The document discusses how businesses can plan for growth. It emphasizes that businesses need to understand customer needs and determine what value they provide to customers. The document then outlines a four step process used by Verve4growth to help businesses assess their current performance, set goals and objectives, identify resource gaps, determine strategic options, and create a business plan to enable growth. It stresses that change may be required across all business areas to drive the level of performance needed to meet customer expectations and achieve growth objectives.

1. All businesses in general want to grow,
and need to plan accordingly. The key
measurables when considering a
business’s potential for growth are
sales, cash, EBITDA and profit.
The simplest way to grow is to sell more
to existing customers or to find new
customers for the firm’s current offering,
which may seem self-evident, but finding
those new customers can sometimes
mean changes to your existing model,
such as entering a new sector, developing
a new product or targeting a new
geographic territory.
If your business is to grow, you need to
make a plan, and put your plan into
action. Whatever route you choose it is
your planning, energy, resources and
execution that will determine success.
Often the key to growth is to understand
what value the business is seen to provide
by its customers, and just what its
customers are willing to pay for.
The four steps are designed to engage
Owners and Management by asking some
pertinent questions about the business, its
current performance and its strategic
objectives.
Through discussion and debate we will
together determine the strategic, financial
and operational goals to put the business
on track for growth. And provide support
to the Management team as they execute
the plan.
The key questions to be addressed are:
• What is our status?
an assessment of the firm’s current
business condition in terms of its
financial , commercial, operational
and strategic performance
• What are the desired outcomes?
the objectives and goals of the
business
• What resources do we have?
a review of the human and tangible
assets deployed in the business
• What resources do we need?
the gaps in skills, capabilities and
funding that need addressing to
enable the business to achieve its
desired outcome
• What are the options available?
the strategy choices that enable the
business to achieve its objectives
Ensuring the future business trajectory is
what everyone wants. So take time to
work out the options and if help is
required, reach out for support and
advice.
Perceived value is not just about the
tangible attributes of product
performance. Today a firm’s service level
must match or exceed its customer’s
expectations. So if today’s performance is
not meeting those expectations, a
profound and radical step change across
all areas of the business may be required
to get the growth agenda back on track.
The process of changing business
performance to ensure growth, its
continued prosperity and viability is called
Business Transformation.
A Business Transformation program
should force Owners, Managers and
Investors to take a step back and look at
the business from a fresh perspective.
Frequently this is best accomplished by
bringing in an outsider to lead the
transformation process.
All areas of a company can benefit from
an outsider’s fresh thinking. All businesses
have to some extent engrained “ways we
do things around here”, and fresh thinking
is often the necessary catalyst for growth,
change and improvement.
Recognising the need to change is key, but
determining what to do in order to deliver
sustainable growth can be one of the most
difficult challenges managers face. This is
often caused by a fear of change as,
fundamentally, no-one likes change;
particularly as change almost always
means disruption and the challenge of
learning new ways of doing things.
The Verve4growth 4 step approach:
Verve4growth brings a four step approach
to helping businesses grow, change and
improve performance.
1. clear-eyed assessment
2. energise for action
3. outline business plan
4. score the goals
How to grow?
call: +44 (0) 121 663 0984
email: info@verve4growth.co.uk
www.verve4growth.co.uk
Ian Parker
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