In addition to developing a strong and strategic business plan and pitch, we frequently engage in ongoing consulting, advisory board, or interim management roles with our clients. These relationships are typically structured around specific business development goals. Our advisory (for all stages of maturity) services include:
Business and Financial Strategy
For most startups, as well as more mature businesses in this environment, surviving and thriving can be incredibly challenging. The market is changing rapidly, new competitors are emerging, and technology is evolving quickly. Further, human dynamics within the founding team often make or break a company. Companies must move quickly and decisively, often with limited resources and little margin for error.
We are involved in this business because we love watching entrepreneurs at all levels attain their dreams. But sometimes the needs of our clients don’t fit a nice, neat package. That’s why we also offer additional intermediary services such as capital formation, mergers & acquisitions, and funding so that a suitable and strong business development plan can be put in place.
Many entrepreneurs or small companies don’t know where to turn to find the right consultants or service providers – professionals who bring invaluable industry contacts and advice to a venture. Now you can get the same access to high-level strategic advisory that large and middle-market firms get without the high cost. It takes time, effort and hustle, and it can easily become a distraction for founders who are focused on building their companies. By leveraging our numerous professional contacts, and current knowledge of market perceptions and trends, we are well equipped to not only maximize the probability of success, but save you invaluable time.
Based on our years of experience in the business world, we have become adept at “pattern recognition,” and are able to identify key elements that lead to the success of a strategic business plan, as well as the common pitfalls that are the bane of many companies. From this, we have derived a line of consulting services, CFO services, analytical tools and strategic decision-making frameworks, including:
- Go-To-Market and Product Launch: Identification, analysis and refinement of commercial launch strategies.
- Revenue and Pricing Model Analysis: Qualitative and quantitative analysis of potential business.
- Revenue models, including analysis of various pricing, cost, and unit forecast scenarios.
- Business Operations: Assistance with forming operating goals and roadmap; assistance with forming solid tactical plans (e.g. next steps) given your company‚s current resources.
- Business Expansion: Identification of methods to extend existing product mix; also used to expand into secondary or tertiary market segments.
- Feasibility Analysis: Qualitative and quantitative research and analysis of a new opportunity; typically used to make go / no-go decisions regarding the launch of a new business or product line.
- Competitive Strategy: Competitor research and profiles; typically includes positioning strategy within the context of competitive and market dynamics, as well as industry structure.
Market Research / Strategy
Your customers are the life-blood of your company. Customer acquisition begins with marketing – creating awareness of your product or service offering– and ends with closing sales. Through our own resources and through trusted affiliates, we provide creative solutions along this entire spectrum.
Offerings include:
- Refinement and conversion of core value proposition into effective strategic marketing plans.
- Creation of marketing collateral: presentations, data sheets, whitepapers, scripts, speeches, letters and Web copy.
- Managing the execution of marketing programs through contracted service providers (PR, advertising, etc.)
- Serving as “interpreter” between engineering and marketing to define product features, functions, and customer benefits.
- Market validation, including customer and partner primary research calling plan formulation.
- Market research and segmentation, including SWOT and “Four P’s” analyses.
- ROI evaluation and monitoring.
Advisory Board Services
Effective advisors can extend your firm‚s reach through contacts, domain expertise, and portals to new customers or markets. We are skilled at: i) developing creative strategies to find high-level advisors; ii) building the value proposition and “buzz” necessary to induce advisors to extend their name, credibility, and Rolodex; and iii) formulating systems to effectively utilize the collective skills of the Board.
Partner Development Services
It is the rare startup that achieves success all alone. An effective way to ramp up quickly and efficiently is by partnering with established firms that provide credibility, solution components, and marketing assistance. In addition, startups need trusted legal and financial advisors before approaching the venture community and before sales start to ramp.
However, the partner search takes legwork and significant due diligence. Further, negotiating alliances often involves many nuances, and must be handled appropriately. We bring the ability to source relevant partners, get through to the key decision maker, and then apply proven negotiation techniques to craft strong “win-win” alliances.