Illinois SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE

Queen Beedz, a client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since 2017, will now have its jewelry available at Restoration Alley DIY Studio & Handmade Market in Ellisville, Mo.

Queen Beedz owner Susan Hackney is thrilled to be able to work together with Restoration Alley owner Jennah Jahn, who is a like-minded, driven entrepreneur.

Throughout her relationship with the SBDC, Hackney has received consistent suppor...

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has equipped Empyre Laundry with the expertise to successfully launch its first laundromat in East St. Louis. Empyre Laundry’s ribbon cutting takes place from 9:30 -11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 3600 State St.

Empyre Laundry owner Maria Jones has been passionately working on her business with guidance and support from SBDC graduate assistant Adrine (Renny) Krikorian for ...

Polynesian Breeze owner Michele Goldsmith has been working with the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since last summer to prepare and perfect her business. Goldsmith will soon open Polynesian Breeze in Collinsville and introduce Polynesian culture to the area with treats such as shave ice.

The Polynesian Breeze idea first came from an experience Goldsmith had when getting ice cream from an ice cream truck. Her husb...

The Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host a workshop on Advancing the Development of Minority Entrepreneurship (ADME) in May. This workshop is open to all entrepreneurs in the community and will focus on a variety of general topics that are designed to instruct new business start-ups as well as individuals who have an interest in entrepreneurship.

The topics will include:

• Business Planning
• Business Entity Formatio...

In 2017, Tara and Jacob Lowry established a partnership with Karen McGarvey and David Wiegand to expand their business with a new brand, The Wealthcare Group, offering services in navigating through insurance benefits and financial planning for the Riverbend area. They know that investments, insurance and employee benefits can be complex. Their teams of advisors are here to assist each client in fulfilling their specific needs.

The Wealthcare Group reached out to the Illinois Metro East Small B...

Josh Colclasure and Sammie Williams have been friends since childhood. They have always talked about starting a business together and finally had the chance to put their idea for bar and restaurant draft line cleaning services to the test in the Metro East Start-Up Challenge (MESC).

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) introduced the competition in 2014. The Start-Up Challenge engages multiple sponsors and b...

Owner Bruno Nobre of Minas Espresso, Inc., with the guidance of his business partner and father-in-law Norberto Torres, approached the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville (SIUE) late last year about marketing his Brazilian aromatic coffee.

Nobre had been working with the SBDC since November of 2017, so he was able to move quickly through the startup process. Additionally, he has ample experience in farming coffee b...