At Fogleman, Rich & Rose, we define Strategic Growth Planning as ...
There is, of course, no stock answer to those questions, since each business has its own personality (a reflection of the individuality of the entrepreneur) ... and each business functions within its own marketplace, with its attendant peculiarities.
In recognition of this, and based upon hundreds of client encounters, Fogleman, Rich & Rose has developed a "Modular" planning approach, initially dealing with uncovering the most appropriate and workable "Fundamental Growth Strategy". This provides the foundation for our formal Strategic Planning and Core Management Decision Support Programs and, early on, strikes at the very heart of helping the "growth minded" entrepreneur find the correct answers to those three crucial questions.
This "Modularity" also provides the opportunity to focus on the most critical area of need first, while creating a "building block" approach to formal planning. It is our experience that this allows for maximizing the use of management time and resources while achieving the biggest "bang for the buck".
Reduced to its simplest form, the solution to Dynamic Growth lies in getting some (more) money, then implementing a dynamite marketing program. Because of this need (to coordinate both capital and marketing), FRRC's Advanced Planning Services are delivered within those categories ... i.e., Financal Strategies and Marketing Strategies, ... with intensive work in each respective category building toward either a Corporate Finance Plan or a Strategic Market Plan. Of course, the combination of the two results in a "Comprehensive, Strategic Business Growth Plan" ... also called a Business Plan.
While each venture is unique, certain universal principals will always apply, and it is the Consultant's role to first, assist in "designing a workable growth strategy", then actively help in "packaging" the program in as attractive a manner as possible. When sourcing capital, this usually involves formal documentation of a Business Plan or Private Placement Memorandum ... or, a combination of both. This is always done anticipating the use of both traditional and electronic means of disseminating information about the client company and its potential.
The following outlines how we do the first part.
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All Work begins with a prepaid consulting agreement which provides the operating basis for conducting our original analysis and which allows us to spend enough time with you and your team to be certain that any proposed course of action is appropriate to your circumstances. The agreement also spells out rigid confidentiality and bi-lateral disclosure standards.
We always start with an intensive interview/Q&A session. Typically, we can get a very good feel for the status of the Project during the course of a full day with the FRRC Team. As a Client, your job, at that time, is to tell all and infect us with the idea. Our job is to ask every question a qualified, potential investor might ... and then some.
Concurrently, we implement an aggressive information research program designed to accurately update everyone on your team (and us!) as to the condition of the marketplace for your specific product/service and determine ... is it really conducive to growth ? The research will also gague the general receptivity of financial markets to determine the feasibility of a capital expansion of your type of company. Using a battery of tools, (including electronic news filters, demographic databases, internet search engines, and others), we will scan various reports, documents and press releases (in many cases, hundreds) and extract the most salient issues, comments, and statistics for use in our analyses. DELIVERABLE - Situation Analysis Report Our Objective is to produce a complete Situation Analysis Report effectively summing up the current status of the Company, the status of the Company's marketplace, and the potential of the Company to expand or otherwise meet the goals of management. The Report will clearly define our recommendations for a broad Growth Strategy as well as outline the "next steps" toward implementation of the strategy. This first level of analysis and report results in a substantive and attractive document which is intended to be put to use immediately, both internally as well as externally.
Frequently titled "Investment Summary", the Initial Document can be distributed to bankers, potential partners or prospective investors, etc. ... to effectively and swiftly "test the water". Depending upon your situation, if your Company needs additional documentation, it will be very obvious at that time. SCHEDULE Some business ideas are so new they require significant research and analysis, and therefore, will take longer. Others have strong similarities to other business types and thus, lend themselves to a more rapid analysis. At FRRC, we employ staggered schedules in order to work on Initial Analysis projects almost 24 hours per day until they are finished, usually requiring several days to a week to pull everything together. Our target for the completion of a detailed Situation Analysis Report is 10 working days. Formal, Strategic Business Growth Planning If you are interested in Dramatic Growth in your business and are considering the ways and means for financing and controlling rapid expansion ... remember that growth cannot be planned "too well." It can be over-engineered, overestimated, overwritten, oversold, and even (occasionally) over capitalized ... it is exceedingly rare, however, that a good idea is over-planned. Invoiced and Paid as a single payment, prior to the start of planning activity. In the event of additional work, such as; development of a Corporate Finance Plan, an Investor Relations Plan, a Market Growth Plan, an Information Technology Plan, or a Complete Business Plan, the full amount is applied to the cost as a retainer.
in Strategic Growth & Business Planning ... Fogleman, Rich & Rose. |
