·   Hide the pumpkin either in the back of your location so participants have to walk through your store, or hide it in a section where you are trying to sell the most products. Not a retail store? No problem! You have a captive audience, so feel free to share information about your products and services while they search for the pumpkin!

·   Give out goodies! Each participant will be given a candy bag when they come to the chamber office for their scavenger hunt map! Help them fill it up with candy, treats, small toys/games, or promo items promoting your business! We have chamber members that make these items and can be found here!

Download registration form here.

Here's your opportunity to be featured on our first ever Mokena Community Calendar.

This calendar will be expertly printed and designed by Shaw Media Group specifically for our town.

Each month will feature a beautiful glossy photo of Mokena, upcoming community events and historical dates printed on the calendar squares, and YOUR business advertisement if you choose to take advantage of this unique advertising opportunity!

Beginning in mid-November this calendar will be distributed free of charge to the community by the chamber and our chamber members! Makes a great giveaway to your customers and clients around the holidays.

There's only 13 months in this calendar, so SPACE IS LIMITED!!!

Let's start off the new year right with this fantastic printed piece featuring our community!

Thank you to chamber member Aaron Guisinger of Destination Athlete of Will County for hosting and designing our fabulous merchandise.

Unfortunately, due to limits we may not be able to accept every applicant, but we encourage you to apply if you are interested. All applications should be submitted directly to the Mokena Chamber of Commerce Office, 11104 Front Street, Mokena, IL 60448, no later than October 12, 2020. The application can be submitted via email to [email protected] or faxed to the office at 708-479-7144.

Your profile is what everyone sees when they visit our online Business Directory on our website. View here.

When you joined the chamber you received a Welcome Letter (example) with a username and password and instructions on how to log in to your profile from our website homepage. From there you can add a business description, hours of operation, driving directors, photos, video, Job Openings, Hot Deals, Events, News Releases, etc.

If you do not remember your username and password, your username is your email address unless you changed it, and your password is usually 5 random numbers that were given to you in your Welcome Letter. You can reset your username and password if you do not have them.

Once logged in, here is a video of how to update your information.

Business Interruption Grants Program (BIG)

*NOTE: This information below was found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website here.

Round 1: In August, an initial round of funding was directed to restaurants, personal care services, gyms and fitness clubs, and businesses located in DIAs. The first round of BIG provided a $49 million boost for businesses at every corner of Illinois – with grant funds deployed to roughly 2,800 businesses spanning 400 towns and cities, and in 78 counties all throughout the state. Grants averaged $17,000, and the majority of funds were deployed to businesses in economically distressed communities. As a result of the equity-centric approach to the program, more than half of the first-round grants went to minority-owned businesses.

See a full list of grant recipients here. Applicants that have received BIG grants in the first round have agreed to certain Certifications and Requirements, which will continue to be linked here for transparency.

Round 2:  A $220 million second round of BIG aims to provide relief for all types of small businesses, but with a particular focus on businesses downstate, in disproportionately impacted areas (DIAs), and for heavily impacted industry and regions – representing businesses that have been unable to reopen or operating at a severely diminished capacity since the spring. 

·   Heavily Impacted Industries - $60 million for heavily distressed industries, such as movie theatres, performing arts venues, concert venues, indoor recreation, amusement parks, and more.

·   Disproportionately Impacted Areas - $70 million set aside for DIAs, defined by zip codes identified by the General Assembly for communities that are most economically distressed and vulnerable to COVID-19. A map of DIAs is shown below.

·   Downstate Communities – DCEO has committed to ensuring that at least half of all remaining funds, totaling more than $100 million, are reserved for businesses in downstate and rural communities of Illinois.

·   Priority Businesses– Apart from the $60 million for heavily impacted industries, applications from the following types of businesses will be prioritized for review for remaining funds: businesses directly affected by regional mitigations implemented by the state or local governments, independently owned retail, tourism- and hospitality-related industries including accommodations, and more.

·   Agriculture - $5 million of the remainder of funds will be set aside for livestock production disruptions. Applications will be available in the coming weeks from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

·   Grants and Loan Forgiveness for Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan recipients - As authorized by the General Assembly, DCEO will offer grants for businesses that have incurred eligible costs to offset loans received under the Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan program. This round of loan forgiveness and grants will go to businesses that have received loans or remain on the wait list and the program will sunset going forward as DCEO and its partners focus on making BIG awards.

HOW TO APPLY: Click here for link to application.

·   VIEW: Round 2 Application Questions

·   VIEW: Round 2 Application Checklist

·   VIEW: Business Certification Form and Eligible Cost List

·   VIEW: Guidance for BIG Awards and Other Federal Support Such as PPP and EIDL (Non-Duplication of Benefits)

ASSISTANCE: For assistance with your application, please submit a question via the following question submission form in either English or Spanish.

Need to find out if your business is located in a DIA? The below map allows you to search by address, or by searching for your zip code in the list of 176 distinct DIAs here.

Emergency rules to implement the Business Interruption Grant program can be found here.

Businesses are needing to reach customers in new ways - find out how you can revamp your business's logo's, marketing, and social media with Robin Curtner at Magical Marketing.

Learn more about how those with physical disabilities and can enjoy outdoor activities such as fishing and hiking with Brian Swift of Swift Outdoor Accessible Recreation (SOAR).

We all could use more physical activity in our lives - find out how you can safely train with Joe Matise of D-Bat Mokena.

If you are an existing Constant Contact customer, but would like to receive the Chamber Member benefits, please email [email protected]

More information here! Plus enjoy a 60-day free trial if you're still thinking this offer is too good to be true!

Click here to download application and more information.