------THE IEN WEEKLY CONNECTION ------February 8, 2010

In Today's IEN Weekly Connection: - 2010 GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING SB SYMPOSIUM - ILLINOIS EPA CONTACT ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURERS - IMPORTANCE OF NEW HIGH GROWTH FIRMS RECOGNIZED - IEN PROGRAM SUCCESS OF THE WEEK - GETTING THE MOST OUT OF WEBCATS - WEBSITE OF THE WEEK - WWW.BIZRATIOS.COM - RESOURCE OF THE WEEK - SMARTBRIEF PUBLICATIONS - WHAT'S NEW ON CENTERCONNECT - MOVES AND NEWS

2010 GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING SB SYMPOSIUM The 2010 Midwest Government Contracting SB Symposium will be held at the I Wireless Center, 1201 River Drive in Moline, IL 61265 on Monday, April 12 & Tuesday, April 13, 2010. The 2010 Government Contracting SB Symposium registration link is finally ready!! Do NOT miss this important two day event. Please encourage you clients and area small businesses to register now to reserve their spot for this very important event o help them with their government contracting needs. We will have many guest speakers who will help mentor you, train you in government contracting methods and provide excellent networking opportunities to meet other large primes and small businesses who are attending.

We will have a large trade show in the main arena at the I Wireless Center where the top entertainers are hosted so all areas are premium spaces. We will book out these trade show booths early so do not hesitate or they will be gone. Send this note out to your e-mail listings so that they can join in this great event! The Rock Island Arsenal buying divisions will be there in attendance so come out and meet these members and learn how to engage with the Billions of dollars in procurement opportunities.

The online registration site for the 2010 Midwest Small Business Government Contracting Symposium is: https://www.regonline.com/msbs

Vicky Miller, C.B.S. Coordinator Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center IL NW Region @ Black Hawk College 4703 16th Street, Suite G Moline, Illinois 61265 Phone: Please note new number # 309.796.5711 Fax: # 309.757.7341 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.bhc.edu/ILPTAC

ILLINOIS EPA CONTACT ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURERES Illinois EPA Notifies Electronic Manufacturers of Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act Requirements Illinois e-waste recycling and refurbishment phase-in continues in 2010.

Springfield, IL – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott has notified computer, television and printer manufacturing companies doing business in Illinois of advancements in requirements as they implement recycling programs for excess electronic waste (e-waste).

The law requires electronic manufacturers and retailers to properly manage discarded and unwanted electronic products, should they wish to sell their products in the state. They must establish a system for recycling and/or reusing computers, monitors, televisions and printers discarded from residences.

Electronic products are among some of the fastest growing portion of the solid waste stream in Illinois. This law, and all phases therein are intended to increase the recycling rate as contents including lead, mercury, cadmium and other materials pose health and environmental risks for Illinois residents. Beginning January 1, 2012, computers, monitors, televisions and printers will be banned from landfill disposal.

“This program is not only beneficial to the residents of Illinois, but it offers a firm solution to resolving a number of waste management problems caused by electronic waste in Illinois,” said Director Scott, “This Act demonstrates our commitment to improve waste management throughout the state”.

Each year, the Illinois EPA sets a statewide goal for the amount of e-waste that must be recycled and then allocates that goal among electronics manufacturers based on various formulas included in the Act. The statewide recycling goal for 2010 is 31 million pounds of e-waste. Manufacturers are required to pay for e-waste recycling and/or refurbishment up to the amount of their annual goal.

The law does not specify methods for manufacturers to meet these obligations, believing that the free market approach will determine over time the most cost-effective means of annual goal achievement.

The Illinois EPA has compiled a list of e-waste collectors that Illinois residents can contact regarding recycling either at no charge or in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar coupon which can be used to reduce the cost of new equipment. This page can be accessed through the Illinois EPA website and navigating through the Bureau of Land’s Electronic Waste Recycling Tab. www.epa.state.il.us

IMPORTANCE OF NEW HIGH GROWTH FIRMS RECOGNIZED In a keynote address to a summit hosted by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Northwestern University in Chicago on January 15, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez called for more high-growth entrepreneurship and innovation planned and run by regions’ entrepreneurs and civic leaders.

Fernandez emphasized the importance of new, high-growth firms: “We know what kind of businesses create the best-paying, most sustainable jobs. They’re the businesses that economists call ‘gazelles’—firms with a solid foundation, and lot of growth potential. …Their habitat is not the company town. They’re found in science and technology parks, laboratories, business incubators— places where entrepreneurs, scientists, product developers, and venture capitalists are clustered together and can work together. Places where innovations can not only be developed, but also brought to market. Where new businesses have a chance to grow. Where entrepreneurs—even the ones who at first don’t succeed—have a chance to try, try, and try again.”

“We need to take big steps: we need to modernize our education system, revitalize our infrastructure, invest in industries of the future, and create a new entrepreneurial culture in which innovation can flourish. We need to build a new foundation for sustainable growth.” Fernandez laid out the following three priorities that will help in the transition: • Fostering regional innovation that builds on an area’s competitive advantages; • Encouraging business exports and competitiveness; • And, doing it in a way that leverages private investment.

IEN PROGRAM SUCCESS OF THE WEEK CY 2009 was another very successful year for the Illinois Small Business Development Center. During 2009 the Illinois SBDC provided 64,916 hours of one on one business advice and guidance to 11,312 clients and provided business training and education to 14,403 training participants. The services provided during the past year attributed to clients creating 3.369 new jobs in Illinois and retaining 6,300 existing positions. The SBDC helped to start 361 new businesses and provided assistance which contributed to 231 business expansions.

Incredibly, during a time of extremely tight credit the Illinois SBDCs assisted clients in securing over $224 Million business capital which included $169.2 Million in debt financing and over $54.8 Million in non-debt financing.

Congratulations to all of the Illinois SBDCs for another outstanding year of providing guidance for business growth for Illinois entrepreneurs and small businesses.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF WEBCATS How do I publish a conference from WebCATS on eCenter? To publish an event on eCenter you will first need to create the conference record in WebCATS. You should enter as much information as possible about the event to avoid unnecessary calls. Once the basic information about the event has been entered, then you will now need to decide whether you want to publicize this event on eCenter or not. If you do decide to post this event on eCenter then you will to answer the question: "Post this conference on eCenter?" in the affirmative.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK – WWW.BIZRATIOS.COM The www.bizratios.com website is a part of the Small Business Town Network a central hub of a network of small business sites that is committed to developing and publishing usable, educational and inspirational media to help entrepreneurs succeed at business.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK – SMARTBRIEF PUBLICATIONS SmartBrief Publications - Smart decision makers in a variety of industries and job functions rely on SmartBrief to save time and stay smart. SmartBrief delivers the B2B news you need -- summaries of the day's most important headlines, hand-picked from hundreds of media and trade publications — straight to your inbox as one-stop-shop e-newsletters.

Subscriptions are free of charge, offered in partnership with more than 100 leading trade associations, professional societies, non-profits and corporations. SmartBrief is fast, FREE and open to everyone. We save you time and keep you smart about your industry -- and your job. http://www.smartbrief.com/signup/

WHAT'S NEW ON CENTERCONNECT Don’t forget to check out the Disaster Assistance Resources in the left had column of the CenterConnect site. This section includes tools and resources developed by Illinois SBDCs participating in the Disaster Assistance and Recovery initiative providing targeted services to Illinois counties impacted by disasters during 2008. Even if you center does not serve one of the counties covered by the federal declared disasters the information can still be extremely useful to you to help you serve small businesses in your area.

MOVES AND NEWS President Obama Outlines Latest in a Series of New Small Business Proposals – On February 5th in Lanham, Maryland, President Obama proposed the expansion of two critical Small Business Administration (SBA) lending programs, aimed at allowing small businesses to refinance and increasing limits for working capital. These are both legislative proposals designed to help small businesses through what continues to be a difficult period in credit markets.

President Obama said, “The true engine of job creation will always be businesses. What government can do is fuel that engine: by giving entrepreneurs and companies the support to open their doors, expand, and hire more workers. Today, we're taking another step towards assisting small business owners get the capital they need to grow and hire.”

SBA Administrator Karen Mills said, “These proposals will provide us with two effective tools to help small businesses meet specific challenges brought on by the recession. First, in the tight credit market of the last two years, lines of credits have been cut for small firms. Raising the limit on SBA Express loans to $1 million will mean more small business owners will have quicker access to this source of capital to help restock inventories and support larger revenue sales, and literally take that next step to grow their business and create new jobs. Second, thousands of good, creditworthy businesses find themselves caught by declining real estate values as a result of this recession. With many of them now facing mortgages coming due in the next few years, the ability to refinance into SBA’s 504 loan will give them the chance to lock in long-term, stable financing, as well as protect jobs by protecting small businesses from foreclosure.”

Details of the President’s new small business initiatives:

1. Expand SBA’s existing program to temporarily support refinancing for owner-occupied commercial real estate loans:

The Administration is proposing legislation to temporarily allow for the refinancing of owner-occupied commercial real estate (CRE) loans under the SBA’s 504 program, which provides guarantees on loans for the development of real estate and other fixed assets. Currently, 504 loans cannot be used for the refinancing of maturing debt. This change would respond to the difficulties many current, solvent borrowers face in refinancing existing commercial real estate loans.

Businesses with a loan maturing in the next year who are current on all loan payments will be eligible. Lenders that are refinancing mortgages for existing customers will make a loan for up to 70 percent of the current property value; and SBA will help finance the remaining 20 percent. For new lenders taking on a refinancing project, SBA will take on a greater share of financing, up to 40 percent. SBA’s proposal for a temporary, zero-subsidy CRE refinancing program would be funded through additional fees for refinancing projects, not through a Congressional appropriation. This proposal will help refinance up to $18.7 billion each year in commercial real estate that might otherwise be foreclosed and liquidated.

2. Temporarily increase the cap on SBA Express loans from $350,000 to $1 million:

The President is proposing to temporarily increase the maximum SBA Express loan size to $1 million, which would expand the program’s ability to help a broad range of small businesses through a streamlined approval process. Unlike traditional 7(a) loans, lenders can use their own paperwork for SBA Express loans, which can be structured as revolving lines of credit. Currently, these Express loans are capped at $350,000 and carry a 50 percent guarantee. Fees would cover virtually all of the added costs of this proposal. These proposals complement the President’s broader small business agenda - a key part of his overall jobs plan. The other elements of the small business agenda include:

• Extending small business expensing and bonus depreciation for 2010. Eliminating capital gains taxes for small businesses in 2010.

• A Small Business Jobs and Wages Tax Credit that would cut taxes for more than 1 million small businesses by paying up to $5,000 for every net new job and covers payroll taxes on overall wage increases in excess of inflation.

• A proposal to transfer, through legislation, $30 billion to a new Small Business Lending Fund that will support lending by community and smaller banks.

• Additional SBA lending proposals, including an extension of the Recovery Act programs that eliminate fees and raise guarantees on SBA’s two largest loan programs and permanent increases in the maximum loan sizes for major SBA programs.

Note: AN SBA Fact Sheet on these proposals is available at: http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/sba_rcvry_factsheet_cre_refi.pdf

“Providing Guidance for Business Growth" ======The IEN WEEKLY CONNECTION is distributed by the Illinois SBDC each Monday to the members of the DCEO Illinois Entrepreneurship Network to provide these service delivery partners with regular updates on small business issues, opportunities and resources. Please forward this update to any other interested resource providers and key stakeholders. www.ilsbdc.biz ======