nem’s Advisory Services provide the hands-on help to business owners to ensure the businesses growth infrastructure is in place to maximise profitability and/or assist prepare businesses for sale or transition.
Getting the Basics Right - Accelerating your Performance
As a foundation for rapid growth, all businesses need to make sure they have the right growth infrastructure in place or more put simply have “The basics covered”. Without that, the pathway to sustained growth is frustrated or at worst growth stalls completely. Most business owners are already extremely busy running their business, so they need support to get this infrastructure in place.
Getting the basics right!
Achieving an owner’s vision and objectives for the business requires all key elements to be aligned, then implemented to ensure success. The secret to ensuring growth is to review the commercial model collaboratively and critically (how the business makes money) ,then enhance this model to optimise Sales and Profit. Through the application of the firm’s proprietary business development frameworks and review templates, nem can efficiently assess the needs of the business and identify the critical success factors to achieve the optimum outcomes for all stakeholders in the shortest possible time frames. Out of this process gaps are identified and prioritised for implementation to ensure the platform is set in place for the identified aspirations.
Deliverables
The deliverables from this initial phase will be a clear road map (or plan) that sets out the steps required to ensure the owner’s vision and objectives will be achieved. The plan may include options and alternatives based on the capacity of the business to execute and implement the list.
The nem difference
Establishing the correct foundation is a critical first step to ensuring sustainable growth of any business. For this initial phase to be successful there needs to be collaboration and honest, open communication. The nem role in this phase is not to simply provide industry based generic advice based on previous clients, but rather ask the right questions and then listen to all stakeholders to ensure we accurately identify the core issues and any roadblocks. It’s these questions and focus on outcomes that that are the difference and will ensure the initial phase is completed quicker than the owner can on their own.
Implementation and Project Management
It is not enough to know what needs to be done; someone must implement the aspirations that have been agreed for the outcome to be achieved. nem provides expertise that may not be available internally. Projects are always focused on delivering the outcome against goals and objectives agreed with the client through the review phase. This means success is easily measurable by both parties.
Process
Before a project is implemented, agreement needs to be reached regarding the expected Value-added outcomes that are likely to be achieved. Additionally, the scope, the complexity of the work, the resources and commitment required to deliver them need to be understood. Engaging the right people that provide the right services, for a project often ensures that project is a success.
From here, we actually implement, and deliver to the agreed plan. We can help as little or as much as needed. We are very flexible and have literally done thousands of projects from quite small to large and complex. We follow a structured approach with periodic reviews to make sure we are meeting expectations and that the project is on track to achieve the agreed outcomes.
Deliverables
The project, system modification or any change management process is delivered on time and meets the pre-agreed objectives. Guaranteed.
The nem difference
If unrealistic claims are made or unrealistic expectations are created by either party (which is the conventional consulting approach), there is a need to develop complex proposals with equally complex implementation plans that justify the high cost and length of time of delivering them.
The nem approach seeks to obtain agreement quickly by offering a modest first step that is affordable and manageable in terms of client time and commitment and provides rapid identification of far more modest VALUE outcomes. Underpinning the nem difference is our approach; our hands on, practical experience and accountability to the agreed outcomes.
Mentoring for Growth - Advisory Boards
An advisory board is a select group of “independent” people who provide advice and support to the owners/ shareholders/directors of a business. They provide non-binding strategic advice to organisations and hence are informal in nature.
As a business grows and matures, keeping the momentum and creating genuine accountability is a key determinant of success. A different, structured approach is needed around the four pillars of People, Systems and Process, Stakeholders (including suppliers and Marketing) and lastly, Finance which is really an outcome of the other three pillars.
The role of the advisory board will evolve over time and having a properly functioning advisory board is like having a personal trainer for your business.
Process
The Advisory Board will use a standardised monthly agenda with occasional seasonal items to ensure nothing is neglected. The owners and managers sit together in a facilitated forum with reports forwarded in advance, action items recorded and followed through and reminders enforced with real tracking and measurement. There will be updates on what has been achieved, status of key projects, goals for the next month and two months beyond, priorities for next month and an opportunity for anyone to raise issues or opportunities in a safe forum.
Deliverables
The Advisory Board provides independent thought, value congruence (a shared commitment to the development of the business), and the wisdom and courage to make and implement decisions. It is a “safe” place to discuss issues of major significance.
The nem difference
Your Advisory Board includes weekly check-ins, report reminders to all key managers and staff, communication meetings, a continually updated action register and assertive drive for the business. We also include a quarterly review meeting ensuring real measurable value is being added, annual planning session and a formalised annual review with another external nem Director and your key stakeholders.
Grow Sales Rapidly – cama Methodology
To grow sales efficiently and effectively, the business must position itself in the most attractive markets and where it has the highest competitive advantage. The nem cama methodology is built on the fundamental idea that truly unique competitive positioning accrues from examining the interaction between Competitive Advantage and Market Attractiveness. The nem cama methodology can provide a helpful approach both to identify new opportunities and to make choices between available options.
Process
Evaluating the firm’s intrinsic competitive strengths is not sufficient by itself to determine what is the firm’s unique positioning. To do that, competitive strength must be tested against the attractiveness of the market or markets in which the company is operating or wishes to operate. The nem cama methodology comprises four stages.
The Stakeholder Discovery Session commences with a client facing workshop that identifies the businesses most critical aspects of their Competitive Advantage and existing and potential Markets or segments that the business sees as attractive. The Research phase independently validates the stakeholder assessments. In relation to the competitive advantage criteria, this requires feedback directly from the customers or purchasers of the business ‘products or services. The market segments and industries are then independently researched via access to available industry data, subscribed industry information and from subject matter experts.
In the Feedback phase, the research findings are collated, analysed, and assessed and presented back to the stakeholders with the Competitive Advantage criteria reweighed and the most Attractive Market segments agreed. The Execution phase establishes the business development program by mapping all business relationships in those segments being targeted and uses a relationship engagement methodology to create connectivity and sales opportunities.
Deliverables
The nem cama graphical matrix can provide a unique one-page insight into the dynamic combination of markets and competitive positioning and can thereby enable a much clearer and robust set of strategic choices to be developed.
The business has a clear Competitive positioning statement that has emanated from their customer base and a clear understanding of where their Competitive Advantage can best be deployed in terms of target markets or segments. In practice, this allows the sales activities to be realigned dramatically improving their effectiveness.
The nem difference
nem developed the cama methodology over many years and it has been successfully implemented in numerous businesses across varied industries. nem cama quickly aligns marketing strategies with Managements operational objectives.
Let’s start a conversation.
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Clients benefit from:
Hundreds of years of management & business experience
An extensive trusted network of other service providers
Consultants who actually implement and don’t charge unless they can add genuine value
Honest and real conversations.