“At our last strategic planning session, we realized we needed to do something else in addition to organic growth to meet our company’s five-year goals,” Dan* recently shared with me on the phone. Like many middle market companies, organic growth was stagnant, and the company’s progress had plateaued. Dan saw the gap between where the […]
Strategy and Company Growth
Explore how to craft a robust and actionable strategy for the future.
Hello and Happy New Year! Welcome to the first post in 2019. I always love the new year because it’s a great time to take a step back, reflect and refocus. Far too often business leaders get caught up in the day-to-day of running a company, putting out fires, or jumping to the next big […]
Past success is no guarantee of future success. Just ask Shakey’s Pizza, Ground Round Grill & Bar or Frisch’s Big Boy. If you’re scratching your head wondering what these companies are, you have proven my point. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted the ways these three companies, which were once recognizable anywhere, have shrunk […]
In my over 20 years of helping companies grow through acquisitions, I can say the secret to a successful deal is having a solid, strategic approach to M&A. This is true for middle market manufacturers, technology startups, family-owned food and beverage companies, and divisions of publicly traded firms. Having a plan is the first step […]
Many executives don’t take enough time to think about the “why” of acquisition. They focus on conducting research, identifying targets, negotiation with owners and valuing companies and gloss over these grounding questions. But the foundation of every successful acquisition lies in your strategic rationale. Without this foundation, it’s impossible to guide your endeavors. If you embark […]
Do you have a plan for the future? Whether you are looking to grow your business or cash out, having a strategic plan is key to success. As mergers and acquisitions activity becomes more and more heated in the physical therapy space, owners thinking of selling (or buying) must evaluate various factors and begin developing […]
Buying another company is an excellent tactic for growing your company, but are you really ready to do a deal? About 77% of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) fail due to a variety of issues ranging from lack of strategic alignment to incomplete due diligence to culture clashes. A bad acquisition can leave a company worse […]
“It can be the best financial deal on the planet, but if it doesn’t fit our strategy…we’re not interested.” This quote from Gary Norcross, President and CEO of Fidelity National Information Services, expresses a simple principle: In order to be successful, an acquisition must be strategic in nature. One of the primary reasons acquisitions fail […]
While a leader’s years of experience may be invaluable, companies should not make decisions based on instinct alone. We are human and biases can influence the judgement of even the most “objective” leader. In today’s information world it is important to pair real-time data with analytical skills in order to arrive at the best decision. […]
Developing and implementing a strategy requires multiple skills and successful growth requires multiple perspectives. Other people in the company have a different level of skillset or expertise that can be beneficial. A leader’s team should be a brain trust or a mastermind forum for decision making that develops a collective understanding of the strategic plan. […]
When it comes to strategic growth, most leaders tend to focus on organic growth – hiring more sales staff, building a new branch or internally developing a new product. While there are many benefits to organic growth, there are times when relying on organic growth alone will not move the needle. When markets are saturated […]
How many of you have ever purchased a home? Thinking back on your experience, did you sit around waiting for a seller to come to you or did you spend time looking for just the right house? My guess is that most of our experiences fall into the second scenario. In fact, if I waited […]
Before you can determine where you want to go as a company, you have to have an understanding of where your business stands today. Who exactly are you as a company? This is easier said than done. Over time, even founders of companies can lose sight of their strategic vision and get caught up in […]
As a leader, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to simply keep doing something because that’s the way it has always been done. It is easy to fall into this trap without even realizing it. Everyone is busy and it can be tempting to default to autopilot and keep going about “business […]
On the wall of my company office there is a large inscription: We Help Clients Implement Their Dreams Note that the inscription refers to dreams, not goals. There is a difference. Goals are essential, the very stuff of successful business growth. But goals are the junior partners of something bigger. When Bill Gates founded Microsoft, […]
Are you weighed down by stress from problems you just can’t seem to crack? As leaders, every day we are faced with new challenges that keep us up at night, fortunately it doesn’t have to be this way. One of the most important components of effective decision-making is accurate data, which in today’s information age […]
Athletes from around the world have gathered for the 2018 Winter Olympics, which officially kicked off with the opening ceremonies on February 9 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. As you watch the games and cheer on your favorite team, here are three leadership lessons to consider. 1. It takes a team Expectations were high for American […]
Knowing when to say “no” to opportunity is just as important as knowing when to say “yes.” Growing your company is exciting and it’s tempting to pursue a good opportunity when you see it. Saying “no” does not come naturally to most of us. While you might be afraid to turn down an opportunity because […]
Many companies struggle to execute successful deals because they lack a strong M&A strategy. In a survey conducted by the National Center for the Middle Market, 38 percent of middle market companies said that developing the right strategy was their biggest challenge in M&A. That number may actually be higher because often companies react to opportunities […]
On January 1st many people make New Years’ resolutions to lose weight, exercise regularly, or save money. Unfortunately, many abandon these resolutions shortly after making them. We stop going to the gym and end up blowing our budget on a shiny new widget. The new year is also a time when companies set their own […]
