The Illinois Small Business Development Center provides assistance to small businesses with start-up, expansion, business and marketing plan assistance, accessing financing opportunities, and a variety of seminars and workshops.
If you will have employees, you will need a Employer Identification Number (FEIN/EIN)
An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, and is used to identify a business entity. Generally, businesses need an EIN. You may apply for an EIN in various ways, and now you may apply online. This is a free service offered by the Internal Revenue Service. You must check with your state to make sure need a state number or charter. Contact our office for assistance.
Do you need to register your business with the State of Illinois, which also serves as your Sales Tax Identification?
You will need to file a REG-1 Form - you must register with the Illinois Department of Revenue if you conduct business in Illinois, or with Illinois customers. This includes sole proprietors (individual or husband/wife), exempt organizations, or government agencies withholding for Illinois employees. Contact our office for assistance.
Do you need to complete an Assumed Name Registration?
An assumed name, or DBA (short for "doing business as"), allows you to legally do business as a particular name without have to create an entirely new business entity. It allows you as a sole proprietor to use a business name rather than your personal name. In the state of Illinois, registration is handled at the county level.
If you will have employees, you will need a Employer Identification Number (FEIN/EIN)
An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, and is used to identify a business entity. Generally, businesses need an EIN. You may apply for an EIN in various ways, and now you may apply online. This is a free service offered by the Internal Revenue Service. You must check with your state to make sure need a state number or charter. Contact our office for assistance.
Do you need to register your business with the State of Illinois, which also serves as your Sales Tax Identification?
You will need to file a REG-1 Form - you must register with the Illinois Department of Revenue if you conduct business in Illinois, or with Illinois customers. This includes sole proprietors (individual or husband/wife), exempt organizations, or government agencies withholding for Illinois employees. Contact our office for assistance.
Do you need to complete an Assumed Name Registration?
An assumed name, or DBA (short for "doing business as"), allows you to legally do business as a particular name without have to create an entirely new business entity. It allows you as a sole proprietor to use a business name rather than your personal name. In the state of Illinois, registration is handled at the county level.
SBDC Events, Seminars & Workshops
Disney’s Approach Series
CREATE BRIDGES Southern Five in partnership with Shawnee Community College is pleased to offer a limited number of On-Demand Courses from the Disney Approach Series – Disney’s Approach to Employee Engagement and Disney’s Approach to Quality Service at no-cost to the retail, accommodations, tourism and entertainment sector business owners / managers in the southern five counties of Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski and Union.
More information
Preference for this workforce training initiative will be given to businesses with employees as both trainings emphasize organizational culture and quality service through people.
Business owners / managers will apply to participate in this on-demand self-paced course offering. Once their application is approved, business owners and managers will be required to register and pay for their On-Demand Course through the Disney Institute at: https://www.disneyinstitute.com/on-demand-courses/.
Once the coursework is complete, business owners / managers can request reimbursement for the cost of the On-Demand Course, by submitting a copy of their payment and Certificate of Completion to Lydia Dover with Shawnee Community College at lydiad@shawneecc.edu.
Funding for this CREATE BRIDGES sponsored business / workforce development initiative is limited, so please submit your application to participate in the Disney Approach Series and receive reimbursement for the cost of the online training as soon as possible.
More information about the Disney Approach Series and the available course options is provided below:
The Disney Approach Series
Through engaging self-paced learning experiences, participants can explore a holistic perspective on how leaders at Disney parks and resorts approach a specific business topic and begin applying these principles to their own effort. Each online course is approximately 3 to 4 hours in length and the cost is $199 per course.
Two Course Options:
On-Demand Course – Disney’s Approach to Employee Engagement
In this course, Disney leaders share time-tested wisdom of the Disney approach to organizational culture including adaptable techniques that can assist an organization in creating a thriving workplace culture through the selection, training, communication and care of its people.
In the online course, participants will learn:
- How work culture can impact an organization – both positively and negatively
- How to use the selection process in new ways to find the right-fit people for your workplace culture
- How the training process can instill confidence while increasing productivity and efficiency
- How to communicate with employees to inform, inspire and influence company culture
- How creating a caring environment and offering meaningful recognition can positively impact employees, customers and the organization as a whole
On-Demand Course – Disney’s Approach to Quality Service
In this course, Disney leaders will highlight how excellent service is the result of truly understanding your customer expectations and how to put the right service standards in place to exceed them as you differentiate your organization from competitors and build customer loyalty.
In the online course, participants will learn:
- How the gradual decline of customer service has created a big opportunity for businesses to provide service that exceeds customer expectations
- How to think differently and act intentionally when identifying service pitfalls
- How to design a successful service strategy based on understanding what you want to do for your customers, what they expect and the impacts of those decisions
- How your people, place and processes affect the customer service experience
- How to recover a customer relationship after a service failure and proactively prevent future failures
If you have questions about this workforce training initiative, please contact Susan Odum, CREATE BRIDGES Illinois Project Team Lead at sodum@illinois.edu or Lydia Dover, Director of Business and Workforce Development at lydiad@shawneecc.edu.
ServSafe Manager Training / Certification
CREATE BRIDGES Southern Five in partnership with Shawnee Community College is pleased to offer a limited number of ServSafe Food Safety training program courses / examinations at no-cost to our retail, accommodations, tourism and entertainment sector business owners, managers and employees in the southern five counties of Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski and Union.
More information
The National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe Food Safety training program is widely recognized and respected in the food service industry. The ServSafe Manager Training / Certification verifies that a manager or person-in-charge has enough food safety knowledge to protect the public from foodborne illness.
Shawnee Community College has a trained instructor/proctor for this course and examination. The 8 – hour course is currently delivered in person at locations throughout the five-county region. Upon successful completion of the course and examination, participants will receive a ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification which is valid for a five-year period.
Funding for this CREATE BRIDGES sponsored workforce development initiative is limited, so please submit your application to participate in the course / examination at no-cost as soon as possible.
If you have questions about this workforce training initiative or would like to request an application, please contact Susan Odum, CREATE BRIDGES Illinois Project Team Lead at sodum@illinois.edu or Lydia Dover, Director of Business and Workforce Development at lydiad@shawneecc.edu.
Specialized Professional Development Training
CREATE BRIDGES Southern Five in partnership with Shawnee Community College is pleased to offer funding for Specialized Professional Development Trainings to meet the business / employee needs of our retail, accommodations, tourism and entertainment sector business owners, managers and employees in the southern five counties of Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski and Union.
More information
As a result of the CREATE BRIDGES project effort, we understand that some jobs in the region are hard to fill or require specialized skills or trainings that are not readily available in the community college district. Therefore, in addition to more standardized workforce training opportunities, CREATE BRIDGES in cooperation with our program partner, Shawnee Community College will invite applications from CREATE Sector businesses and/or employees for funding for targeted professional development trainings.
Funding for this CREATE BRIDGES sponsored workforce development initiative is limited, so please submit your application to participate in the offering at no-cost as soon as possible.
If you have questions about this workforce training initiative or would like to request an application, please contact Susan Odum, CREATE BRIDGES Illinois Project Team Lead at sodum@illinois.edu or Lydia Dover, Director of Business and Workforce Development at lydiad@shawneecc.edu.