Consider this phrase: Alliance Management. On the surface, it sounds like a good idea, right? You want to carefully maintain your alliances. On the other hand, how exactly does one go about this? By the very nature of the word, you do not control – or entirely manage – those with whom you are allied. They work for another company
with different management, different goals and different products.
How can you make this work, then? Continue reading
Strategic alliances can increase market share, reduce competition, improve expertise, and open the door to new funding opportunities – but not all strategic alliances are created equal. The truth is that sometimes a strategic alliance can cause more harm than good if the partner company has different goals, gets more than it gives, or otherwise fails to live up to its side of the deal.
Before you set up a strategic alliance, ask yourself these questions first: Continue reading
The title of this article refers to the thought processes of a top manager of a company, corporation, or business. There are reams of articles written about various entities forming business or strategic alliances and all the benefits that will accrue to the partners. Continue reading
“8 out of 10 entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within the first 18 months. A whopping 80% crash and burn.” According to Entrepreneur there is only one thing you need to succeed as a startup, so don’t panic. “Your startup can still succeed. But it will depend on one thing and one thing only. Customers.”
However, developing your product, bringing it to market, finding customers, and keeping Continue reading
Channels of Distribution are key alliances a business can enter into. As pointed out by Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary on almost every episode, not getting distribution kills a company. Channels of Distribution move your product to potential customers.
For manufacturing companies, your distribution channels will be wholesalers and retailers Continue reading
Alliance development and management used to be simple. Find the group of potential allies you wanted, find where they meet, and get involved there. In the sharing economy, allies have become easier to find and encounter, but harder to know. With mega-gurus like Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and Daymond John taking to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media sites, alliances bridge geographic and sociological boundaries. Linking and touching others has never been easier, but is that an alliance? Continue reading
Why enter into a business alliance? The main motivations include cost reduction, the improvement of service or capture more customers. Here are 5 kinds of business alliances that business-oriented minds need to know about: Continue reading
Alliances originate in every shape and size, and then evolve to meet the requirements of the partners. Strategic alliances are high-maintenance commitments towards particular purposes. Do not consider them to be spontaneous, nor short-term. Strategic alliances in the technology world start at 5-10 years. For the pharmaceutical world, the time from conception to market is very long and expensive. Therefore their strategic alliances exist closer 15-20 years. In my local community, the mayors of more than 25 communities created an alliance in the 1980’s to grow the whole community. The fruit of their efforts are now blossoming. Continue reading
Collaboration is a powerful tool in business. Many times your organization can collaborate with another business to produce amazing results that otherwise would not have been obtained. We will discuss 3 tips to follow when collaborating with another business:
Tip One: Open Communication is king. To be successful Continue reading
In a recent announcement Simmtronics, the world’s third leading PC tablet manufacturer, and Jumbo Electronics, the leading distributor and retailer of IT and consumer electronics in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have formed a strategic alliance to distribute PC tablets throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Simmtronics’ motivation for penning the deal is an effort to remain true to its commitment to expand in to as many new markets as possible.
According to Chris Ruggeri, M&A services leader at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, the recent decline in M&A activity Continue reading
The airline world is no stranger to corporate business alliances. These agreements mean that businesses cooperate substantially, and in addition, they make it less likely that one will push the other out of market share. In fact, in the airline world, these business alliances have become so popular that there are a few major known names.
One of the biggest is Star Alliance. Continue reading
Sometimes it’s tough to go it alone, especially if you’re a small business owner. Because of today’s fast-paced and constantly changing business environment, it’s critical to move quickly to take advantage of opportunities.
Consequently, many business owners are seeking alliance management professionals to help them achieve their business objectives rather than building or buying something new. Continue reading
In today’s volatile economy, businesses large and small must take advantage of every opportunity to lessen risks and make their bottom line. One tool is strategic alliances. Many businesses, big and small, have entered into these beneficial partnerships to share resources and expand brand awareness without sacrificing additional capital.
Strategic alliances can be beneficial to all parties involved. Continue reading
Strategic alliances are an increasingly common sight in the modern business landscape. A study by Booze-Allen & Hamilton showed 20,000 new alliances formed between 1987 and 1992. One reason for this is the need for brand recognition in a crowded global market and because there have been many success stories of strategic alliances that have helped companies take off. Academics talk of the effectiveness of alliances in terms of game theory, these real life examples are a testament to the success of such a bold business move.
Starbucks and Barnes & Noble
The coffee house and the bookstore. Continue reading
Sustaining strategic alliances for success requires short-term planning and planning over the long-term. You need to determine how to best use your available resources to ensure you have the infrastructure in place. An article posted on the Financial Post talks about building and maintaining strategic alliances.
“As companies enter into an array of alliances, the potential for achieving benefits can increase dramatically.”
A portfolio of alliances Continue reading
There’s an interesting video on YouTube featuring former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. In it Schmidt explains the benefits of having a coach. He tells the story of his early years as CEO when a board member suggested that he find one. Though Schmidt felt there was nothing wrong – he was the CEO, after all – he took the board member’s advice and began to work with a coach. As Schmidt explains in the video, a coach helps give perspective to things we are unable to see ourselves.
The same is true with alliances. Continue reading
Think you know your target market? Most business owners will answer with a resounding, “Yes.” However, too often companies identify their demographics at the onset and then never look back.
Target Markets are Evolving
The 2010 white paper, “2010 America: What the Census Means for Marketing and Advertising,” forecast changes in the demographic make-up of the U.S. along with the resulting business implications. It suggests that too many entrepreneurs neglect changes to their current target market. The result: same old sales strategy, no increase in sales.
Most people are very familiar with the idea of “win-win” in the development of joint ventures. This way of thinking has helped push old world business owners into thinking about the benefits of helping their business partners as well as themselves.
To strengthen business relationships, you need to focus on what would benefit both parties. The result creates more of a unified force. Asking yourself how you can help your business partner will truly make a huge difference in the long-term stability of your venture. A good way to start a relationship is to ask both parties for their Conditions of Success (COS). Then everyone knows what is expected at the end for joint success.
You’re a talented and innovative thinker planning to launch a ground-floor venture. Should you go it alone or bring in a business partner?
As we mentioned in our earlier blog, “Is it Too Much to Ask for the Perfect Business Partner?” a number of business pairings throughout the years have turned into great successes. Primarily because of the skills and traits each partner brought to the pair. However, a lot had to do with the actual relationship between the individuals involved.
Not Everyone Should Be Your Partner
This seems like an obvious statement. However, Continue reading
When developing a new product or service, one of the first things to consider is how to get it to the end-user. Deciding on what channels of distribution to use is a very important business decision that must be made correctly. Using the wrong channels of distribution costs you money and depletes the value of your product.
1) How does the end-user want to buy?
To answer this, you’ll need to understand your customers and your relationship to them. How does your customer prefer to buy this product? Will they need customization or regular service? Maybe your customer needs other products or services to be able to use your product. Continue reading