| Platinum & Gold Partners |
Charleston Area Charitable Foundation
& Forsythe Family Farms
 |
|
| Silver Partners | Agracel
Citizens National Bank
City of Charleston
City of Paris
The Cromwell Group, Inc.
East Central Illinois Development Corporation
Edgar County Bank
Effingham County Board
First Neighbor Bank
In Memory of Jack Clifford Journal Gazette/Times Courier
Karen Wolters, Ignite, USA
Moultrie County Board
Paris Community Foundation
Paris First
U.S. Bank |
| Other Partners |
Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce
Eastern Illinois Education for Employment Systems
Flesor Family Confectionary, Inc.
Fifth Third Bank
Frank and Cathy Brummer
Greater Effingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Lake Land College Tech Prep
Lorenz Supply Company
PEDCO
Schultz Investment Company
State Bank of Arthur
Terwilliger Agency
| |
|
| Entrepreneurial Endeavors | | Greetings!
At the beginning of each school year, the Beloit College's Mindset List for the incoming college freshman class of 2014 hits my inbox. This list reminds faculty to be mindful of using outdated references because the majority of incoming freshman were born 18 years ago in 1992. This list also highlights the changing worldview of our next generation of knowledge workers.
A quick glimpse of the list shows humorous cultural references such as, "Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess" or "Al Gore has always been animated", but there are also very real lessons that entrepreneurs can take away from this list. About one-third of the references can be traced back to entrepreneurial product innovations and changes in how business is being conducted. Phones are more portable, businesses are more handicap accessible, pictures have gone digital and toothpaste tubes are more user-friendly.
Enjoy reading the list at the link below and get your creative juices flowing. Then, take advantage of the assistance that is provided by the BSC to start-up or innovate your venture.
Jeanne
Jeanne Dau
Director
Business Solutions Center |
Hoadley Departs from EIU
Diane Hoadley, Dean of the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences, has accepted the Dean of the College of Business position at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. During her tenure at EIU, the SCORE chapter, the Business Solutions Center and the Entrepreneurship minor was established.
Best wishes and thank you for your efforts over the past eight years in supporting entrepreneurship education and business support services at Eastern Illinois University. An interim Dean will be chosen in the next month and a nationwide search will be conducted to fill the position permanently within the next year. |
New Business Spotlight - Castle Finn Vineyard & Winery
 
Business Solutions Center clients Rob & Linda Morgan officially opened Castle Finn Winery with a grand opening gala on Saturday, July 31st. The 13-hour event was an incredible success with hundreds of visitors throughout the day and evening. Located a few miles Northwest of Marshall, IL, the pristine setting is highlighted by the vineyards and pond as a backdrop to this very unique and beautiful destination. Castle Finn features a wine-tasting room and a separate 30' by 60' banquet hall with skylights, chandeliers and a gigantic stone fireplace, as well as a large stone patio with a fire pit and waterfall.
Several wonderful varieties of wine are available and bottled on site, and the Banquet Hall is available for booking of events such as weddings, receptions, bridal showers, business meetings, Christmas parties and reunions. You can visit their website http://castlefinnwinery.com/ or call Rob at 217-712-0066 or Linda at 217-822-8104, or email Sonya Stephens at sstephens@castlefinnwinery.com for general information. |
All are Invited to Consultant Connection Networking Luncheons
 Thursday, Sept. 9th Cody's Restaurant, Mattoon
noon - 1:30 pm
Pam Schnake, President and Co-founder of ELS Unlimited, will discuss the essentials of proposal writing and what should be in a consulting contract. Learn from both her successes and failures as a highly successful trainer and consultant.
All are welcome, please click on the link below to reserve your spot. The only cost to you is the price of your meal.
Can't make it in September? Save the date of Thursday, November 11th from noon - 1:30 for the next Consultant Connection's peer-to-peer networking luncheon. |
 Celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week Nov 15 - 19th
Join thousands of other communities around the globe as they champion entrepreneurship during Global Entrepreneurship Week November 15-19th. Gather ideas and sign up to sponsor an event at a GEW planning meeting on Monday, August 30th at 3 pm at the Business Solutions Center, 3011 Lumpkin Hall at Eastern Illinois University. If you can't make it in person, email jezuniga@eiu.edu and sign up to call in and listen from the comfort of your own office.
|
 Regional Investment Forum
Thursday, November 18, 2010
7:30 - 9 am Location TBA
Are you looking for funding to start or expand your business? We're looking for 3 business to present to angel investors at our second annual Prairie Spark Regional Investment Forum. If interested, contact Jeanne at jcdau@eiu.edu to see if you are eligible to present your idea. Angel Investment Tax Credit Signed Into Law
Senate Bill 2093 will create the Angel Investment Tax Credit to support direct investment by Illinois entrepreneurs and start-up companies and will double the state's existing New Markets Tax Credit for new investment into small businesses in underserved communities.
The new tax credit encourages investment into innovative Illinois businesses that are working to get off the ground. Under the new law, investors may claim 25 percent of an investment into a qualified Illinois business venture - up to $2 million in investment for a $500,000 credit. The program is capped at $10 million in tax credits, which will drive $40 million in investment. |
|
Junior Achievement Volunteers Needed
We're looking for a few business volunteers to teach Junior Achievement in Charleston and Mattoon Middle School. This is a six week commitment for one class period per week. For more information, please contact Jeanne at jcdau@eiu.edu
|
Entrepreneurship On the Air
The Business Solutions Center's partnership was featured on the Central Illinois Business Radio show with Alex Ruggieri in August. Listen to the show at: http://www.ruggieriteam.com/radio?show=102
Tune into Biz Kid$ on WEIU TV Mondays at 12:30 pm and 5:30 pm and hear youngsters give advice on money and entrepreneurship in a fun and entertaining way. |
How to Start a Business Workshop
Learn where to begin to start your own business. The workshop is held at the following locations. Cost is $25/person & $35/couple.
Thursday, October 28th - Lumpkin Hall EIU - Charleston 6-9 pm
|
Fun and Learning at Camp e3
"Camp E3 was my first camp and it was a blast! I had so much fun! At first it was kind of scary because I didn't know anyone but after the first day I made a bunch of new friends! If I could, I would attend E3 again next year. I also learned a bunch of stuff on entrepreneurship and marketing. I'm looking forward to majoring in business.
2010 Camp e3 Winning Team, A Green Solutions Glass Recycling. From left - Cameron Rudinek, Danielle Cohen, Counselor Tony Zipparo, Michael Jachowicz and Emmy Schultz  | " Sammi Chow
Click here to see the Camp e3 slideshow and read more testimonials from the campers. Thanks to Midland States Bank for sponsoring the camp and a heartfelt thank you to all of the speakers, counselors, judges and volunteers that made this a wonderful experience for the teens.
|
|
| Save the Date!
 BSC/SCORE Breakfast
Gathering the Harvest
featuring
Karen Wolters, Ignite USA
Thurs. October 21st 7 am
Tarble Arts Center - EIU. |
Goodworks Connect Celebrates Its First Anniversary
Click link to go to website |
Anytime during the week of August 23-27, you're invited to help us blow out the candle by leaving your birthday wishes for all to see. Wishes can be for your organization, goodWORKSconnect, or the nonprofit sector as a whole. We know what you're thinking. What's a birthday without gifts, right? For each wish you leave, list one of the following prizes you would like to be registered to win.
Click here to read more |
|
Stan Thurman, BSC Counselor, "Hot Links"
http://www.sba.gov/healthcarereform/index.html President Obama has signed into law health reform legislation that brings down health care costs for American families and small businesses, expands coverage to millions of Americans and ends the worst practices of insurance companies. And it begins to do so this year.Learn more about how health care reform will benefit your small business, employees and their families.
http://business.illinois.gov/emp_taxCredits.cfm Planning to hire? Two types of tax credits are now offered to employers who hire and retain disadvantaged workers. The incentives for helping those most in need into the workforce have never been greater. And taking advantage of the new Welfare-to-Work tax credit and the existing Work Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC) has never been easier. http://www.gettingaroundillinois.com/default.aspx?ql=aadt This Illinois Department of Transportation website provides information on daily traffic counts and much more. |
|
As always, if you have any questions or suggestions on how the BSC can assist entrepreneurs, please don't hesitate to call us at 581-2913.
|
|
|
