Chicago’s very own Heritage General Store brings a gentle touch to the city with its unique seven-day full service. No other shop in town supplies visitors with freshly brewed coffee and building and repairing bikes. The store’s mission is to build eco-friendly transportation with local manufacturing. Heritage is a blend of good coffee and conversation with the lasting experience of handcrafting one’s own personal bike.

Champaign is among the fastest-growing cities in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015, Champaign saw a 1.5 percent population bump, similar to three of the country's 15 largest cities (Dallas, Columbus and Jacksonville). Champaign grew from 84,805 to 86,906 during that time, according to new estimates.

That makes it the 380th-largest city nationwide and No. 10 in Illinois, just behind Elgin.

Read more at the Champaign News-Gazette.

From 2010 to 2016, Illinois has created 391,000 jobs which beats many states throughout the Midwest. Illinois continues to grow with nearly 50,000 jobs being created in 2015 alone. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20160319/ISSUE05/160319762/illinois-is-adding-jobs-though-employment-growth-lags-in-midwest.

Women in Illinois rank fifth in the nation for median income, according to a new study released by WalletHub. The study also found Illinois to be among the best states in the Midwest for women overall.

Illinois ranked 13th in the study, which examined factors that included unemployment rates for women, the percentage of women living in poverty, the share of women-owned businesses, and statistics like life expectancy at birth and percentage of women with health insurance.

Read the whole study at WalletHub.

Small businesses across Illinois are the bedrock of their communities. One in particular, Boyd's New Generation in Springfield, exemplifies the lasting impact of minority-owned businesses on the state's economy.

Many residents from all walks of life call the family-owned soul food eatery home. For nearly 30 years, the warm welcome and Southern fare have brought generations of loyal customers returning to Boyd's door.