| How often does the CBAP run?
|
| The CBAP runs every semester, or twice per year. Semesters normally begin in the fall during September and in the spring in early March. Schedule dates do vary, so use the CBAP Program Schedules pull-down menu above to view the most current schedule for the semester of interest.
|
Back to Top
|
| What is a “typical” CBAP weekend?
|
| Weekends in the CBAP begin on Friday afternoons at 1:00 pm and end at 8:30 pm that evening. During that time, two sessions of three hours in length are presented (with an additional 15 minutes for a break). There is a dinner break for an hour and then a final session up to the adjournment. Saturday follows the same schedule of two sessions presented and begins at 9:00 am and ends at 4:30 pm. Typically, dinner and lunch meals are the responsibility of participants.
|
Back to Top
|
| What is the cost? What value do I receive for that?
|
| The cost for the CBAP at UIC is $8,400 per person. The fee includes all materials for each of the sessions presented over the eight weekend program as well as access to a UIC website for worksheets and additional reading materials. The fee also includes on-site consulting conducted by program directors in between CBAP weekends to help participants apply the program’s concepts and tools to their business situation.
|
Back to Top
|
| Is this for start ups?
|
| Normally, the CBAP is open only to going concerns. In this way, the historic information in sales, costs and operations can be leveraged into a more competitive strategy. There are occasions when a start-up may be admitted into the program. That determination is made on a case-by-case basis.
|
Back to Top
|
| How large (in employees) is a typical CBAP company that enrolls?
|
| The smallest company size, in terms of employees will not be below five. There needs to be some level of operations and management at the company as the owner(s) and/or key manager(s) attend on the weekend.
|
Back to Top
|
| How large (in sales dollars) is a typical CBAP company that enrolls?
|
| The size range of our company participants varies, but normally you will find companies between $1M and $10M in the program. At times, there will be companies with sales over $10M (sometimes up to $50M) and sales below the $1M threshold.
|
Back to Top
|
| What’s the difference between a strategic plan and a business plan?
|
| The two types of plans are really quite different, but what’s important is the planning - the process of planning should be as beneficial to a company as the resulting plan. Strategic plans typically look at a three year planning horizon and are visionary and directional in nature. Strategic plans are also not as detailed and lengthy as a business plan and actually serve as a foundation for other business plans in a company. The plan developed in the CBAP at UIC is a strategic plan but with the opportunity to develop a one year implementation or operational plan of action. The design of the program delivers a distinct advantage for our participants by allowing four months to research, organize and design and execute the planning process in order to deliver a team-based document, understood and “owned” by most key people in the company.
|
Back to Top
|
| I already have a plan, so is the program still of value?
|
| Absolutely. Plans need to be updated and improved on a yearly basis at the very least. Some plans, written mostly by others outside the organization, also have a low probability of being followed. The strategic plan that is produced within the CBAP is 100% yours and the entire company’s, that’s how the program is designed – 100% Applied and practical.
|
Back to Top
|
| What kind of results do typical companies realize after taking the program?
|
| In many cases, the results are immediate, but in all cases, the results are changes for the better. The program acts as a catalyst for positive change, helping owners as well as managers think differently about their business in terms of how to approach growth and improvement challenges. The program experience leads to breaking the “business as usual” behaviors to a “Business as Unusual” mindset where thinking the unthinkable concerning long-term leadership and day-to-day management challenges is achieved and acted upon.
|
Back to Top
|
| What are some of the typical successes of the program?
|
| Over the program’s 20 years in existence, almost every type of industry representing every kind of business and business situation (good and bad economies, business succession, etc.) has been through the program. In total, over 1,000 businesses have been through the CBAP at UIC. We’ve had tremendously successful companies take the program and become even more successful as well as burgeoning companies use their experience and their plan developed in the CBAP to take off with new strategies and products. Visit our Alumni Directory for a listing of Alumni by industry.
|
Back to Top
|
| How large is a typical class?
|
| Class attendance normally does not go over 25 participants. This leaves plenty of opportunity to work with each participant or company team on a one-to-one basis. We also find that due to the interactive nature of the program, more than 25 may lead to less class discussions.
|
Back to Top
|
| Is there a lot of reading involved - What’s the time commitment?
|
| The CBAP is truly a customized management training program. There is a basic amount of reading to be done in-between class weekends that we’ve found over the past 18 years is comfortable for most participants. Each participant has an option to use a carefully selected list of article links as well as the business texts referenced for each CBAP session. The benefit is that for any participant, an individual approach to outside reading can be accomplished, at any time and just about anywhere during the program. The upfront time commitment in this educational program also pays dividends throughout the life of the business and participant as well.
|
Back to Top
|
| Do I need to have a college degree? What are the prerequisites?
|
| The only prerequisites for the CBAP at UIC is to have not only a stake in your company’s success but to have the decision-making capabilities to guide the change needed to be made in your management system.
|
Back to Top
|
| What is the average age of a participant?
|
| We’ve had excellent participants range in age from their early 20’s to our oldest participant to date – 72 years-old. Our average age for a participant is probably between their late thirties to early forties.
|
Back to Top
|
| What happens when I can’t make a session or even an entire weekend?
|
| Typically, program directors will work with each individual to ensure that continuity between sessions and weekends is maintained. Participants are encouraged to visit the next cycle of the CBAP at UIC in order to make up sessions that they’ve missed or even desire to take again.
|
Back to Top
|
| Are there overnight accommodations?
|
| Yes there are. For participants traveling over 30 miles to our Oak Brook facility, we have compiled a list of area hotel accommodations which we will share with prospects.
|
Back to Top
|
