In my previous post, I mentioned the five pathways to growth. The first pathway is organic growth. Organic growth is business as usual. It is growth through acquiring more customers or selling more products. You may be reading this blog because on some level your organic growth has stalled. But before you rush to adopt …
Tag: David Braun
Five Pathways to Growth
As you focus your attention on the growth of your company, there are five key pathways to consider: Grow Organically Exit the Market Be the Low-Cost Provider Do Nothing Pursue External Growth Before you even start planning an acquisition, remember there are other growth options available. It is an important realization that you do have …
Looking to the Future
As we begin the new year, I am reminded of the importance of looking to the future for growth. One of the tools I use at Capstone when we begin work with clients is Michael Porter’s ‘‘Five Forces’’ model for analyzing a company’s relative position in the market. It invites you to look at the pressures …
Less is more?
When you hear the word “grow,” you probably think of getting bigger: having more customers, more markets, more products, or more revenue. I prefer to see growth strategy as a way to recalibrate your company, enabling you to become increasingly focused and effective. Recalibration is a continual necessity today, because economic and technological changes are …
Seven Strategic Questions
Last week, I wrote about the importance of self-exploration. To begin your journey of self-exploration, here are seven strategic questions you may find helpful: 1) What business are we in? 2) What is our core competency? 3) What are we not? 4) Where is our pain? 5) What are our dreams? 6) What is our …
From Beginning to Beginning
When I am teaching M&A, I often use the phrase ‘‘from beginning to beginning.’’ I am signaling a difference from the more familiar phrase ‘‘from beginning to end,’’ which suggests that once the deal is signed, the process is over. In my experience, the end of an M&A transaction marks the beginning of a whole …
Choosing the Right Growth Pathway
As you move from developing the strategic foundations for growth to implementing your growth plan, think about the different pathways to growth. Choosing the right pathway for growth is considered to be the heart of business. In the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) blog, I outline some of the strategic pathways you can take for growth, …
Price Isn’t Everything
Are you considering an acquisition? Remember, when it comes to buying companies, especially privately held ones, the transaction is almost never about just the price. There is always something going on that falls outside the spreadsheets. Understanding that mysterious ‘‘something’’ is what can make or break your deal. The statistics are frightening. By most reckonings, …
“Go-Shop Clause”
Edelman Financial Group agreed to sell their business for $258 million which is reported to be a 43% premium over their stock price. The interesting thing is the agreement includes a 40 day “go-shop clause” where the company can seek higher bids. I have been talking about these provisions for several years and expect you’ll …
Why is Fortis Acquiring CH Energy?
Fortis, Inc (TSX: FTS), a Canadian utility company, announced yesterday that it is acquiring CH Energy Group (NYSE: CHG) for $1B in cash plus the assumption of $500K in debt, which is about 10x 2011 EBITDA. CH Energy, which is a public utility headquartered in Poughkeepsie, NY, said this about the benefits of the acquisition: …
