Business Resources Online - Assistance Available 24 Hours
The Internet makes accessing useful information convenient for busy business owners/operators. There is no waiting for doors to open and no holding for the next available operator; Just sign-on and discover a world of information and assistance to help run your business.
Please consider these sites as business resources. You may want to bookmark them for future reference.
Business Start-Up and General Assistance
- Federal Assistance - www.FirstGov.gov - One-stop access to the Federal Government for information on trade, tax, environment, OSHA and business advisory services.
- Small Business Administration - www.sba.gov/il- Access information on business development, starting a business, counseling and training, financial assistance, minority enterprise development and welfare-to-work.
- Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs – www.commerce.state.il.us.
- First-Stop Business Information Center of Illinois – www.commerce.state.il.us.
- Inc Online – www.inc.com – An online resource for people starting and running their own business.
Workforce Development
- Illinois Employment & Training Center, Skills Match Program - http://www.illinoisskillsmatch.com/ - This free system allows employers to select potential job seekers based on the skills the job seekers have developed through past employment and training, and to contact them directly for further employment consideration.
Environmental Standards & Safety Compliance
- OSHA - www.osha.gov
- Cook County Department of Environmental Control – www.co.cook.il.us
- Free On-Site Safety & Health Consultation – www.commerce.state.il.us
- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Division – www.epa.state.il.us/small-business
Federal & State Government
- State of Illinois – www.state.il.us
- Secretary of State – www.sos.state.il.us
- The White House – www.whitehouse.gov
- U.S. House of Representatives – www.house.gov
- U.S. Senate - www.senate.gov
- Internal Revenue Service - www.irs.gov
Legislative Issues
- Hot Federal Issues – thomas.loc.gov
- Governing Magazine – www.governing.com
Community Business Organizations
- LaGrange Business Association - www.lgba.org
- Western Springs Business Association – P. O. Box 172, Western Springs, IL 60558 [Call WSCCI staff for website or email assistance]
- La Grange Park Business Association [Call WSCCI staff for website or email assistance]
- Countryside Business Association [Call WSCCI staff for website or email assistance]
West Suburban Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- www.westsuburbanchamber.org
- 708-387-7550
- 9440 Joliet Road, Suite B, Hodgkins, Illinois 60525
- P. O. Box 187, La Grange, IL 60525
