| 03/25/11 |
Illinois Braces for Next Move from Businesses Owners After Tax Increase
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie recently attacked Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn describing him as a disaster for passing legislation that increases personal and business income taxes for Illinois residents. We won't lose any business to Illinois as long as Pat Quinn's the governor, said Christie. |
| 05/12/11 |
Over 400 Attend Presentation on Will Countys Future
John Grueling, president and CEO of the Will County Center for Economic Development (CED), went to Washington D.C. recently to talk to Illinois legislators about the importance of a global supply chain to the state and the national economy. Unfortunately, he came back depressed. |
| 04/01/11 |
Is manufacturing in the U.S. making a comeback?
The Institute for Supply Management (SMI) has announced a 61.4 percent Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rating in its February 2011 Report on Business causing many to believe that U.S. manufacturing is gaining strength. |
| 02/09/11 |
Online Employment Growing Despite Economy
While unemployment may be hovering at 9 percent, the job market for online employment is getting stronger. |
| 01/26/11 |
New Corporate Entity for Socially-Conscious Entrepreneurs
If you're a socially-conscious person who wants to start a business, there is a new corporate structure just for you. In Maryland, you can apply to become a "benefit corporation." Fifteen businesses have already signed up and more are on the way. |
| 01/10/11 |
Jobs Report Ranks the Top Ten Jobs for 2011
CareerCast.com has published its Job Rated Report for 2011 listing the ten best and the ten worst jobs for the coming year. |
| 01/05/11 |
Is Illinois a Business-Friendly State?
Do you know which state is most friendly to small business? Would you like to know which one is the least? The answers can be found in the annual Small Business Survival Index 2010 published by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC) in Oakton, VA and written by Raymond Keating, their chief economist. |
| 12/29/10 |
New Grant for Workforce Development
The Community Foundation of Grundy County board of directors is excited to announce a new grant -- $3,000 to Joliet Junior College to support the "Networking" component
of Career Cruising. |
| 12/07/10 |
Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 Tax Provisions
The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 was enacted on September 27, 2010. The SBJA contains some tax provisions that take effect this year. Other tax provisions will be implemented during the next several years. |
| 12/03/10 |
Job Creation in America: Will it Come Back?
With unemployment hovering at 9.6 percent, many people are wondering if the U.S. will ever have another job boom and, if it does, will most of the jobs come from small or large businesses? |
| 12/02/10 |
Obama Administration Focuses on Community Colleges
Last October, President Obama spoke at the nation’s first community college summit where he challenged community colleges to graduate 5 million more students by 2020. |
| 11/22/10 |
JJC administrator honored by The Business Ledger and the National Association of Women Business Owners
Amy Murphy, Joliet Junior College's director of Corporate and Community Services, was among the 22 area business owners and executives named "Influential Women in Business" for 2010 by The Business Ledger. |
| 10/22/10 |
U.S. Department of Labor Sponsors Small Business Website
The U.S. Department of Labor and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants today launched a new, interactive website to help small businesses select a retirement plan suitable for their employees. |
| 09/22/10 |
Making sense out of healthcare reform
Joliet - Since the passage of healthcare reform, small business owners have been concerned about how this new legislation will affect them. Can they maintain “Grandfather” status on their current health benefits? Will they be required to pay $2,000 per employee as a penalty for not providing health insurance? Will it drive up healthcare costs, or worse, force entrepreneurs out of business? |
| 08/30/10 |
Going Green in Grundy County
By 2025, the State of Illinois will need to produce 25% of its energy from renewable sources. Two companies are taking strides towards that goal on a daily basis right here in Grundy County. On August 26, the Grundy Economic Development Council introduced more than 50 business and community leaders to these companies during its "Going Green in Grundy County" bus tour. |
| 08/19/10 |
Making sense out of healthcare reform
Since the passage of healthcare reform, small business owners have been concerned about how this new legislation will affect them. Will they be required to pay $2,000 per employee as a penalty for not providing health insurance? What companies are eligible for this penalty? Will it drive up healthcare costs, or worse, force entrepreneurs out of business? |
| 08/09/10 |
Illinois Small Business Owners Get Tax Break
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said, "There are 500,000 small businesses across Illinois. If every small business was able to create just one additional local, sustainable job, Illinois' unemployment rate would drop by five percent." |
| 08/09/10 |
Disabled Workers Add Diversity and Competence to the Workplace
When the American Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, many employers probably saw it as a new government regulation designed to increase their costs. The reality, however, is much different. Twenty years later, there are organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and many major corporations working to dispel the myths about workers with disabilities. |
| 08/05/10 |
Safety is Always in Demand
Safety professionals expect demand for their services to grow despite the anemic economy. Researchers at the Bureau of Labor Statistics agree. They predict a job growth of 14 percent for safety technicians over the next decade. This is considered a "faster than average" rate with jobs expected to increase to 12,500 by 2018. |
| 07/12/10 |
Sam's Club Program Will Offer Small Business Loans up to $25,000
Sam's Club will begin offering loans of up to $25,000 to members in an effort to set itself apart from other warehouse chains and build good will to bring in more business. |
| 07/08/10 |
SBA Grants Disaster Declaration Assistance for Small Business
Because of the recent tornados that ripped through Illinois on June 5, Governor Pat Quinn requested a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). On July 6, the Governor announced that the state has been granted the declaration. |
| 05/26/10 |
Senate passes financial reform bill without Volcker Rule
Retired Federal Reserve Chairman Paul A. Volcker could be happier. His famous Volcker Rule did not make it into the Senate financial reform bill that passed on May 20. It was originally included as an amendment to the legislation and was proposed with some minor adjustments by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Carl Levin (D-MI). But, thanks to Republican efforts, the Merkley-Levin amendment was removed from the Senate bill. |
| 05/11/10 |
Obama Wants to Double Exports
The Obama administration wants to create more jobs by doubling U.S. exports during the next five years. To do that, the Government is encouraging companies to increase their efforts to sell in foreign markets. |
| 04/21/10 |
Chicago, Rockford, and suburbs to benefit from $25 million federal stimulus grant for energy-efficient retrofits of commercial and residential buildings
Award to Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and partners will build a marketplace with incentives for private investment and government coordination |
| 04/19/10 |
Joliet Junior College Prepares for Green Tech Industry
With the purchase of $190,000 worth of wind-turbine equipment and solar panels, Joliet Junior College (JJC) has become a player in the development of a new green industry for the college’s district. |
| 04/06/10 |
Free Disaster Planning Seminar Coming in May
Seminar will address recovery planning for small businesses. |
| 04/01/10 |
Small Business Key to Green Jobs
Jobs in the field of renewable energy will come from small businesses serving the needs of consumers who want to save money with energy efficient products. |
| 03/25/10 |
JJC Offering New Renewable Energy Training Program
Joliet Junior College is offering a new hands-on training program designed to prepare people to become technicians in wind solar power technolgies. |
| 03/22/10 |
Top 10 Customer Service Trends in 2010
In 2010, customer service makes a big comeback. It becomes the new marketing. Forget about paying lip service to offering "great customer service". Let go all of those "the customer is always right" myths. It's time to offer outstanding customer service only because it makes economic sense for your small business. It is the only truly sustainable competitive advantage. |
| 03/19/10 |
Workplace Accidents at Record Low
According to an article in the January 2010 issue of Safety+Health magazine, the preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows a record low number of workplace fatalities (5,071) for 2008 – the first year of the recession. The number of occupational injuries and illnesses was also at a record low with 3.0 cases reported per 100 full-time workers. |