MT. VERNON, Ill. (Oct. 9, 2013)
Small businesses in our area are taking advantage of more than $7.5 million in financing secured through the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Rend Lake College.
The SBDC, located at the RLC MarketPlace in Mt. Vernon, announced last week that it had surpassed its economic development goals for the 2013 calendar year by securing that financing for 11 clients. The continued efforts of the SBDC helped create 105 jobs and retained over 134 jobs in local communities.
The SBDC does more than financing, business plans and projects. This year, the Center also provided more than 1,257 counseling hours to many of its 715 clients, including those in the manufacturing, retail and service industries. The Center also hosted free monthly seminars and training on various business-related topics, and co-sponsored an annual regional job fair.
“Planning is the key to success in business,†said Curt Mowrer, Director of the Rend Lake College SBDC. “If you have an idea and wish to test its feasibility, the ILSBDC at Rend Lake College is a prudent first step.â€
Across the nation SBDCs are instrumental in driving small business growth. This leads to $100,000 in sales every 3.8 minutes, a new job every 7 minutes and a new business started every 36 minutes. More than one million small business owners and entrepreneurs are assisted each year by America’s SBDC network, including many in Southern Illinois.
Those interested in learning more about the SBDC should contact Curt Mowrer or Nicholas LeMay, Assistant Director, at 618-242-5813 or by emailing sbdc@rlc.edu. For more information, visit www.rlc.edu/sbdc or connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RLCSBDC.
About the Illinois Small Business Development Center at RLC Marketplace
The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Rend Lake College MarketPlace is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration in partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and RLC. All Small Business Administration programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis.