First Steps
No matter what stage you are at in starting your business, the Illinois SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE can guide you through the stages of business planning. The SBDC has the business knowledge you need to build on your effort and entrepreneur ideas. Our services are free of charge to for-profit businesses and include:
- One-on-one advising
- Business plan assistance
- Marketing strategy assistance
- Financing and loan information
- Business Registration Process (Diagrams) [pdf]
- Starting Your Business in Illinois Handbook [pdf]
- This all-encompassing handbook was written exclusively for the Illinois entrepreneur. Key features include a feasibility and business plan outline, information for setting up a business, financial considerations, and plenty of other useful tips.
To begin working with the SBDC, it is highly recommended that you attend one of our "Starting a Small Business in Illinois" workshops. For a small and one-time fee, the SBDC will provide you with the tools to effectively plan for starting your business. You can register for the workshop online or by calling our office at 618-650-2929.
Starting a business takes planning to make sure you are well-prepared to handle the responsibilities and challenges of entrepreneurship. In addition to the SBDC, here are additional resources to help get you started:
