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Companies and Investors uncertain over how to proceed in the B-to-B commerce sphere generally and particularly in eCommerce can use our assistance. Typical situations will vary by type of company.
Companies
- Competitors appear to be creating eCommerce strategies or third-party eCommerce vendors are appearing. What should we do?
- The margins we earn through our current sales and distribution channel are too low, the channel is too slow and we are not close enough to our end customers. Do we have viable alternatives?
- We need to be more flexible and faster in responding to our customer�s needs but we do not have the skills and capabilities to respond. What are our options and do they make economic and competitive sense?
- We are being forced into new channel arrangements but we are going to create conflicts with our current channels. How should we proceed?
- Our customers want us to integrate more closely with their overall logistics processes. Is this in our interest? What are the implications? Does eCommerce makes this cumbersome process easier?
Wholesalers and Distributors
- The manufacturers we serve are putting pressure on us to change. How do we create value in the future? What is our appropriate business model?
- Initial eCommerce concepts were based on direct sales and skipped wholesalers and distributors. What is our role in the future and how do we compete?
- We currently know very little about where we really make money. What activities are critical to us? What will customers pay for? Where do we create value in the future?
eCommerce Specialists
- We want to become a new intermediary in the sales and distribution process, such as a marketplace or an on-line sales organization. Is there a place for us in the process? What cost envelope do we need to fit
into? What can we perform to create interest and excitement among the end customers? Do we have a viable revenue and profit model?
- We are creating software or outsourcing support options that we will provide to operating companies. What value are we creating for the operating companies? What is our software or outsourcing opportunity worth
to them. How can we charge for our service? Where do we create the greatest value?
- We are looking to raise funds from investors. Do we have a business model that will be attractive? Will we survive a due diligence review? How can we improve our prospects for obtaining funding at the most
attractive valuation?
Investors
- We are being presented with a new investment opportunity. Does it fill an important customer need? What are the alternatives? Who are the current and potential competitors? What are the likely revenues and
margins?
- We have a portfolio company that is struggling. Its original concept is not getting the traction in the marketplace that we anticipated. Is there a viable opportunity here? Is it an implementation problem? Could
the portfolio company be repositioned into a more attractive part of the market?
- We are looking to help a portfolio company exit by selling it to a strategic buyer. For whom is our portfolio company worth the most? What does it contribute to another participant? Should we be a buyer rather
than a seller? What other options do we have?
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