From the President’s Desk: As Good As Our Data

The Chicagoland Chamber is our region’s most influential business organization. That’s a lot of power in the hands of our members. But any leader will tell you the key to success is not just having influence, but in the instance of the Chamber, using that legacy of leadership to grow our economy, support businesses, and make our region more competitive. 

This is why the Chamber actively engages and talks with our members, to understand their outlook, needs, and the regional economy as a whole. If we know our members’ needs and the larger economic context, we can use our influence to pursue initiatives that support businesses of all sizes.

In that spirit, and in collaboration with the Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business, tomorrow we will email you our 2018 Small Business Outlook Survey. The survey is aimed at businesses with 500 or fewer employees. If you represent a business of this size, please take ten minutes to complete the survey, or work with your team members to make sure someone from your organization does. Or, if you know of someone who is an employer of that size, please forward the email to them.

Small businesses in Illinois employ 2.4 million people, nearly half our private sector workforce. The Chamber’s Small Business Outlook Survey is the most thorough source of information about those businesses in the Chicago region.

Our survey results shape Chamber programs that directly provide resources to growing businesses. The information is also provided to government, community and business leaders who decide where to direct their own resources. The survey also helps shape the Chamber’s government policy agenda.

As with any business, our decisions are as good as the data we rely on. Please take the small business survey and make sure the information that the Chamber and other local, regional and state decision makers rely on reflects your needs. Be the voice of business for Chicago.

As an incentive: Survey respondents will have the opportunity to enter into a drawing to win these prizes:

  • Two roundtrip Southwest Airlines tickets;
  • WeWork workspace with amenities for up to four people for three months at the 100 S. State Street location 
  • A $100 Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant gift certificate

Please watch for our email tomorrow and complete the survey.

Sincerely, 

Michael L. Reever, Esq.

Acting President & CEO

Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce