Business owners can learn how to run their businesses progressively as part of the Chicago Family Business Council at DePaul University’s Great Game of Business workshop Oct. 3. The program is part of Crain’s Small Business Week.

“The Great Game of Business is about running your business in a strategic, forward-thinking fashion,” said Steve Baker, vice president of the Great Game of Business. “Employees are taught the rules of business, enabled and expected to improve performance based on that knowledge, and given a stake in the outcome—good or bad. They aren’t looking to historical financial information for answers, they are forecasting the future of the business and making it happen.”

Baker and Patrick Carpenter, vice president of sales and management at the Great Game of Business, will lead an interactive workshop on open-book management from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Red Lacquer Room in Chicago’s Palmer House Hilton Hotel, 17 E. Monroe St. A reception and dinner will follow. Participants may attend any or all of the Oct. 3 functions. Tickets must be purchased online in advance.

The program and reception are free to CFBC members, $25 for member guests, and $150 for non-members. The cost to attend the dinner is $75 for CFBC members and member guests, and $150 for non-members. The program is part of Crain’s Small Business Week, which runs Oct. 1 through Oct. 5. Anyone interested in attending this event must register online at Great Game of Business.

About Chicago Family Business Council

CFBC’s roots date back to 1993, when local businessman James P. Liautaud approached the University of Illinois at Chicago about underwriting an organization dedicated to family businesses. The Family Business Council welcomed its first members in 1994 and operated under UIC’s College of Business Administration for nearly two decades.  

In 2011 the organization became an independent nonprofit organization and changed its name to the Chicago Family Business Council. CFBC formed an affiliation with DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business in 2012, and the two organizations support each other through programming and other educational resources. 

CFBC’s membership includes 135 people from 85 companies in an array of industries. Family-owned businesses make up 56 percent of our membership, while 28 percent are closely held organizations and 16 percent are other entrepreneurial businesses. Our members lead the organization, serving on the board of directors and overseeing CFBC’s strategic direction. For more information, visit www.chicagofbc.com

Media Contact: Judy Hogel 
312-362-7518, judy@chicagofbc.com