JBR helps entrepreneurs at crossroads look ahead

Article from Consultancy.co.uk

Entrepreneurs anticipate change

The world never stands still - change is happening all the time. This has happened at a faster pace in recent decades than ever before - the world has become much more complex and dynamic than it once was. That makes entrepreneurship challenging. But it also means that choices must always be made - an essential part of entrepreneurship.

But what if, as an entrepreneur, you can't see the forest for the trees, or in other words, you are at a crossroads and don't know which exit to take. In our years of strategy consulting, we have been able to support countless entrepreneurs in making decisions, decisions that affect the growth path of the organization. We have been able to provide a rationale for a choice or confirmation, enabling important steps to be taken with a strong focus and certainty about the direction taken.

Every company has its own vision of the future and a strategy for working toward it. But what if this future looks different in the course of time, for example, because the economy develops differently than foreseen, or politics takes a different course due to elections. As an entrepreneur, you must be able to anticipate this.

All sorts of things can change within your own sector as well: new parties seek their place in the market, established parties disappear, there is scaling up, in size, but consolidation can also take place in the chain. A completely different supplier upsets the balance, your customer base becomes larger or smaller, or your suppliers change their offerings.

The fit between your company and the market has shifted, and that requires adjustment. Issues arise and you realize that choices must be made. This is when you need to take stock of strategic routes. An important part of doing business is to stay in control: you don't want your company to become a plaything of circumstances, but rather you try to be a game changer. However, swallowed up by the hectic pace of the day, as an entrepreneur you may not have enough time to work out the various scenarios in order to make well-founded choices.

Looking forward

JBR focuses on entrepreneurs, managers, supervisors and owners who are at a crossroads and are seeking substantiation, support or validation for the direction of growth, the path to new business or just the transfer or discontinuation of business.

As an entrepreneur, you can turn to JBR for advice on these questions. Especially when you are at a crossroads of choices, our knowledge of strategy and sectors combined with financial accountability can help you choose the right direction.

Substantiation for the advice comes from an external analysis of, for example, the company's market potential, the possible positioning within the market segments, the critical volume needed for a future-proof position, the opportunities and threats in the market, and an internal analysis of the company, including opportunities and risks. The analysis can be as large or as small as desired. An afternoon of sparring is also an option.

If necessary, our corporate finance advisors value your company or the business units and can indicate how this can be further optimized. This includes whether the company can optimize value independently, or whether an acquisition provides the necessary growth impetus. But it may also be that a strategic or financial buyer can add more value, in which case we will of course consider whether this is a preferable route.

If growth through acquisition is chosen, the process of selecting the ideal partner and the purchase process is in good hands at JBR. Even if an external investment or sale is at issue, JBR has extensive experience in advising in this process.

Our track record

With many entrepreneurs we have had the opportunity to go through selection and decision processes. Because we work with entrepreneurs from all sectors, we can use the knowledge and experience gained in one sector in another. As a result, interaction between the sectors takes place.

The entrepreneur's specific industry and inside knowledge combined with JBR's knowledge of sectors, business models and how to optimize the value of companies resulted in thorough, and often surprising and creative, scenarios.

It goes without saying that in making the subsequent choices, it is necessary that the various stakeholders are on the same page. Here too, a joint process will be followed, in which workshops and discussion rounds will create support among all stakeholders in order to have a strong joint focus and certainty about the chosen direction.

Thus, the entrepreneur, board or shareholder takes the right turn and can face the future with confidence.

Source: Consultancy.co.uk