The Agenda for Illinois’ Entrepreneurs

Illinois is home to more than 1.4 million small businesses, employing 2.4 million people and accounting for 99.6% of all businesses in the state.  They play a significant role in our state economy and workforce. However, national economic uncertainty coupled with an especially fast-changing business landscape has required small businesses to adapt, yet again. State governments must implement policies that address the new and historic burdens small businesses now face. This is why Small Business Majority has created a comprehensive policy agenda for Illinois to ensure small business ownership and entrepreneurship are at the center of a robust, equitable and competitive state economy. It’s critical that state lawmakers enact both short- and long-term policies to empower entrepreneurs, remove barriers and strengthen the small business ecosystem. Our 2026 agenda provides a framework for addressing these disparities to build an ecosystem where all small businesses can thrive and that will ensure our local economies are strong and resilient.