January 19, 2012
‘LivePlan’ offered at special price to entrepreneurs
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- If the birth of a new year again brings to mind your dream of operating your own business, you can find help in fulfilling that vision at the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
The center offers an assortment of resources including products, programs and services to aid you in determining the feasibility of launching a new business and then making it happen. Now, you can get a half-price subscription to LivePlan, a six-month web-based program from Palo Alto Software, Inc., for those interested in starting or expanding a business.
The regular retail price of the program is $120, but through March 31 you can purchase a subscription for $60 at the center, located in the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 150 E. Pleasant Hill Road in Carbondale. The subscription gives you access to expert advice, more than 500 complete sample business plans and helpful information, including ideas for creating a professional business plan to impress investors and bankers.
Entrepreneurs can access their subscription anywhere, anytime online. They can even invite their business adviser to review and comment on their business plan as they are developing it. To learn more about the LivePlan or to purchase a half-price subscription, contact the SBDC at sbdc@siu.edu or call 618/536-2424.
You can also still purchase the Small Business Toolkit, including a business plan workbook, at the center for $15 and get the Biz Plan Pro, business plan development box software program, for $69.95.
These special offers correspond to the launch of a new series of free workshops from the SIU Carbondale Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade Center. The eight workshops take place at locations throughout the region and run through June 12. Each two-hour seminar offers all of the basic information you need to determine if your proposed business is feasible and, if so, to launch it. There are also workshops for new and expanding businesses with information about finding financing, using social media in business and government contracting.
The complete schedule and details about the free workshops is online at http://news.siu.edu/2011/12/122211cjm11378.html or on the center’s website at www.siusbdc.com. Or, call 618/536-2424 or email sbdc@siu.edu for more information.
SIU Carbondale hosts the Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade Center with funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.