Unleashing the Power of Small Business Passionately providing business resources, insight and knowledge to small business owners with the desire, drive and determination to reach their goals. The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County EDC (CUSBDC) provides professional guidance to small, medium and start-up businesses in Champaign County and East Central Illinois resulting in job creation and economic expansion. All counseling services are free. The mission of the Small Business Development Center is to assist in job creation, support entrepreneurship, business start-up, expansion, productivity, and to sharpen small business management in the region. Our organization and partners accomplish this through one-on-one counseling, technical assistance, training seminars, information provision, networking opportunities and business development and real estate expertise. Free Consulting Services: - Strategic and growth planning - Patents, commercialization and licensing - Operations and production - Business plans and financial projections - Human resource requirements - Cash flow issues and solutions - Accounting systems and reporting - Sales channel selection and management - Marketing plans - Start-up processes including legal structure, name registration, bookkeeping, etc. - Electronic marketing - Accounting systems - Sales plans and staff training - Budgeting - Hiring the right people - Cooperative training with SCORE on starting and financing a business - Other topics as needed Financing Assistance: - Information on federal, state and local loan programs - Advice on debt and equity structure - Guidance for bank financing - Information on angel investment and venture capital