Illinois Business Builders

Connecting Entrepreneurs to the Resources, Visibility, and Community They Need to Grow.

Starting and growing a small business can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to figure everything out on your own.

Illinois Business Builders was created to change that.

We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs, creatives, and small business owners access the tools, resources, and connections they need to launch, grow, and scale their businesses.

Whether you're starting your first LLC, looking to expand your marketing, or searching for trusted business resources, Illinois Business Builders serves as a central hub that connects entrepreneurs with the right people and opportunities to move forward.

Because when small businesses grow, communities grow with them.

Our Mission

We believe too many entrepreneurs are burning out while trying to grow their business. If you feel stuck, overlooked, and unsure of where to turn next. You're not alone.

At our core, Illinois Business Builders exists to help individuals, creatives, and entrepreneurs grow, scale, or legitimize their businesses—and if we can’t do it, we connect them with someone who can.

Meet Our Founder

Honore Holmes

While earning her business degree and running her own small business, Honore realized many entrepreneurs were struggling with the same questions:

How do you start a business?
Who do you go to for help?
Where do you find the resources to grow?

Honore got to work researching, learning, and connecting with others to find the answers she needed. This led her to create Illinois Business Builders: an organization designed to ensure that other entrepreneurs don’t have to navigate the journey alone.

Our Services

Illinois Business Builders connects entrepreneurs with trusted professionals and resources to help them build strong foundations for their businesses.

Business Formation + EIN Application

We guide you through the process of forming your business, whether it’s an LLC, nonprofit, or corporation, and help you secure your EIN so you can operate legally and confidently from day one.

Business Bank Account Setup & Referrals

We help you take the next step in legitimizing your business by guiding you through business bank account setup and connecting you with trusted financial institutions.

Business Readiness Checklists

Not sure where to start? Our business readiness checklists provide a clear, step-by-step roadmap to ensure you have everything in place to launch and grow your business with confidence.

Payment Processing Setup

We assist with setting up payment systems so you can easily accept transactions, whether online, in person, or both, helping you get paid seamlessly.

Basic Website Design & Setup

We help you establish your online presence with a clean, functional website, including product or inventory uploads so your business is ready to serve customers from day one.

Bookkeeping

Stay organized and in control of your finances with basic bookkeeping support to help you track income, expenses, and overall business performance.

Promotional Strategy & Marketing Support

We help you build a strong foundation for visibility through content planning, promotional strategies, and basic marketing support to get your business in front of the right audience.

Event Planning & Vendor Coordination

From community events to business showcases, we support event planning, vendor coordination, and sponsorship outreach to help you create impactful and well-organized experiences.

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The 217 Day Business Expo.

Illinois Business Builders also hosts the 217 Day Business Expo, a community event designed to bring entrepreneurs together and showcase the incredible talent and innovation within the 217 area.

What started as a small idea has grown into a powerful platform for local entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate, and gain visibility within their communities.

The Expo brings together:

Small business owners