all free. You can purchase an optional business start-up kit for $15. The kit, available in both print and electronic formats, includes a business start-up checklist, the workshop presentation slides, a financing question and answer packet, a sample business plan, federal and state tax identification number applications and much more.

The schedule for the spring 2011 business start-up workshops includes:

• Jan. 11, 9-11 a.m., Room 150 of Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 150 E. Pleasant Hill Road, Carbondale.

• Feb. 9, 1-3 p.m., Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, Room 150.

• Feb. 24, 9-11 a.m. at 1 Taylor St., Randolph County Courthouse, Chester.

• March 11, 9-11 a.m., West Frankfort, 115 E. Main St.

• March 30, 9-11 a.m., Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, Room 150.

• April 12, 1-3 p.m., Herrin Chamber of Commerce, 35 Park Ave., Suite A, Herrin. The Chamber is co-sponsor of this session.

• May 11, 6-8 p.m., Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, Room 150.

• June 7, 9-11 a.m., Man-Tra-Con office, 300 W. DeYoung St., Illinois Centre Mall, Marion. Man-Tra-Con is a co-sponsor of this session.

In addition, for the first time, the workshop participants and other SBDC clients this semester will have the opportunity to purchase Business Plan Pro, a highly rated software tool for creating a successful business plan, for the special price of $69.95.

You must pre-register to attend any of the workshop sessions. For more information or to register, call 618/536-2424, e-mail sbdc@siu.edu, or visit the website at www.siusbdc.com.

SIUC hosts the Illinois Small Business Development Center, funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, as a service to the state’s small businesses.