Transforming Places: Naperville's Extreme Business Makeover

Inspired by the plethora and popularity of makeover television shows, in November, the Naperville, Illinois, Chamber of Commerce launched "The Extreme Business Makeover," an effort to help a business member succeed by utilizing the "invaluable knowledge" and skills of its other members. "I thought Extreme Makeover was a neat plan because we would all learn something in the process," noted Becky Anderson of Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, a chamber member, who now also serves on the makeover task force.

In a press release, the Naperville Chamber of Commerce outlined its mission statement for the ambitious Extreme Business Makeover:

• To identify and fundamentally transform chamber members' businesses in order to assist in achieving the next level of growth and prosperity;
  

• To use these transformations as a platform to involve, educate, and inspire chamber members; and
  

• To showcase the products, services, and capabilities of chamber members and build new relationships.
  

After evaluating many applications, a selection panel, composed of eight veteran chamber members, chose Inside-Out Painting Company of Naperville to be the first business to be "made over." A team of chamber members is donating their services in such categories as accounting, finance, sales, marketing, technology, physical space, operations, legal, insurance, and more. Anderson described Inside-Out as a successful, viable business, but one that sought direction.

For the program, a "Makeover Consulting Team" of chamber members was chosen to identify areas of Inside-Out Painting's business that could be strengthened. The members were then separated into several teams, with each team handling a different business category. Inside-Out President David Lockhart identified four areas of his business he wanted to strengthen: technology, marketing, customer service, and human resources. Anderson noted that she is on the marketing team.

For an eight-week period, the teams will evaluate the candidate's business operations and will suggest improvements. As these changes are implemented, the chamber of commerce plans to outline them in periodic case studies and track the results, to share the lessons learned with its members. Anderson told BTW that the plan is for Extreme Makeover to be a permanent program of the Naperville Chamber of Commerce.

Anderson stressed that the makeover program will benefit all chamber members because it will offer a valuable learning experience. --David Grogan