Planning is no less important in a growing business as when you first put together your initial business plan, but most small business owners don't have the toolkit to be able to set SMART goals or assess their market position and competitive advantages relative to current opportunities that exist.

Key Consulting can work with you and your senior management team over a structured three sessions that will help you to set appropriate strategic goals, identify your company's competitive strengths, assess the marketplace, and define your strategy for the short and long term.

Our unique process combines several proven methods for strategic development resulting in the development of effective growth strategies for companies operating in competitive markets.

After working with your team and facilitating the development of your goals and strategy, Key Consulting will provide you with your Corporate Strategy document in print and electronic format outlining and defining the goals you have set, a full SWOT and market analysis, and the strategic plan for your company designed to achieve your goals.

A complete business plan should include:

• Detailed information about the business, its structure, the ownership, and the products or services that will be offered.
• Detailed information about the financials of the business including funding, revenue and growth forecasts, and a complete set of forecast pro forma financial statements for the business.
• Detailed information about the marketing and sales plan that supports the financial forecasts and growth of the company.
• Detailed information about the short term, medium term, and long term goals and milestones that will allow for measurement of success against the plan.
• Detailed information about the target customers including their buying criteria, buying cycle (lead time to sale), and the total size of the target customer market in financial terms.
• Detailed information about the marketplace including competing products and services, substitute products and services, and the overall competitive landscape.
• and more.

Key Consulting will work with you using our Business Plan Toolkit to help to translate your business idea into a compelling and marketable business plan that will provide you a roadmap to success as a small business owner.

Lean Production techniques were pioneered by Toyota in the 1950's and have been implemented successfully for years in a manufacturing environment.  Key Consulting was trained in traditional lean manufacturing processes within the manufacturing environment and has since successfully implemented the same principles for service businesses and knowledge businesses.

Using traditional manufacturing methodologies such as Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Key Consulting will work with your staff over one or more process improvement sessions to provide them with an overview of the lean process, the history of the lean movement, and the benefits of implementing lean principles and then will facilitate the mapping of current state and future state processes designed to eliminate internal waste and maximize customer value.

By working with Key Consulting, your team will not only improve the efficiency of one or more processes during the lean process sessions, but they will learn the principles of lean process development which will enable them to continue the Kaizen (continuous improvement) process in the future to drive value and eliminate waste across your organization.

Whether as part of a business plan or in preparation for the launch of a new product or service offering it is vital to understand the dynamics of the market that you are attacking including customers, suppliers, current and potential future competitors, and competing and substitute products.

Key Consulting uses a unique research methodology and framework that can provide you with a significant understanding of the potential of the market that you are looking to enter before you make a significant investment in the development of your new product or service.

Our Market Analysis services will provide you with a detailed written (print and electronic) report outlining the forces at play within the target market, the opportunities and risks inherent within the market, and (if provided with sufficient detail on the product or service you are proposing) an overview of the potential of your new offering within that market.

Reduce the risk of misplaced investment by having Key Consulting do the research up front that will give you the competitive advantage you need to succeed.

Many books and case studies have documented the fates of businesses who have done the first step right (planning) but who were still unable to succeed in their business.  Buying a map only helps you get to the destination if you can read it and stick to the chosen path.  Execution is the key to turning plans into reality.

As a partner to your business in an advisory role, Key Consulting will spend face to face time with you on a monthly basis to ensure that you have your priorities set, recognize the milestones that are coming due, and are taking the steps required to execute your plan and achieve success.  We will work with you to identify areas that need corrective action and help you work through issues that have arisen and we will follow up with you on key milestone dates to ensure that you have met your commitments to yourself.

Many small business owners have difficulty finding the discipline to move from their old life as an employee to their new life as their own boss.  Key Consulting is there to help you through the transition and to provide you with someone to answer to when your deadlines start to slip or you start to lose focus on the goal.