Extension provides data, information, and technical assistance to community leaders. Extension supports the strategy of collaboration for all communities as community leaders develop networks of information, resources, and assistance among local, regional, and statewide organizations. Illinois has become a significant tourist destination for people both in and out of the state. Almost 30 percent of these jobs are located outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. Community leaders throughout Illinois have recognized that tourism represents one of the most viable economic development options available to them.
Tourism is just one example of the many small businesses that exist in Illinois.
Small businesses of all types would benefit from a wide range of educational programming, much in the same way as farmers have during the past 75-year history of U of I Extension. Such programming would help small businesses which do not have the time or the staff to routinely search for contracting opportunities, understand regulations or laws, or successfully master the complexity of government contracting. The Internet provides a paradigm shift in the ways we access information and do business. People from all walks of life are finding that the Internet has the ability to break down barriers of distance and time, allowing for more efficient communications. Communication though computer technology allows people to more easily carry out fundamental business transactions.