MSP appointment setting in Chicago: who to call first

8 things to know before prospecting MSP in Chicago

1. 013,418 IT services firms work the Chicago-Naperville metro (-29 in a year), 25% less concentrated than the U.S. as a whole.
2. 023.9 target businesses per IT firm ranks Chicago #28 of 100 markets.
3. 03The biggest buyer group is manufacturers: 3,168 sites with 20 to 499 employees.
4. 04Chicago-Naperville over-indexes on law firms at 1.41x the national mix, so build references inside that group.
5. 05Medical, dental and outpatient practices added 474 establishments in a year: new sites without a managed service provider relationship.
6. 06Tier 1 is 3,091 sites with 50 to 499 employees among manufacturers and wholesale distributors; those deserve two or three contacts each.
7. 07Cook County, DuPage County and Lake County hold 78% of the target businesses across 12 counties.
8. 08Milwaukee (71 miles) has more target businesses per IT firm, if your engineers can cover it.

These are the 12 industries Abstrakt's SDRs call for MSP work, with how many of each are in the Chicago-Naperville metro and who to ask for. Compared with the U.S. as a whole, Chicago-Naperville leans toward law firms (1.41x), manufacturers (1.37x) and wealth management and investment firms (1.24x). Build the list around those categories.

1. 01
   Manufacturers3,168

   Ask for: Owner or president 1,584 with 50 to 499 employees 1.37x U.S. mix -48 in a year
2. 02
   Wholesale distributors2,273

   Ask for: Owner or president 878 with 50 to 499 employees 1.00x U.S. mix -122 in a year
3. 03
   Medical, dental and outpatient practices2,150

   Ask for: Practice administrator 629 with 50 to 499 employees 1.19x U.S. mix +474 in a year
4. 04
   Construction contractors1,695

   Ask for: Owner or president 586 with 50 to 499 employees 1.16x U.S. mix -109 in a year
5. 05
   Nonprofits and member organizations896

   Ask for: Executive director 272 with 50 to 499 employees 1.08x U.S. mix -87 in a year
6. 06
   Private schools and education providers853

   Ask for: Head of school or director 331 with 50 to 499 employees 1.08x U.S. mix +10 in a year
7. 07
   Architecture and engineering firms471

   Ask for: Principal or owner 193 with 50 to 499 employees 0.87x U.S. mix -8 in a year
8. 08
   Law firms404

   Ask for: Managing partner 148 with 50 to 499 employees 1.41x U.S. mix -14 in a year
9. 09
   Real estate brokerages and property management offices401

   Ask for: Broker-owner 151 with 50 to 499 employees 1.02x U.S. mix -55 in a year
10. 10
    Wealth management and investment firms397

    Ask for: Firm principal 178 with 50 to 499 employees 1.24x U.S. mix +27 in a year
11. 11
    Insurance agencies and brokerages255

    Ask for: Agency principal or owner 115 with 50 to 499 employees 1.06x U.S. mix -2 in a year
12. 12
    Accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms238

    Ask for: Managing partner 92 with 50 to 499 employees 1.02x U.S. mix -19 in a year

Businesses are establishments with 20 to 499 employees (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023), the small and mid-sized range MSPs sell to; the SBA Office of Advocacy counts firms under 500 employees as small businesses. Change and concentration: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2025 Q2.

Every industry here has a size mix close to the 100-metro average, so the tiers follow the counts.

• Manufacturers are the largest group in Chicago with 3,168 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, more than Milwaukee has (934): more concentrated than nationally (1.37x), down 48 establishments in a year, and typical in size (34% with 50 or more employees).

• Wholesale distributors are the second-largest group in Chicago with 2,273 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, more than Milwaukee has (434): close to the national mix, down 122 establishments in a year, and typical in size (23% with 50 or more employees).

• Medical, dental and outpatient practices are the third-largest group in Chicago with 2,150 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, more than Milwaukee has (515): more concentrated than nationally (1.19x), up 474 establishments in a year, and typical in size (12% with 50 or more employees).

• Construction contractors are the fourth-largest group in Chicago with 1,695 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, more than Milwaukee has (378): more concentrated than nationally (1.16x), down 109 establishments in a year, and typical in size (18% with 50 or more employees).

• Nonprofits and member organizations are the fifth-largest group in Chicago with 896 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, more than Milwaukee has (206): close to the national mix, down 87 establishments in a year, and typical in size (15% with 50 or more employees).

• Private schools and education providers are the sixth-largest group in Chicago with 853 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, more than Milwaukee has (183): close to the national mix, up 10 establishments in a year, and typical in size (24% with 50 or more employees).

After those six come architecture and engineering firms (471), law firms (404), real estate brokerages and property management offices (401), wealth management and investment firms (397), insurance agencies and brokerages (255) and accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms (238), smaller groups to work by fit rather than volume.

Where a rule or a client review puts a date on security work in Chicago: manufacturers (3,168, CMMC where they supply defense work), medical, dental and outpatient practices (2,150, HIPAA), law firms (404, client security questionnaires), wealth management and investment firms (397, SEC and FINRA exams), insurance agencies and brokerages (255, carrier and state insurance data security requirements) and accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms (238, the FTC Safeguards Rule); together, 6,612 businesses where the first message can lead with the requirement instead of the service.

What leads in each core county

• Cook County: manufacturers (1,440), medical, dental and outpatient practices (1,155) and wholesale distributors (1,013) lead its 7,010 target businesses.
• DuPage County: manufacturers (573), wholesale distributors (526) and medical, dental and outpatient practices (321) lead its 2,240 target businesses.
• Lake County: manufacturers (246), wholesale distributors (210) and medical, dental and outpatient practices (123) lead its 893 target businesses.
• Will County: manufacturers (191), wholesale distributors (182) and medical, dental and outpatient practices (160) lead its 822 target businesses.

Employee bands: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, establishments with 10 to 499 employees; suppressed size classes count as zero. Concentration and one-year change: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2025 Q2. The 100-metro average is the same share summed across every market we publish.

3,418 IT services firms are based in the Chicago-Naperville metro. That is 29 fewer than a year ago. When an IT firm closes or sells, its customers go looking for a new one. The IT services industry is 25% less concentrated than the U.S. as a whole, so a consistent outbound program reaches business owners and office managers that are not tired of contractor calls. 3.9 target businesses per IT firm puts Chicago 28 of 100 markets. That is more room per IT firm than most metros, so systematic prospecting tends to find accounts nobody is working. If you can serve Milwaukee and South Bend, they have more target businesses per IT firm than Chicago.

Tier 1 covers manufacturers, wholesale distributors and medical, dental and outpatient practices with 50 to 499 employees.

Cook County, DuPage County and Lake County hold 78% of the target businesses across the 12-county metro. The other 9 counties split the remaining 22%, which is where Tier 1 accounts justify the drive and smaller sites do not.

A new office or location needs network, devices and security set up before people move in, and the provider who does that work is in the best position to support it after.

• Medical, dental and outpatient practices: 474 more establishments than a year ago

  In this category the usual openings are a new location, a HIPAA risk assessment, an EHR or practice management change, a security incident.

• Wealth management and investment firms: 27 more establishments than a year ago

  In this category the usual openings are a regulatory exam, a custodian or broker-dealer requirement, a firm breakaway or merger, a security incident.

• Private schools and education providers: 10 more establishments than a year ago

  In this category the usual openings are a device refresh, a wireless upgrade, a new building, a summer project list, a security incident.

• Wholesale distributors: 122 fewer establishments than a year ago

  An acquisition puts a business under new owners, who usually review who runs IT and fold it into their own systems.

• 29 fewer managed service providers than a year ago

  Clients of an IT firm that closed, retired or sold have to decide who supports them next.

More questions for every prospect type, and how to follow up after the meeting, are in the MSP prospecting playbook.

If your engineers travel, Milwaukee, South Bend, Grand Rapids and Madison are the closest metros we track. Here are the same counts used above for Chicago.

• Milwaukee, WI

  71 miles away, with 3,052 target businesses and 577 IT services firms, or 5.3 businesses per IT firm (#16 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is manufacturers.

• South Bend, IN

  73 miles away, with 486 target businesses and 87 IT services firms, or 5.6 businesses per IT firm (#12 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is manufacturers.

• Grand Rapids, MI

  128 miles away, with 2,235 target businesses and 215 IT services firms, or 10.4 businesses per IT firm (#4 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is manufacturers.

• Madison, WI

  139 miles away, with 1,080 target businesses and 418 IT services firms, or 2.6 businesses per IT firm (#57 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is manufacturers, and it over-indexes on nonprofits and member organizations at 1.37x the national mix.