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Montgomery E.D.G.E.
Enhancing Development with Growing Enterprises is
what will give Montgomery County the EDGE in this century’s economy. Montgomery
E.D.G.E. was launched June 2008 as a countywide business retention and expansion
program with two primary objectives:
- To show local businesses that we, the members and
staff of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, are glad they
are here by telling them and by showing them through relevant follow up support;
and
- To gather data that could point to trends or
common themes among businesses to help direct economic development priorities
and actions.
The confidential nature of the visits is
respected by MCEDC E.D.G.E. team members and the business representatives.
Please contact MCEDC Executive Director Heather Hampton+Knodle, 217-851-4332, to
schedule an E.D.G.E. retention visit with your business.
Toastmasters
The Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce and Litchfield
Chamber of Commerce have worked with partners to launch a Toastmasters group
that meets at the Red Rooster in Hillsboro the first and third Tuesday of each
month at 7:00 p.m. Participants gain a better understanding of interpersonal
communications and public presentations through their involvement with
Toastmasters. For more information such as when and where Toastmaster gatherings
will be held in addition to the Red Rooster, contact the Hillsboro Chamber of
Commerce, 217-532-3711 or Litchfield Chamber of Commerce, 217-324-2533.
Annual “Business of Small Business” Seminar
Each year, people interested in starting their
own business or in the early stages of running a business can attend a free
“Business of Small Business” Seminar. Experts in the fundamentals of starting a
business from writing a business plan, developing a marketing plan, complying
with legal requirements and identifying the appropriate business structure are
on hand to present current information and visit individually with participants.
Host organizations include the Montgomery County
Economic Development Corporation, the City of Litchfield Economic Development
Office, LincolnLand Community College Southern Region, the Entrepreneurship
Center at Carlinville, the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce and Litchfield Chamber
of Commerce. Contact the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation CED
Educator, 217-532-3941, to learn when the next small business seminar will be
held.
Quarterly Nights of Networking
Business owners and managers are invited to join
local elected officials and other local leaders each quarter at different venues
around the county. The events are co-hosted by the Montgomery County Economic
Development Corporation, City of Litchfield Economic Development Office,
University of Illinois Extension, Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce and
Litchfield Chamber of Commerce. Call the MCEDC, 217-532-3941, or check out the
News and Events links on this website, for information on the next Night of
Networking.
One-to-One Assistance
Montgomery County offers several options for
one-to-one assistance through the Montgomery County Economic Development
Corporation's Community and Economic Development Educator, 217-532-3941.
Litchfield-based businesses can tap into the MCEDC or contact the Litchfield
Economic Development office at 217-324-4212. A confidential conversation could
lead to additional avenues of assistance through the regional entrepreneurship
center based in Carlinville or Decatur or the Small Business Development
Administration office in Springfield.
Export Assistance: International Trade Center Outreach in Litchfield
The City of Litchfield has partnered with the
SIUE International Trade Center to bring Exporting Assistance to regional
businesses. The International Trade Center is a not-for-profit export
information center designed to assist Illinois businesses successfully sell
their products/services abroad. The ITC is funded by the Illinois Department of
Commerce and SIUE to serve exporters in the 45 southern most counties of our
state. Representatives from the ITC located at SIUE are offering free business
counseling at Litchfield City Hall on the last Thursday of each month. Meets at
business facilities can be arranged. Businesses in Montgomery and the
surrounding counties are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity in
which expertise is provided to better grow their businesses.
Here are some of the ways the International Trade
Center can help to promote your firm in the global marketplace:
One-on-one free export counseling; International market analysis to identify the most advantageous trading
opportunities; Identification of foreign buyers, agents and/or distributors through
trade leads; Seminars on overseas business practices, export procedures, distribution
practices, and methods of payment, as well as the latest exporting trends; Incoming and outgoing business missions, providing you with opportunities
to establish valuable overseas business contacts and prospective customers; Export finance assistance in coordination with the Export-Import Bank of
the United States (EX-IM Bank) and SBA's Export Working Capital Program (EWCP);
and Access to extensive export trade reference material and the International
Trade Data Bank.
For more information or to schedule an
appointment contact the International Trade Center via phone at 618-650-3851,
via e-mail at
International-Trade-Center@siue.edu or via web at
www.siue.edu/ITC or contact Tonya Flannery at 217-324-8146. We look forward
to working with you.
People in Business
People in Business is a network of people who
work together to build their companies. It requires no membership fee and
meets monthly in various locations throughout southwestern Illinois. In
Montgomery County, Illinois, People in Business meet the 2nd Wednesday of each
month from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Coffee Xpresso, 514 W. Union Avenue,
Litchfield, Illinois. The coordinator is Adrian Baker,
abaker@diamondimprints.com.
Attendees pay $1 and the price of the coffee or drink they order.
State and Federal Resources
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