Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at SIU

Helping Businesses in Southern Illinois Start, Grow, and Succeed 

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University provides no-cost, confidential, one-on-one business advising services, training opportunities, and business resources for small businesses in southern Illinois. 

The Center's Certified Business Advisors assist entrepreneurs at every stage, whether they are starting a new business, struggling, expanding their existing business, or selling. The advisors provide professional guidance for business growth by offering assistance and resources in areas such as identifying Covid funding and resources, business planning, marketing, financial analysis, e-commerce, commercializing innovative new ideas, and more.

Funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and Southern Illinois University, the Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIU has been a trusted resource to serve small business owners in southern Illinois since 1985. 

Ready to see how the SBDC can help your business?  Click here to receive no-cost business assistance!

Services are available not only for SIU students and staff, but for any starting, running, or moving a business to southern Illinois. We offer a variety of ways to connect with advisors: either in person, Zoom, and by phone. 

Our team of professional advisors are not only advisors but also entrepreneurs with diverse backgrounds and expertise in a variety of areas such as business planning, market information, business financing programs, financial analysis, prototype development, e-commerce, and intellectual property, among others.

Impacts of the Illinois SBDC at SIU in 2020 included:

• Advising 696 clients
• Providing 2,920 hours of consulting
• Assisting 28 entrepreneurs to create new businesses and 5 business expand
• Helping create 67 new jobs and retain 434 jobs
• Loans and investments totaling $16,394,279
• Delivered 83 business seminars, training 1,569 participants

In addition to the business services of the Illinois SBDC at SIU, there is assistance to help businesses sell their products and services to the government through the Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center at SIU.

There is also assistance to assist businesses to export their products and services throughout the world with the International Trade Centers in addition to all the Small Business Development Centers located throughout Illinois and the U.S. Find the nearest Center to you. 

Whatever questions you have or business goals you want to achieve, the Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIU can help.  Feel free to give us a call at 618-536-2424 or Contact Us to set an appointment for no-cost and confidential business guidance.