Discusses Agenda to Support Business Development and Expansion

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today addressed the Illinois Retail Merchants and Illinois Manufacturers Association's annual Business Day meeting and discussed his strong record of support for businesses in Illinois. Governor Quinn's initiatives have made Illinois a better place to do business and proposals he unveiled in his State of the State and Budget Addresses will continue to strengthen Illinois' economic comeback.

"Illinois is making a comeback and we're not stopping now," Governor Quinn said. "Our business owners are the economic engine of the Midwest. By cutting taxes for companies that train their workers and helping entrepreneurs get started, we are giving businesses the tools they need to create jobs and drive our economy forward."

Governor Quinn has worked to rebuild the Illinois economy. The state was recently ranked third in the nation for new corporate locations and expansions by Site Selection magazine. Illinois' unemployment rate is currently at its lowest point in five years, and the state has added 257,000 private sector jobs since January 2010.

Last month, President Barack Obama announced that Illinois had won a new digital manufacturing hub, supported by the federal government and corporate partners. The Governor personally petitioned the United States Secretary of Defense twice and made the case to key White House officials about the benefits and importance of Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute. The institute will apply the newest technologies to help manufacturers try and use new innovations in digital manufacturing and design, with an emphasis on defense manufacturers.

Under Governor Quinn, small businesses across Illinois have helped drive our economic recovery. Illinois' tourism industry is breaking records - more than 100 million visitors for the first time ever and $33.5 billion in spending in local economies across the state. Illinois' film industry has also set new records, generating over $350 million in economic activity. In 2012, a new digital company was launched in Chicago every 24 hours.

Since taking office, Governor Quinn has fought to make historic and fundamental reforms to improve Illinois' business climate. In 2011 he worked with the General Assembly to enact historic workers' compensation reform that is allowing Illinois businesses to save hundreds of millions of dollars. The Governor continued that progress last year by signing historic legislation that addresses the most critical fiscal challenge in Illinois by reforming the state's pension systems. This comprehensive pension reform solution will eliminate the state's unfunded liability and fully fund the pension systems.

To keep the progress going, Governor Quinn is proposing a new tax cut for businesses that provide job training. By lowering the cost to train workers, this tax cut will make it easier for businesses to create new jobs and ensure workers have the skills to drive a 21st century economy.

The Governor is also proposing to reduce the fee to establish a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) by more than 90 percent, from $500 to $39 - the lowest in the nation. Formation as an LLC encourages entrepreneurs to invest their time and money into viable business enterprises. Reducing the filing fee to $39 would make it easier for small business to start and grow in Illinois.

Governor Quinn is also proposing a bipartisan working group to develop a new capital construction plan for the next five years. This would build on the success of the Illinois Jobs Now! program that has supported more than 400,000 jobs and built and repaired 7,731 miles of road, 1,330 bridges and 1,048 schools. These projects strengthen and improve infrastructure to provide better access and support for local businesses, and they employ thousands of workers from local construction companies, who also spend their hard-earned salaries locally.

Innovative Project Will Increase Support for At-Risk Youth Through Performance-Based Contracts Backed by Private Investment

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced the state's first Pay for Success (PFS) contract will increase support for at-risk youth who are involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in Illinois. Also known as Social Impact Bonds, the first contract awarded under this innovative initiative will go to One Hope United, in partnership with the Conscience Community Network (CCN). Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to ensure that all Illinois youth have the opportunity to follow their dreams and reach their full potential.

"The innovative Pay for Success model will generate major investments and improve outcomes for some of our most at-risk youth," Governor Quinn said. "One Hope United and CCN's evidence-based approach will help these youth successfully transition into adulthood."

Governor Quinn launched the PFS program one year ago, aiming to provide critical resources to address community needs while decreasing long-term negative outcomes that are costly for taxpayers. The innovative program invests private dollars into proven social programs, which are then paid back by the state when results are achieved and long-term savings are realized. The state will then see continued savings as benefits accrue after the investments are paid off.

For the state's first PFS project, the program will generate new private investment for support programs targeting at-risk youth, putting them on the right path by reducing their dependence on the state's welfare and criminal justice systems, which will lead to long-term savings for taxpayers. Today's announcement is expected to generate up to $30 million in direct investment into these critical programs. Because success payments by the state are based upon achievement of outcomes, the PFS program will always be cost-neutral to taxpayers.

In September of 2013, the Governor's Office launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) from organizations seeking to partner with the state to fund new opportunities for at-risk youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. One Hope United and the Conscience Community Network were selected from six applications submitted in response to the RFP. As part of Governor Quinn's commitment to transparency, Illinois was the first state in the nation to publish responses related to a Pay for Success Request for Information.

"Scars of trauma and pain can lead abused and neglected youth towards criminal behavior as well as a deeper involvement in the child welfare system," Mark McHugh, Executive Director of One Hope United said. "This Pay for Success project will catalyze a comprehensive solution that responds to the unique challenges of dually-involved youth throughout the state. Together with the partners of the Conscience Community Network, we are establishing the foundation for lasting cross-systems change that benefits Illinois' most disadvantaged children and families."

One Hope United will serve as lead provider of the Conscience Community Network. They have proposed a project based on the Crossover Youth Practice Model, a set of proven interventions developed by the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University. Third Sector Capital Partners is providing financial advisory services to the network.

The Conscience Community Network is a collaboration of seven child welfare and juvenile providers with more than 741 years of collective service in Illinois: Lawrence Hall Youth Services, Maryville Academy, OMNI Youth Services, One Hope United, SGA Youth & Family Services, UCAN and Youth Outreach Services.

The Governor's Office of Management and Budget will be entering into negotiations with One Hope United on a project to improve placement outcomes and reduce re-arrests through evidence-based community alternatives to institutional care. The program will serve approximately 800 youth cared for by Illinois' Department of Children and Family Services with histories of justice-involvement, commonly referred to as dually-involved youth.

In his fiscal year 2015 budget, the Governor committed to growing the state's use of PFS contracts as part of his five-year fiscal stabilization plan.

The Harvard Kennedy School's Social Impact Bond Technical Assistance Lab (SIB Lab), in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, received a grant from the Aurora-based Dunham Fund to support the initiative in Illinois. The Rockefeller Foundation has been a leader in helping to bring the PFS model to U.S. and the Dunham Fund is expanding that investment to Illinois. The Harvard SIB Lab is providing technical assistance to 10 state and local governments around the country that are implementing PFS contracts. Innovation Fellow Scott Kleiman is leading the SIB Lab's work in Illinois.

In the PFS model, governments partner with service providers and private and philanthropic investors to scale and fund proven social programs. Investors are repaid by the state from accrued savings only when a rigorous third-party evaluation determines that programs reach specific outcome targets. Because effective programs can help avoid expensive negative outcomes, PFS contracts help avert long-term taxpayer costs.  They represent a smarter way for government to do business, furthering transparency and accountability to ensure that taxpayer funds are not spent on ineffective programs.

Illinois is on the leading edge of PFS among states in the U.S., following New York and Massachusetts. The world's first PFS contract was introduced in the U.K. in 2010. Illinois becomes the third state in the country to announce a PFS project and the first to implement PFS towards improving child welfare outcomes, as well as the first to partner with a network of community providers for service delivery.

For more information on Pay for Success in Illinois, please visit www.payforsuccess.illinois.gov.

It's a common occurrence among the most talented people in the corporate world - highly skilled and qualified workers make the leap from valued employee to uncertain business owner.

Unfortunately, rather than becoming a master of their own business, many of these entrepreneurs work twice as much as they did in their safe corporate job, unwittingly committing themselves to becoming the lowest rung on the ladder, says Zenovia Andrews, founder and CEO of The MaxOut Group, a company devoted to empowering and teaching entrepreneurs development strategies to increase profits.

"People believe that starting a new business is supposed to mean they'll have to work much longer hours, and that's why most new businesses fail early," says Andrews, author of the new book "All Systems Go - A Solid Blueprint to Build Business and Maximize Cash Flow," (www.zenoviaandrews.com).

"Entrepreneurs need to be the brains and oversight of the operation. It's not wise to work for your own business. Sixteen-hour days get entrepreneurs lost in the minutiae. The lose perspective and burn out."

Business owners need distance for perspective, and the best way to create that is by knowing how to delegate duties to employees, she says.

"Owners need to be the strategic visionary who hires, trains and develops the best talent available, and then delegates work," says Andrews, who discusses the five keys of delegation.

•  Understand that your team is made up of human beings. No one can work nonstop, so get your timing right. Know what each employee can handle, and never overwork them. Most people perform at their best when they are consistently busy but not rushed or pressured.

•  Focus on the strengths of your team. Delegation is not a dump-and-run tactic. Know your employees and how they fit into your business puzzle. Allow them to do what they do well, and give them responsibilities and authority. They'll be happier and so will you.

•  Focus on your own strengths, then plug the holes. Few of us are great at everything! If bookkeeping's not your thing, hire an accountant. If you don't have marketing experience, find someone with proven skills. Trying to perform jobs that you don't do well will require twice as much effort with less-than-satisfactory results.

•  Be the resource king or queen. Your employees are only as good as the resources they have. Make sure that they are equipped to always do the best work for you on a daily basis. Running out of stock, not having new software and not shelling out for that desperately need printer is NOT good delegation.

•  Become the fire, ice and motivation behind your team. When they need guidance, give it to them; when they need appreciation, offer it to them. Inspire, motivate and lead by supporting your delegated decisions and following up on them often.

"Business owners need to be the big thinkers: to identify patterns both good and bad; to become an idea machine and testing fanatic; to fill out details from outlined strategy; to be aware of market trends; to always have one eye on the competition; and to develop an instinct for the people with whom you like to work," Andrews says.

About Zenovia Andrews

Zenovia Andrews, www.zenoviaandrews.com, is a business development strategist with extensive experience in corporate training, performance management, leadership development and sales consulting with international clients, including Pfizer, Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals. A sought-after speaker and radio/TV personality, she is the author of "All Systems Go" and "MAXOut: I Want It All."