When you go to a new market, you consider both your best opportunities to obtain new clients and protect yourself from the competition. If you can identify your competition's asset baggage, you can rest assured you will find your sweet spot.Asset baggage includes a company's brand, staff, IT systems, distribution network, marketing collateral, inve...
Read MoreMost of the time when people come to us they are looking for help to grow their businesses. And when you think about it, there are actually only five ways to grow a business. Here they are: OneDouble down on the niche that you already serve. This can be done through better-selling processes, better marketing processes, improved channels, but essent...
Read MoreAn area that people get wrong all the time is pricing. Some people price high based on the profits they hope to achieve. Some base it on some sort of average industry “cost-plus” rule. Some are afraid to charge too much. Still, others simply add a few percent to last year’s price. So before you set your next price or quote your next deal here are...
Read MoreMany companies (products and services companies) focus all their efforts on designing the end-customer experience. They think about the discovery, the buying experience, the user-experience, support and so on. And then, after all of that is ‘designed-in’ they think about getting to market.
Read MoreHave you ever been fascinated by an expert juggling three or five balls at a time? So you try it and maybe you manage to catch one ball, then you find yourself lunging after the second, and then you have absolutely no idea where the third one went. The secret to mastering juggling is to be an expert thrower. Because, when you are good at throwing,...
Read MoreSo here we are : 2021. We are at a new beginning. • WFH is a recognized acronym• The US has a new administration,• The UK has set sail away from the EU• China is running into authoritarian complaints• Covid vaccines are hitting their stride• Social media is maybe too big for its own good• On-line and Cloud everything is the norm• Client expectatio...
Read MoreWhen we bought our rural property several years ago, the waterfront was dominated by a massive butternut tree. It was close to 60’ high with a 2-1/2’ diameter trunk. Unfortunately, butternut trees are subject to a nasty fungus called butternut canker that causes them to die off. In our case the tree had started to shed 12” limbs which, when droppe...
Read MoreHeraclitus said that the only constant is change and 2021 is holding true to form with even more dramatic change on the way. The US socio-political situation is tense but it is being resolved quite quickly. The vaccines are on the way giving us not only hope but confidence as well. China and the rest of the world are at odds but new balance is bei...
Read MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic has been an excellent stress test for society - the way work and the way we live. It’s brought to light things that are obsolete, things that are inefficient, and things that from a 21st-century perspective, are simply wrong. We all read about the dramatic changes that are happening in retail. Companies are attracting clients...
Read MoreAs a consulting firm, we need to clearly understand who might buy our client’s products or services. Clients often point us to research firms that publish ‘Everything You Need to Know About X’ (the mining market, housing industry, power, ice cream, TV dinners - there are literally tens of thousands of research publications). These ‘off the shelf’ r...
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