Category: Economic Development
Economic Development
Tune in Sunday at 10:00a on WCIA channel three!
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One of the biggest questions I get is why is their a need for a Black Chamber of Commerce when we have a Champaign County Chamber of Commerce already in existence. My response is that there are needs and services specific to black owned businesses that can be more effectively addressed by a Chamber designed to serve those needs.
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Under the preliminary proposed standards, GASB is calling for several fundamental changes to pension reporting. In particular, GASB would require the unfunded portion of a retirement plan to be included in the financial statement and to constitute a liability. Under the GASB guidelines the Champiagn pension fund liabilities will increase by over 25% with the Police Department fund liability increasing to over $30 million.
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Choose your piece of the world in which to make a difference
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Eric Bussell asked me to write my feature as Mayor for the Day and today in that role I am releasing a plan to add to the debate of the current budget crisis of the City of Champaign
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How do those startup tech companies fund their businesses in the Research Park? I often get asked this question and I usually respond with a combination of scenarios: some have venture capital funding, some are bootstrapping, some have borrowed from friends and family, and some are relying on a source of funding that many people don’t know much about….the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
This program is very competitive, but locally our community of entrepreneurs is very good at being awarded this funding. Here are some examples of high tech companies in Champaign County that have been awarded SBIR/STTR funding since 2009.
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