Business Resources

Commonwealth Edison

• ComEd - If you have an electric emergency it is important to call ComEd immediately. Never email your emergency request. If you need to report an emergency situation such as a fire, vehicle accident, electric contact/shock, or other potential danger, please call 911 to notify local authorities.
• Mobile APP - (English / Spanish) - Gain the flexibility and convenience of managing your ComEd Residential account on the go with ComEd's FREE mobile app for iPhone and Android devices. Report an outage, make one-time payment and manage account features with the swipe of a finger.
• Outage map - With ComEd's outage map, customers can view all outages in the ComEd service area at once and zoom in and get details on specific areas, such as the estimated restoration time & status of crews working to resolve problems. Icons are color-coded to indicate the number of customers affected by each incident.
• Storm Center - When the storms roll in, ComEd is ready to keep you up-to-date on our outage restorations. Visit the Storm Center at ComEd.com/Storm to get the latest information on outages in the service territory, view our Outage Map, and report an outage.

Local Township Office

• Benton Township Offices
• Waukegan Township Offices
• Zion Benton - Coalition for Healthy Communities

Municipal, County and State Business Resources

• Information from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
• Lake County Chamber of Commerce
• Lake County's Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
• Lake County Partners for Economic Development
• LCDOT Construction Projects

Starting and Operating a Business

• Business.usa.gov - Business.gov guides you through the maze of government rules and regulations and provides access to services and resources to help you start, grow, and succeed in business.
• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) - The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is charged with enhancing Illinois' economic competitiveness by providing technical and financial assistance to businesses, local governments, workers and families. As the state's lead economic development agency, DCEO works to capitalize on Illinois' strengths as a center of transportation, manufacturing and technology development. The agency actively promotes the state's business-friendly policies, highly productive workers, and entrepreneurial spirit -- attributes that helped Illinois win Site Selection magazine's Governor's Cup as the top state in the nation for business development.
• Illinois Entrepreneurship Network - Is your business positioned to grow with just a little help from people with know-how and the right connections? The Illinois Entrepreneurship Network (IEN), the umbrella for all Illinois' small business services, helps cut through the tangle of resources to achieve your goals. Now there's one seamless system to accelerate your company's growth. A terrific resource for information and resources that will help your business grow.
• SmallBiZ.com - Provides a comprehensive selection of small business services and resources that will make your business more successful. Site includes current news effecting small businesses.
• State of Illinois Business Portal - So, you want to start a business of your own? The state of Illinois has assembled information from across state government to help you get your business up and running. From developing your business plan to registering your business, these links will help explain what resources are available and what your responsibilities are as a new business owner.
• U.S. Small Business Administration - SBA's missing is to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by aiding, counseling, assisting and protecting the interests of small businesses and by helping families and businesses recover from national disasters. Their Small Business start-up section includes the basics, business planning, financing, marketing, employee info, tax info and legal info.