Business

Small business owner meeting with SBDC staff member

Welcome to ECC! We’re glad you’re here.

Whether you're a local business owner looking for advice, an employer hiring graduates or a district resident who needs career advice or help writing a resume, you'll find a warm welcome at Elgin Community College.

We recommend that you register as a client for the quickest response using the Register for Advising button due to the extremely high volume. We look forward to assisting you.

COVID-19 Resources

U.S. Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources

 

Advising and support for small business owners

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  • Start-up Services
  • Financing
  • Business Planning
  • Low-Cost Workshops

Overview

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (Illinois SBDC) at Elgin Community College offers counseling services at no cost to help small businesses succeed. Entrepreneurs and small business owners can obtain advice in management, marketing, finance, and operations. We offer tailored, one-on-one advising and workshops to assist with business development.

Our training and advising are available for new and existing businesses. Our grant funding requires that you register your business with us. We'll help you build a comprehensive business assessment to identify critical areas needing attention and provide a follow-up action plan to address them.

If you own a small business or are considering starting one, the Illinois SBDC can help with:

  • One-on-one business counseling for businesses from pre-venture through maturity;
  • Access to capital and identifying funding options;
  • In-depth financial analyses and budgeting;
  • Developing sales and marketing strategies;
  • Business plan review;
  • Low-cost training workshops, seminars, and courses; and
  • Referrals to other sources of information and industry professionals.

About Us

The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Elgin Community College has helped businesses grow for more than 30 years. Back by popular demand in 2020, our business success team has provided more than 5,000 client consultations, 1,500 new jobs, more than 2,000 retained jobs, incubated 300 start-ups, and 100 expansions for companies located in District 509.

"The free Comprehensive Business Assessment gave me an incredible opportunity, allowing me to work on pieces of my business with someone who understands the multiple perspectives you need as a business owner, from very detailed to the big vision." - Kimberly Elam, Owner, Kimmer's Ice Cream, St. Charles, Illinois

Contact Us

The Illinois SBDC is located on ECC's campus in Building E, University & Business Center. The campus is located at McLean Boulevard and Spartan Drive, one quarter-mile south of U.S. 20 and one half-mile east of Randall Road in southwest Elgin.

Learn more about our partners

Illinois SBDC

Elgin Community College
1700 Spartan Drive, Building E, Room E105
Elgin, IL 60123-7193
Phone: 847-214-7488
Fax: 847-931-3911
Email: sbdc@elgin.edu

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, and Elgin Community College and the support of legislators, chambers of commerce, and the business community. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its contents, and it in no way constitutes a contract with the college.

 

Americas SBDC Illinois
Powered by SBA - US Small Business Administration

Resources for Businesses

We’ve got you covered whether you seek access to the area’s largest labor pool, need a better return on your investment in employee training and retraining, want some pointers on better business, or need a trouble-free place to meet away from work.

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Little goes on in the northern portions of the Fox River Valley, of which ECC does not take part. Our network of programs and facilities makes ECC a center of community life at all stages of life. You don't have to be a student to enjoy the benefits.

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Count on ECC for educational, cultural, informational, and recreational activities and classes that enrich the quality of life in the communities we serve. Select topics to build skills, use on the job, get a job, or make the most of your leisure time and have fun.

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