Business Development

Advised a major information company on a program to become more customer-focused. At the behest of the CEO, we identified best practices of customer-focused organizations and recommended steps for our client to close identified gaps. Our recommendations resulted in specific changes in policy and practice affecting a wide range of processes across the company.

A software company retained us to help it develop a business among electronic publishers. We first defined a strong value proposition and created a sales presentation for publishers. We then went on to identify and qualify potential customers and to use our connections to make introductions for our client's sales force.

A healthcare information company asked us to help it devise a roll-out strategy for a new product aimed at physicians. After conducting extensive interviews with physicians, hospital CIOs, and information specialists, we defined a plan for pricing and positioning to major hospitals and healthcare institutions.

A start-up technology company retained us to create a sales strategy for bringing its products to market. We devised a multi-pronged approach using direct, OEM,.and VAR sales channels to accelerate its sales. As part of our work, we helped the company re-package its offering into separate software modules that would sell more easily through those channels.

A venture capital firm retained us to help analyze investment opportunities in Internet companies. Working with the principals of the investment fund, our work has involved pre- and post-deal due diligence, including market assessments, competitive analyses, and valuations.

A major consumer media company retained us to develop a business plan for its entry into web publishing. Working closely with senior management, we created a plan that capitalized on the company's strength in content creation and exploited its distribution capabilities in other media, including magazines, books, cable TV, and merchandise, to help build its brand online. The plan, which required a multimillion dollar investment, was approved by the company's board of directors and is being executed.

An established corporate service company requested our help in structuring a business relationship with a startup information company. Our work included valuation of the target company prior to making an equity investment as well as guidance during the successful negotiation of a product distribution agreement.

A major corporation retained us to provide a valuation of a potential information company acquisition. We developed a cost and revenue model for acquiring, consolidating, and operating a combined business. Our model enabled the client to negotiate successfully from a position of strength.

A newspaper publisher with a web site asked us to evaluate opportunities to develop a separate site that would deliver specialized information. We conducted an assessment of the market and an analysis of the cost of building and/or acquiring content. We subsequently developed a business plan that was approved and funded by company management.

A major professional publisher came to us with the idea of developing an online service within its market. As a print publisher, the client did not have the expertise to develop and market an electronic service. We were engaged to refine the client's business plan, define the product offering, create an implementation plan, and co-manage the product launch. We also evaluated several vendors, and eventually negotiated an agreement with one vendor to establish a system.

A large financial services firm requested our help in marketing its electronic order execution service to institutional customers. Although the market was crowded with several competitive offerings, our work found that the key to market acceptance was linking the order execution service to other systems that are integral to users' trading workflow. Our client was able to re-position its order execution service, and make significant inroads into the marketplace.

A financial industry group retained us to help it develop ways to move the industry toward more efficient forms of electronic commerce. As a first step, we analyzed the scope and cost of the existing ways of conducting commerce using legacy electronic systems. As a follow-on phase, we devised an improved methodology for conducting electronic commerce, and an approach for a practical migration to the new approach over time.