A message from Jim McConoughey, CEO The Heartland Partnership

Two articles were published recently encouraging Americans to put their anger aside and look for the positive.  These articles were inspiring and exactly what we are trying to do here in Central Illinois.  We must instill confidence and work hard to get people to see there is good news out there if you know where to look.  This recession is fueled by fear - the fear of not knowing what will happen next.   If we can lessen the fear, we can start to get back on track. In an article titled “Put Your Rage on the Back Burner” Jack and Suzy Welch wrote:

Take, for instance, the fact that right now, as you read this, there are hundreds if not thousands of geeky, brilliant engineering wonks sitting in their dorm rooms at MIT and Stanford, not to mention campuses around the world, oblivious to the weather as they pour their hearts into cool new ideas. Those kids and their ideas are the future of business, if we just hang on tight. You can be sure, too, that legions of people out there aren't frightened by the economy. They're called entrepreneurs. And challenges don't make them surrender; they make them fierce.
Or consider that right now, in companies large and small, new and old, teams of employees are huddled in meetings, working their butts off to figure out how to save their organizations—and the jobs of their coworkers.
And you can be sure that in laboratories around the world, medical researchers are putting in 18-hour days as they try to unlock the human genome and create cures beyond imagining. Most of them, and maybe all of them, are motivated by a heartfelt desire to save lives. You can be sure that one day you, or someone you love, will owe them a debt of gratitude.

These are things we can be proud of.  They are happening here in our community too.  Caterpillar researchers are working hard to stay on track so when the economy does rebound, Caterpillar can return to the high level of competitiveness we are accustomed to.   Peoria NEXT Innovation Center companies like Peoria Robotics, EcoThermics, Biofuels Manufacturers of Illinois and Endotronix continue to develop innovative products and services that will have profound impacts on our world. 
Hundreds of other businesses are working feverishly to remain competitive.  Some are learning to diversify and get more out of their business models.  They are learning how to trim the fat and stay lean.  Workers are working harder, faster and more cohesively to succeed.  There are lessons that will be learned from this recession that will have positive impacts on our region for years to come. 
In another article by The Welch duo titled “This is a Good Time to Launch the Right Business” they wrote:

…if there is one thing a startup needs to get out of the gate fast and compete effectively against established players, it's smart, driven-to-win people. And those people happen to be more available right now than at any time in our memory. Now, obviously, layoffs are a terrible, terrible thing, and there are millions of painful human stories behind the unemployment rate of 8.1%. But the fact is, new businesses live or die depending on how quickly they can bring together bright, flexible, "hungry" employees. The current climate, with seasoned professionals and freshly minted MBAs alike looking for work, facilitates that process.

We are seeing evidence of these “hungry” people in our backyards.  Take Intelli-hot, the newest tenant in the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center.  This company was created by some great minds who took the early buy-out option from Caterpillar.  They took this opportunity to put their business idea to work.  Some people are seeing this as the perfect time to make their life long dreams of opening their own business come true. 
While we constantly hear about the collapse of the financial markets, there is money available.  Investors are looking for places to put their money.  Banks are looking for good investments.  If you have a sustainable and potentially successful project, you could be in luck.
Now is a good time to take a leap of faith and try to make your dreams come true. It’s your chance to get ahead of the competition.
To read the articles referenced in this newsletter follow these links.

Put Your Rage on the Back Burner www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_14/b4125000071936.htm?chan=magazine+channel_opinion

Right Time to Start the Right Business www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_15/b4126072268704.htm?chan=magazine+channel_opinion