Senator Tammy Duckworth wants to hear from small and mid-sized enterprises (SME) in the Whiteside/Northwest Illinois Region, about the challenges and obstacles they face in doing business. The Senator, a member of the U. S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, is looking for information on the state of rural entrepreneurship. She hopes to find effective solutions to unlock rural growth potential.
With that purpose in mind, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Whiteside County Economic Development Department, and Sauk Valley Community College have scheduled two business “sound off” meetings on Thursday, July 13, 2017, to allow local SME’s to
- identify the challenges and obstacles they face in doing business
- propose possible solutions
- comment on current and future Federal initiatives to help rural SME’S.
Two sessions will be held: at 10:00 a.m. at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL, and at 1:30 p.m. at Manny’s Too in Fulton, IL.
Businesses should contact Sandy Prescott at 815-772-5182 or econdev@whiteside.org. The Whiteside County Economic Development Department plans on continuing to work with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and other regional partners, to organize events to advocate for, and advance, the region’s businesses.
Laura Ortega, Executive Director with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce explained, “We’ll collect the information and deliver it to Senator Duckworth for use with the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. We view this as a great opportunity for businesses to connect with their Legislators, and we are happy to work with our colleagues in Northwest Illinois.”
Gary Camarano, Whiteside County Economic Development Director, added, “This is a great opportunity for our local businesses to be heard. Sometimes there is a feeling, especially in rural communities, that small businesses are neglected or an afterthought. This is an excellent opportunity for our business community to identify their challenges, whether it’s workforce related, regulatory environment, or whatever the challenge, and suggest possible solutions as well . Having a Senator’s ‘ear’ can be very useful.”
More people are realizing that small businesses are the backbone of our Nation’s economy and the Nation’s job creation engine. Ericka Moritsugu, Senator Duckworth’s General Counsel will represent the Senator at the sessions. In addition to reporting back to the Senator the SME’s concerns, she will get feedback on some policies the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee is considering.