Starting a business is the dream of many Americans.
Sometimes with a little help and motivation, a person can make this dream a reality. One of our goals at the Center is to walk this path with you. Whether you are an existing business looking to expand or person who needs specialized assistance with a new business idea, we may be the resource for you. The Center can play a key role in the acquisition and dissemination of information to support business decision making.The Center is committed to working in collaboration with existing businesses, economic development associations, chambers of commerce and governmental agencies that support initiatives to enhance the economic vitality of our region.  

Partners create Business Solutions Center.

To date, the partners of the Business Solutions Center (BSC) have contributed $130,500 to support entrepreneurial efforts in the 8-county region of Coles, Clark, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Moultrie and Shelby counties. Hiring a Business Solutions Center Counselorwill expand the free and confidential counseling and training available in the region and will work in tandem with SCORE volunteers to service new and existing businesses. The BSC will also plant the seeds of entrepreneurship in the youth of the region through programming such as: Camp e3- energizing emerging entrepreneurs, Junior Achievement and Team All Terrain Brain curriculum. For more information about the Business Solutions Center click here.

Our dedicated staff is ready to help with your business needs.

Jeanne Dau is with the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation for the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences. Jeanne has an extensive background in working with businesses and entrepreneurial start-ups to develop and satisfy their training, consulting and research needs. Prior to this appointment, she was the director of the Small Business Development Center in Chillicothe, Mo., where she provided training and one-on-one counseling to more than 500 businesses in the region. She has started two successful service businesses, worked in corporate communications and coordinated and marketed meetings as part of her responsibilities as the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Chancellor Hotel/University Inn in Champaign, Ill., sales manager for Eagle Ridge Inn and Resort in Galena, Ill., and conference facilitator for the Georgia Center for Continuing Education in Athens, Ga. She received her bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her MBA at William Woods University in Missouri. Jeanne looks forward to meeting you and exploring how the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s Business Solutions Center can help you build and grow your business. She can be reached at 217-581-2913 or jcdau@eiu.edu.

Dave Arseneau is an instructor and the assistant to the dean of the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences. Dave also counsels clients for SCORE and the Business Solutions Center. Dave owned and operated a business in Douglas County for more than 20 years and is very active overseeing the Southeastern Illinois Branch Chapter 296 of SCORE. On his leave of absence this past year, Dave consulted with the Small Business Development Center housed at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. Dave’s continues to teach classes in entrepreneurship and small business management at Eastern Illinois University.

Jennifer Zuniga is the assistant for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and is the newest member to our team. Jennifer has had experience running two businesses; one in the financial service sector and the other in the printing and promotional products industry.