Application for CEC Client Services

Overview

The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) helps high-growth entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses that serve as platforms for economic development and civic leadership for the Chicagoland area.

Every day, the CEC staff engages with high-growth entrepreneurs to provide hands-on business guidance that is customized to address specific business challenges. We offer entrepreneurs advisory services and face-to-face introductions to help with their financing and sales needs. We provide mentoring through our extensive network of experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders. And we host events at which entrepreneurs can learn strategies necessary to succeed in a competitive marketplace.

The relationship between the CEC and each client is a working partnership with the goal of achieving sustained business growth in an accelerated timeframe. In order to create a productive and mutually beneficial relationship between the CEC and the client, our business model requires that the client be willing to conduct business in an open, collaborative and cooperative fashion with the CEC.

CEC Client Profile

By Revenue

By Industry

Evaluation Criteria

The CEC evaluates prospective clients based on the following questions:

General: A business plan

• Do you have a business plan and executive summary?
• Do you have a corporate overview presentation that you can share with us when we meet?
• What type of assistance are you seeking from the CEC?

People: Relevant subject matter expertise and management experience

• Does your company have the beginnings of a sound management team with relevant business experience?

Market: Large or growing addressable market

• Have you confirmed that there is a market willing to pay for your product/service? Do you have revenue traction?
• What is the size of the total market directly related to your product/service?

Barrier: High barrier to competitive entry

• Do you have an innovative product/service with a high barrier to entry (i.e. product/service that is not easily duplicated)?
• Have you investigated the competitive landscape and identified what your competitive advantage is?

Fundability: Probability of obtaining a fully-funded business plan

• Does your company have working capital?
• What are the projected revenues from your product/service within five years of going to market?

Get Started

If you believe your company has the potential to meet the requirements described above, we encourage you to complete the application to become a CEC client. Please register using the link below.

Confidentiality: The information you share with us is considered confidential. The information will be reviewed only for the purposes of evaluating whether the company meets the CEC’s client criteria.

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Acknowledgement

The CEC's advisory services are made possible by our designation as an Entrepreneurship Center by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.