What this is. Who runs it.
The New Business Project is a 90-Day Jumpstart program providing free professional services to new Chicagoland businesses. Founded and funded by Chicago Fleet Wraps and structured to scale by onboarding additional service-business partners across nine categories.
Founded
by
Background
The program in plain language.
About the program
The New Business Project was founded in 2024 by Chicago Fleet Wraps to help new Chicagoland businesses with the first essential piece of professional infrastructure — a branded vehicle. The program is funded entirely by Chicago Fleet Wraps and is structured to scale as additional partners join across nine service categories.
Recipients receive free services with no income test, no industry filter, no application essay. Eligibility is simple: a Chicagoland address (Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, Will, or McHenry County) and a business license dated within the last 90 days.
Why "90 days"?
The first 90 days of a new business are when marketing budget is the lowest and operational essentials matter most. By the time most founders can afford branding or proper workspace, they've already spent months looking like a hobby instead of a business - losing customers and credibility.
Covering the first 90 days means recipients show up to their first real customer interactions looking professional. That's worth more in their first year than the same investment a year later.
— The Chicagoland small business economy
Why this matters for Chicagoland.
Small businesses are the Chicago economy. Every new business that survives year one is a multiplier — for jobs, for local spend, for the neighborhoods that make this region work.
99.9%
of Illinois businesses are small businesses1
45%
of Illinois workers are employed by small businesses1
$68
of every $100 spent at a local business stays in the local economy2
3.2
average local jobs created by year five for new businesses that survive year one3
Press & partnerships
For journalists & civic groups.
We're happy to provide background, statistics, and recipient stories (with permission) for journalists covering small business in Chicagoland. Open to conversations with chambers of commerce, civic organizations, county economic development offices, and small business development centers about referral pipelines and program expansion.
Press inquiries
Direct line for journalists. We aim to respond within two business hours and can usually get you on a call same-day for breaking coverage. Available for written quotes and recorded/broadcast interviews. Background on the founders, the program model, and recipient outcomes available.
Partnership questions
Questions from chambers of commerce, civic organizations, Cook/DuPage/Lake/Kane/Will/McHenry county economic development offices, or small business development centers. We're open to conversations about referral pipelines, cross-promotion, and how the program can amplify your work.
Want to apply?
If your Illinois business license is under 90 days old and you're in Chicagoland, the program is open.