Owner 2 CEO

Our 10-week business acceleration program will equip you with the network, knowledge, and tools needed to scale your business.

Gallery
Application Due Date
April 5, 2024
Start Date
April 16, 2024
End Date
June 20, 2024
Gallery
Application Due Date
April 5, 2024
Start Date
April 16, 2024
End Date
June 20, 2024

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About

Our intensive 10-week accelerator program provides an unparalleled opportunity to scale your business alongside a cohort of like-minded entrepreneurs.

Commitment

  • Attend regularly
  • Participate fully-leave your cell phone at the door
  • Complete an initial assessment and follow-up assessments
  • Out-of-class assignments will be required
  • Create a Strategic Action Plan

Recommended Eligibility

  • 2+ years in operation
  • $200,000 revenues in the most recent fiscal year
  • 2+ employees (owners may be included in this count)

Schedule

Tuesday's & Thursday's from 6-8 pm

Entrepreneurial Leadership Development & Delegation

Knowing who you are as a leader, your strengths, and weaknesses will be the basis for developing a growth mindset and moving from working in the business to working on the business.

  • Perfecting an effective elevator pitch
  • Understand your personal BOSI DNA and how it impacts your performance
  • Understanding employee’s mindset and intrapreneurial skills
  • Improve your own personal performance and develop personal objectives
  • Creating effective delegation strategies, including monitoring and performance management

Planning and Strategy for Growth

  • Review the foundation of your business, mission, vision and values, & SWOT
  • Understand scalability and how it impacts your business
  • Identify methods and opportunities for growth
  • Develop skills to create an effective strategic plan for growth
  • Examine current business plan, business situation and organizational structure for best fit with your business model

Content and Communication

Going beyond the normal concept of marketing to evaluate the importance of developing and managing strong marketing content and solid methods of communicating your marketing message to your clearly identified customer base.

  • Understanding how your purpose and your customer’s needs interact
  • Know how to create and use meaningful value propositions to increase sales
  • Understand how buyers make purchase decisions
  • Determining appropriate media for your market
  • Create effective communications for use in a variety of media
  • Understand how digital and traditional marketing approaches interact to get the best out of both in a changing business environment

Sales and Lead Generation

No sales, no business. In this session we will be building on the content and communication session to create a plan for the development of a solid pipeline of sales leads and how to implement the plan to maintain the pipeline and close sales.

  • Tools to develop a sales pipeline
  • Procedures for tracking leads and secrets on how to act on those leads
  • Techniques for opening and closing a sale
  • Methods for delivering exemplary client care and generating repeat sales
  • Creating an effective sales and lead generation operational plan
  • Internal sales or an external sales force, what are the factors that need to be considered

Tactical Communication

Growing a business requires effective communication with a wide range of audiences, employees, vendors, customers, service providers to mention just a few. This session provides tactical and practical interpersonal communication advice and help you develop the skills to ensure productive working relationships both inside and outside the company.

  • How to develop shared mission statements driven by explicit expectations
  • Communicating effectively when challenges arise in the working environment.
  • Best practices for effectively communicating via email.  

Management in a Digital Environment

Irrespective of the type of business we operate, there is no escaping the impact of technology in almost every aspect of running our businesses. Whether it is accepting payments, managing the financials or using the full gamut of social media options, technology is a critical part of business growth.

  • Plan your digital environment, knowing what processes should and could be organized
  • Market your business in a digital environment, when to use social media, what to use and how to monitor the effectiveness of your marketing efforts
  • Handle financial transactions in a virtual environment
  • Understand how to develop automations that allow your systems to communicate with one another

Using & Managing Social Media Platforms

We hear a lot about social media and their value for growing business. The key to success is know which, what, and how and how to manage and monitor results.

  • Using social media platforms in our overall marketing strategy (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc)
  • Social media tools overview(Hootsuite, Buffer, Later, Agorapulse, Sprout Social, Sendible, etc.)
  • Curating content and creating a content calendar
  • Understanding social media analytics and the KPIs for each platform
  • Advertising

Understanding and Using Financial Information to Manage Growth

Established businesses have a CPA to create financial statements and manage tax reporting. Growing a business however, requires review of company financial data as a tool to manage day to day business transactions for growth and profitability.

  • Know how to use financial information from your accounting software to manage business growth, effect change and improve performance and profits
  • Appreciate the value of budgets, costs and pricing strategies to manage people and processes in the business
  • Understanding break-even analysis and ratios and how they are used to plan growth
  • Identify cash flow bottlenecks before they arise and know how to resolve them if they do happen
  • Understand what lenders look for to make financing decisions

Financing a Growing Business

You will need to finance the business at some point it you haven’t already. Learn from a commercial lender.

  • Discuss what banks are looking for when they make lending decisions
  • Learn what criteria they use to evaluate a business for lending
  • Prepare to present yourself and your company to a lender
  • Develop an understanding of how to present your company’s financial information to make the lending decision easy

Human Resources

Growing companies require people. They are the most expensive resource most companies will have so hiring decisions are amongst the most important and potentially costly decisions a business owner will have to make. In this session we will be looking at the HR function and understanding how it impacts business growth.

  • Understanding and creating the company culture for your business and how it can impact growth
  • Appreciate the legal background to employment activities
  • Identify critical issues related to Human Resource function and the potential traps for business owners
  • Assess current workforce situation
  • Develop appropriate job descriptions, policy manuals and compensation plans
  • Developing an effective management team
  • Understanding generational issues, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace

Growth Market Opportunities: Government Contracting

The US government is largest purchaser of goods and services in the USA making it a perfect business expansion opportunity. It’s a complex marketplace and this session focuses on the opportunities it presents and how to access them.

  • Understand how to navigate the maze of government contracting
  • Find methods of maximizing your exposure to government agencies and large corporations
  • Know how to access, research, and respond to government contract opportunities

Growth Market Opportunities: International Trade

The International marketplace is a $4 trillion opportunity and expanding at rates greater than the domestic market. In this session you will focus on the opportunities selling internationally presents for business growth.

  • Learn how to access the market intelligence you will need to determine suitable overseas market and how to compete effectively in those market
  • How to ready your company for export readiness and compliance
  • Discuss how international sales are financed

Growth Market Opportunities: Social Responsibility

Today’s consumers are more socially conscious and frequently use their spending power to support causes and businesses that share their own values and aspirations. Socially responsible business is good business.

  • What does it mean to make your business socially aware and responsive to changing consumer needs?
  • Organize, manage and market your business in ways that meet your growth goals
  • Understand how to remain sensitive to the values and aspirations of your customers.

About

Our intensive 10-week accelerator program provides an unparalleled opportunity to scale your business alongside a cohort of like-minded entrepreneurs.

Commitment

  • Attend regularly
  • Participate fully-leave your cell phone at the door
  • Complete an initial assessment and follow-up assessments
  • Out-of-class assignments will be required
  • Create a Strategic Action Plan

Recommended Eligibility

  • 2+ years in operation
  • $200,000 revenues in the most recent fiscal year
  • 2+ employees (owners may be included in this count)

Schedule

Tuesday's & Thursday's from 6-8 pm

Entrepreneurial Leadership Development & Delegation

Knowing who you are as a leader, your strengths, and weaknesses will be the basis for developing a growth mindset and moving from working in the business to working on the business.

  • Perfecting an effective elevator pitch
  • Understand your personal BOSI DNA and how it impacts your performance
  • Understanding employee’s mindset and intrapreneurial skills
  • Improve your own personal performance and develop personal objectives
  • Creating effective delegation strategies, including monitoring and performance management

Planning and Strategy for Growth

  • Review the foundation of your business, mission, vision and values, & SWOT
  • Understand scalability and how it impacts your business
  • Identify methods and opportunities for growth
  • Develop skills to create an effective strategic plan for growth
  • Examine current business plan, business situation and organizational structure for best fit with your business model

Content and Communication

Going beyond the normal concept of marketing to evaluate the importance of developing and managing strong marketing content and solid methods of communicating your marketing message to your clearly identified customer base.

  • Understanding how your purpose and your customer’s needs interact
  • Know how to create and use meaningful value propositions to increase sales
  • Understand how buyers make purchase decisions
  • Determining appropriate media for your market
  • Create effective communications for use in a variety of media
  • Understand how digital and traditional marketing approaches interact to get the best out of both in a changing business environment

Sales and Lead Generation

No sales, no business. In this session we will be building on the content and communication session to create a plan for the development of a solid pipeline of sales leads and how to implement the plan to maintain the pipeline and close sales.

  • Tools to develop a sales pipeline
  • Procedures for tracking leads and secrets on how to act on those leads
  • Techniques for opening and closing a sale
  • Methods for delivering exemplary client care and generating repeat sales
  • Creating an effective sales and lead generation operational plan
  • Internal sales or an external sales force, what are the factors that need to be considered

Tactical Communication

Growing a business requires effective communication with a wide range of audiences, employees, vendors, customers, service providers to mention just a few. This session provides tactical and practical interpersonal communication advice and help you develop the skills to ensure productive working relationships both inside and outside the company.

  • How to develop shared mission statements driven by explicit expectations
  • Communicating effectively when challenges arise in the working environment.
  • Best practices for effectively communicating via email.  

Management in a Digital Environment

Irrespective of the type of business we operate, there is no escaping the impact of technology in almost every aspect of running our businesses. Whether it is accepting payments, managing the financials or using the full gamut of social media options, technology is a critical part of business growth.

  • Plan your digital environment, knowing what processes should and could be organized
  • Market your business in a digital environment, when to use social media, what to use and how to monitor the effectiveness of your marketing efforts
  • Handle financial transactions in a virtual environment
  • Understand how to develop automations that allow your systems to communicate with one another

Using & Managing Social Media Platforms

We hear a lot about social media and their value for growing business. The key to success is know which, what, and how and how to manage and monitor results.

  • Using social media platforms in our overall marketing strategy (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc)
  • Social media tools overview(Hootsuite, Buffer, Later, Agorapulse, Sprout Social, Sendible, etc.)
  • Curating content and creating a content calendar
  • Understanding social media analytics and the KPIs for each platform
  • Advertising

Understanding and Using Financial Information to Manage Growth

Established businesses have a CPA to create financial statements and manage tax reporting. Growing a business however, requires review of company financial data as a tool to manage day to day business transactions for growth and profitability.

  • Know how to use financial information from your accounting software to manage business growth, effect change and improve performance and profits
  • Appreciate the value of budgets, costs and pricing strategies to manage people and processes in the business
  • Understanding break-even analysis and ratios and how they are used to plan growth
  • Identify cash flow bottlenecks before they arise and know how to resolve them if they do happen
  • Understand what lenders look for to make financing decisions

Financing a Growing Business

You will need to finance the business at some point it you haven’t already. Learn from a commercial lender.

  • Discuss what banks are looking for when they make lending decisions
  • Learn what criteria they use to evaluate a business for lending
  • Prepare to present yourself and your company to a lender
  • Develop an understanding of how to present your company’s financial information to make the lending decision easy

Human Resources

Growing companies require people. They are the most expensive resource most companies will have so hiring decisions are amongst the most important and potentially costly decisions a business owner will have to make. In this session we will be looking at the HR function and understanding how it impacts business growth.

  • Understanding and creating the company culture for your business and how it can impact growth
  • Appreciate the legal background to employment activities
  • Identify critical issues related to Human Resource function and the potential traps for business owners
  • Assess current workforce situation
  • Develop appropriate job descriptions, policy manuals and compensation plans
  • Developing an effective management team
  • Understanding generational issues, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace

Growth Market Opportunities: Government Contracting

The US government is largest purchaser of goods and services in the USA making it a perfect business expansion opportunity. It’s a complex marketplace and this session focuses on the opportunities it presents and how to access them.

  • Understand how to navigate the maze of government contracting
  • Find methods of maximizing your exposure to government agencies and large corporations
  • Know how to access, research, and respond to government contract opportunities

Growth Market Opportunities: International Trade

The International marketplace is a $4 trillion opportunity and expanding at rates greater than the domestic market. In this session you will focus on the opportunities selling internationally presents for business growth.

  • Learn how to access the market intelligence you will need to determine suitable overseas market and how to compete effectively in those market
  • How to ready your company for export readiness and compliance
  • Discuss how international sales are financed

Growth Market Opportunities: Social Responsibility

Today’s consumers are more socially conscious and frequently use their spending power to support causes and businesses that share their own values and aspirations. Socially responsible business is good business.

  • What does it mean to make your business socially aware and responsive to changing consumer needs?
  • Organize, manage and market your business in ways that meet your growth goals
  • Understand how to remain sensitive to the values and aspirations of your customers.
More information coming soon...

Sponsors

Investment Partners
Investment Partners
Investment Partners
Municipal & Chambers of Commerce
Program Sponsors

Program Graduates

Testimonials

Melvin Henley
PAC Leaders

"The Construction Owner to CEO program was really phenomenal. It allowed me to do exactly what the title suggests: go from being an owner to a CEO! I highly endorse this program, so much so we had our Vice President come in the next season and benefit from it as well!"

Eduardo Salgado
CS Architectural Woodworking

"As a graduate of the Construction Owner-2-CEO program, I can tell you first hand, that Innovation DuPage has helped me scale my business. If you are a small business owner looking to take your business to the next level, enhancing your network, or searching for peer group of likeminded entrepreneurs, Innovation DuPage is the place for you."

Yvonne Toney
The Cotton Seed Exchange

“Working with Innovation DuPage for the Owner to CEO program was amazing and the support and education received has really helped me to push my business a little further with new ideas, concepts and understanding the power of collaboration.”

Dr. Afua Aning
My Just Checking In

“ The Innovation DuPage Owner-2-CEO program has provided a pillar of support for our company as we grow into the future. By having a network of experienced professional networks to grow with and learn from, we can replicate a type of support generally restricted to those above the glass ceiling.”

Melissa Villanueva
Brewpoint Coffee

"ID has been an amazing educational and community resource for entrepreneurs. I enjoyed the Owner-2-CEO program and, to this day, still keep in contact with my cohort. ID doesn’t hesitate to connect and highlight business owners for opportunities.”

Brent Hasse
Flat LLC

"ID was hands-on in helping me properly position our product and get in front of the best partners for our company. Their support was instrumental is getting us accepted to the Techstars program, which has already started to shape our Flat and greatly improve our customer success."

Shian Jno-Lewis
The Tidy Queens

“Thank you to Innovation DuPage for creating a space that promotes collaboration among local businesses. The Owner to CEO program equips small business owners with the tools needed to work “on” instead of “in” their businesses. It was a total eye-opener and very beneficial in helping us take our business to greater heights.”

Nick Lehecka
Wove

"As an autistic adult facing challenges in corporate and academic settings, entrepreneurism is vital for my self-sustainability. The capital and mentorship provided by the Neurodiverse Entrepreneur Program was critical to getting my startup off the ground. My company has become profitable just after a year."

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Miftha Syed
InstaPark Elmhurst University Student

"Participating in the Innovation DuPage BIG Idea Pitch Contest was an incredible journey filled with inspiration and growth. I cherished every moment of the experience. It provided me with the perfect platform to launch Instapark. This contest truly ignited my entrepreneurial spirit and reaffirmed my belief in the power of entrepreneurship."

Aaliya Khaja
InstaPark Elmhurst University Student

“The Big Idea Pitch Competition was definitely a remarkable experience for us! Being able to pitch our business idea to many entrepreneurs was exciting and we are excited to work on InstaPark to move forward and develop it into the app we've dreamed about. “

Joe Barron
Gray Matters Games

"As the first member company of Innovation DuPage, we’ve grown up together. I love being able to bounce different ideas off of other entrepreneurs, it saves all of us time, it saves us money, and takes our business to the next level."

Maureen Longoria & Lisa Burns
LivNow Relocation

"Innovation DuPage has brought us resources beyond belief. They’ve made connections with us that we could have never made on our own. What they have brought to LivNow Relocation is absolutely priceless."

Keith Wakeman
SuperBetter

“Kassidy (Our Intern) provided value to the SuperBetter company from day one. She provided valuable feedback on product design, created newsletters to update our SuperBetter community, and rolled up her sleeves to help get it done.”

Workshop Events

Public

Safeguarding your Business from Cyber Threats

Apr 24
5:00 pm
Glen Ellyn, IL

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