Strategy is a company’s foundation and the first step to maximizing growth. Our strategic planning consultants compare strategy to the root system of a thriving orchid. The strategy should be straightforward, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to define. Gartner notes that “only 8 percent of strategy leaders report a success rate of 90 percent or more on long-term strategic initiatives.”
Every company struggles with prioritizing goals. The strategic plan dictates a path forward for the organization; at the base level, it’s simple: where do you want to go and how will you get there? The plan facilitates conversation, collaboration, and alignment with the company’s leadership and needs to be communicated to the entire organization for complete transparency and clarity.
“Not only did Orchid Black help me navigate a successful $36M strategic exit, but we have continued to work together to expand my personal mission by growing a new company in a blue ocean space. OB researched the market, built a data-driven strategy in-line with market needs and created the foundation of a scalable company that will be an even bigger exit than the last one.”
Market Research & Competitive Analysis: Identify opportunities in the market by means of quantitative/qualitative market research, competitive analysis, and benchmarking.
Organizational Analytics: Derive internal growth insight from customer segmentation and a holistic analysis of the business - and its data.
Strategic Consulting Services: Create a multi-year growth strategy. Its goal is to make sure that company leadership and operational plans all support the same goals.
Operational Business Services: Build an annual operating plan that details what activities or initiatives will be undertaken, how much they will cost, how they will be measured, and who is responsible for execution.
Exit Strategy: Create a clear path to exit and an exit strategy to maximize your transferable value to the acquirer.
Exit Readiness: Ensure you and your team are primed for acquisition — from the creation of your deck and deal room to preparing your team for interviews by the buyer’s due diligence team.
Check out these episodes of Orchid Black's podcast featuring 'Strategy':
Good reads and great information on 'Strategy' from Orchid Black's expert operating partners:
Strategy is a company’s roots, and like in root systems, flexibility is critical. A strategic plan will evolve as the company grows in revenue, people, and complexity. So even though it’s developed to set direction over years, it is a best practice to review and, if required, amend on an annual basis. Finally, the plan also takes into account an often overlooked area—company resources.
Strategy is the primary reason companies receive a “premium” above fair market value when it comes time to exit. This can be due to a lack of strategic clarity or alignment, low barriers to entry, fast-growing competitors, current markets maturing, or no clear exit strategy. To optimize and maximize the value of your strategy, our strategic planning consultants leverage their expertise to help you map and execute your market research, business planning, and exit strategy needs. Our growth program includes multiple strategy services.