We study, source, and help operate small businesses.
Foreman is a University of Chicago student group focused on small business ownership, acquisition, and succession.
We research businesses, speak with owners, build acquisition cases, and learn what it takes to actually run a company.
We help owners improve the business today and think through the future
We help owners improve the business today and think through the future
We help owners improve the business today and think through the future
Foreman studies small, established businesses and how they work. We study their customers, pricing, costs, people, cash flow, and day-to-day operations.
We speak with business owners, build acquisition models, and explore different ways a business can move from one owner to the next.
We also work with people who want to become long-term owner-operators and study acquisition structures, including the Managed Purchase Option, that can make the transition more flexible for both sides.
Helping good businesses work better and move forward.
Helping good businesses work better and move forward.
Learn by working with real businesses
Learn by working with real businesses
Learn by working with real businesses
Research
Study the industry, customers, competitors, economics, and what makes the company work.
Research
Study the industry, customers, competitors, economics, and what makes the company work.
Underwriting
Build the acquisition case by modelling revenue, cash flow, peforming valuation analysis, financing, downside cases, and potential deal structures.
Underwriting
Build the acquisition case by modelling revenue, cash flow, peforming valuation analysis, financing, downside cases, and potential deal structures.
Operations
Work through pricing, hiring, customer retention, working capital, growth, and what you would actually change.
Operations
Work through pricing, hiring, customer retention, working capital, growth, and what you would actually change.
Sourcing
Talk to business owners and learn directly from owners about how they built their companies and how they think about the future.
Sourcing
Talk to business owners and learn directly from owners about how they built their companies and how they think about the future.
Foreman works with small business owners on operations, growth, and succession.
Foreman works with small business owners on operations, growth, and succession.
Foreman works with small business owners on operations, growth, and succession.
We help owners take a closer look at how the business is running, whether that is pricing, customers, costs, staffing, cash flow, and where things could work better.
We also help owners think through what comes next, whether that means keeping the business, bringing in a manager, or selling it.
What catches our attention
What catches our attention
What catches our attention
Services
Distribution & Light Industrial
Consumer & Local
Business Services
Services
Local and regional service companies with repeat customers, clear economics, and room for a hands-on operator to improve how the business runs.
Services
Distribution & Light Industrial
Consumer & Local
Business Services
Services
Local and regional service companies with repeat customers, clear economics, and room for a hands-on operator to improve how the business runs.
Frequently asked questions
What is Foreman?
Foreman is a University of Chicago student group that works with small businesses on practical operating questions, growth, and succession. For members, it is a chance to learn how businesses work by studying and working with local companies in Chicago. For owners, it is an extra set of hands and a fresh perspective on their business.
What does Foreman do?
The point of Foreman is to understand the whole buisness, which can mean looking at customers, pricing, staffing, costs, cash flow, marketing, working capital, or where time and money are being wasted. We may also help an owner think about their longer-term options, including bringing in a manager, passing the business on, or eventually selling it. The work depends on the business and we are not trying to force every company into the same framework.
What kinds of businesses do you work with?
We are most interested in small businesses with a clear product or service and some existing customers. This could be local services, business services, specialty distribution, light industrial businesses, education, recreation, hospitality, or other owner-operated companies. We care about whether there is something real to understand and improve.
What can Foreman help a business owner with?
It depends on what the owner is dealing with. On the operating side, a project might involve looking at pricing and margins, understanding which customers or services are most profitable, or changing positioning within competitive landscape, ad well as finding ways to improve scheduling or staffing, or looking at customer retention. On the financial side, the project might involve thinking about growth opportunities, helping organize financial information, considering what the business may be worth, or comparing different succession or exit options.
Who can join Foreman?
We're looking for students who are genuinely interested in how businesses work. You do not need to have investment experience or already know how to build a financial model. While finance understanding is important, Foreman also needs people interested in operations, sales and marketing, technology, research, entrepreneurship, and working directly with owners.
Do members get to work with real businesses?
Some work will begin with public case studies and research, but the goal is to develop relationships with business owners and take on real, defined projects where Foreman can be useful. We would rather do a few serious projects than produce lots of hypothetical pitch decks.
Frequently asked questions
What is Foreman?
Foreman is a University of Chicago student group that works with small businesses on practical operating questions, growth, and succession. For members, it is a chance to learn how businesses work by studying and working with local companies in Chicago. For owners, it is an extra set of hands and a fresh perspective on their business.
What does Foreman do?
The point of Foreman is to understand the whole buisness, which can mean looking at customers, pricing, staffing, costs, cash flow, marketing, working capital, or where time and money are being wasted. We may also help an owner think about their longer-term options, including bringing in a manager, passing the business on, or eventually selling it. The work depends on the business and we are not trying to force every company into the same framework.
What kinds of businesses do you work with?
We are most interested in small businesses with a clear product or service and some existing customers. This could be local services, business services, specialty distribution, light industrial businesses, education, recreation, hospitality, or other owner-operated companies. We care about whether there is something real to understand and improve.
What can Foreman help a business owner with?
It depends on what the owner is dealing with. On the operating side, a project might involve looking at pricing and margins, understanding which customers or services are most profitable, or changing positioning within competitive landscape, ad well as finding ways to improve scheduling or staffing, or looking at customer retention. On the financial side, the project might involve thinking about growth opportunities, helping organize financial information, considering what the business may be worth, or comparing different succession or exit options.
Who can join Foreman?
We're looking for students who are genuinely interested in how businesses work. You do not need to have investment experience or already know how to build a financial model. While finance understanding is important, Foreman also needs people interested in operations, sales and marketing, technology, research, entrepreneurship, and working directly with owners.
Do members get to work with real businesses?
Some work will begin with public case studies and research, but the goal is to develop relationships with business owners and take on real, defined projects where Foreman can be useful. We would rather do a few serious projects than produce lots of hypothetical pitch decks.
Frequently asked questions
What is Foreman?
Foreman is a University of Chicago student group that works with small businesses on practical operating questions, growth, and succession. For members, it is a chance to learn how businesses work by studying and working with local companies in Chicago. For owners, it is an extra set of hands and a fresh perspective on their business.
What does Foreman do?
The point of Foreman is to understand the whole buisness, which can mean looking at customers, pricing, staffing, costs, cash flow, marketing, working capital, or where time and money are being wasted. We may also help an owner think about their longer-term options, including bringing in a manager, passing the business on, or eventually selling it. The work depends on the business and we are not trying to force every company into the same framework.
What kinds of businesses do you work with?
We are most interested in small businesses with a clear product or service and some existing customers. This could be local services, business services, specialty distribution, light industrial businesses, education, recreation, hospitality, or other owner-operated companies. We care about whether there is something real to understand and improve.
What can Foreman help a business owner with?
It depends on what the owner is dealing with. On the operating side, a project might involve looking at pricing and margins, understanding which customers or services are most profitable, or changing positioning within competitive landscape, ad well as finding ways to improve scheduling or staffing, or looking at customer retention. On the financial side, the project might involve thinking about growth opportunities, helping organize financial information, considering what the business may be worth, or comparing different succession or exit options.
Who can join Foreman?
We're looking for students who are genuinely interested in how businesses work. You do not need to have investment experience or already know how to build a financial model. While finance understanding is important, Foreman also needs people interested in operations, sales and marketing, technology, research, entrepreneurship, and working directly with owners.
Do members get to work with real businesses?
Some work will begin with public case studies and research, but the goal is to develop relationships with business owners and take on real, defined projects where Foreman can be useful. We would rather do a few serious projects than produce lots of hypothetical pitch decks.