Events

October is National Women's Small Business Month - the Business Navigators Alliance of Central and Southeastern Illinois welcomes Michelle White, Women’s Business Development Manager, OMEE and a guest panel of small business women owners from across our region.    

Join the Central & Southeastern Illinois Business Navigators’ Alliance as they help you plan to celebrate and shop locally this December with their Hometown Holiday Happenings webinar, Thursday, Dec. 1 at noon. This online event highlights December events happening across the region December schedule and learn more about how communities across our region are preparing

Understanding and utilizing economic development tools like Tax Increment Financing Districts, Business Districts and Enterprise Zones is key to growing successful communities. The Business Navigator Alliance of South Central and Southeastern Illinois is hosting a webinar to dive into these topics on January 26th at 10:30 a.m. Adam Stroud, Senior Project Manager with PGAV Planners,

Join the Business Navigator Alliance of South Central and Southeastern Illinois, Thursday, Feb. 23 @ 2 p.m. for a webinar highlighting business solutions and support for regional child care businesses. Child care businesses, whether licensed in home family providers or centers, are foundational to a community’s present and future economic success. The Women’s Business Development

Through the Back to Business (B2B) program, the State of Illinois is offering $175 million in grants for businesses in industries hardest-hit by the pandemic, specifically, restaurants, hotels and businesses in the creative arts industry. Applications will open April 5, 2023 to May 10, 2023. More than 100 community navigators are available across the state

Recent legislative changes to a variety of Illinois' Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) business programs are aimed to help businesses access capital and assist them in expanding their workforce and start-up activity. The Business Navigator Alliance of Southcentral and Southeastern Illinois is hosting a webinar to dive into these topics on March 30th

Keeping a finger on the pulse of the marketplace is critical to the success of an organization.    Understanding demographic, business, and economic data allows you to make informed decisions.  Data is a fundamental tool, used by decision makers, when determining how to respond to economic and social challenges. The Business Navigator Alliance of Southcentral and

In 2023, mental health in the workplace continues to be a major focus. Over the past few years, more employers have realized they need to protect employee’s mental health and wellbeing and make these efforts a part of companies’ attraction and retention programs. The Business Navigator Alliance of Southcentral and Southeastern Illinois is hosting a

Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) is a tool that can be used to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements on commercial property.  The State of Illinois, in partnership with the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA), launched a statewide PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program to be a conduit for C-PACE and spur investment in

Beginning January 2024, SB208 will make Illinois the third state in the nation, and the first in the Midwest to mandate paid time off to be used for any reason. This legislation provides employees with up to 40 hours of paid leave during a 12-month period, meaning that approximately 1.5 million workers will begin earning

Attendees will learn about Crawford County’s recent housing planning analysis and the launch of collaborations between local government and private industry to meet the goal of providing more than 200 new residential units before 2027.
Guest panelists for the discussion include:
Bill Burke, Chairman, Crawford County Board; Denise Jobe, Treasurer, City of Robinson; Teresa Fielder, Mayor, Village of Oblong; Resa Shaner, Executive Director, Crawford County Development Association.

Join us for an Employer Workshop hosted by Illinois Eastern Community College (IECC) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) based out of the Terry Bruce West Richland Center in Noble. The workshop is for local and area business owners along with payroll and human resources professionals. Among the topics to be covered is the new Secure