Challenge: One of Minnesota’s most successful and highly regarded entrepreneurs and corporate directors was considering making a business acquisition. He needed more information to assist him in his decision making process.

JCS Solution: We conducted research on the clientele of the business to provide him with a comprehensive understanding of the long-term viability of the market for the potential acquisition. We conducted a rapid review of the competition, trends within the competitive industry, as well as provided deeper insight about the critical issues that would potentially impact the customer base of this business over the long term.

Results: The client called our consulting work for him “absolutely terrific” and said he “could not have been more happy” with what we uncovered for him. Based upon our research and the information we provided him, the entrepreneur bought the business.

Challenge: The founder of a graphic design firm was struggling financially, had minimal revenues and the owner lacked any sophistication regarding business principles. The owner was ready to make a transition to move to a new level of success.

JCS Solution: Johnson Consulting Services has provided on-going business consulting services for over 20 years to this graphic design firm. These services have included review of growth strategies for this firm, consultation regarding employee issues and recruiting, as well as assistance in managing overall operations as the firm has grown and evolved.

Result: When the owner began working with Johnson Consulting Services, the firm was in its infancy. Today the firm is a multi-million dollar enterprise creating international award winning graphic designs. The owner has even been honored as Minnesota’s Entrepreneur of the Year. The owner says working with Johnson Consulting Services “was a turning point” for her because she finally was able to develop a focused business plan and the skills she needed to develop long-term business success.

Challenge: A Japanese physician had developed a low-tech medical product that he was currently selling in Japan. He was interested in learning whether his product could be profitably sold in the United States.

JCS Solution: We coordinated product testing in some of Minnesota’s most highly-regarded health care organizations including hospitals, long-term care facilities and home care agencies. We coordinated site tours for the physician and his team of the various locations in which his product was being tested so he could obtain direct feedback from the testers. Product feedback was also obtained from industry experts at the University of Minnesota. The tests and feedback provided valuable insight about perceptions of the product design, ease of use, sizing, absorbency, and insight about how this product compared to other alternatives already available in the U.S. market. We assessed the national market potential for this product at various sales levels to provide insight into the market reasonableness, competitive options, and the direction in which the industry was moving.

Results: While we ultimately recommended that the client not enter the U.S. marketplace, he understood the depth and complexity of the research we had conducted on his behalf. He felt we had gone “beyond” his expectations and our consulting work got him definitive answers to his questions about market potential. Other consultants he had talked to about his product did not do anything to help him answer his critical questions one way or another. The physician said he “trusted us more than anyone else” he had met in the United States.

Challenge: The founder and Chairman of the Board of a nationwide environmental engineering firm was engaged in negotiations with a global entity that was interested in a possible acquisition or entering into a mutually beneficial contractual relationship with his firm. Central to these deliberations were questions regarding whether the firm’s success in developing a profitable consulting practice in a niche market could be replicated within the various domestic profit centers of the larger organization. The founder was struggling to come up with a way to explain how his firm’s strategic approach to lead development could be effectively integrated into the larger firm.

JCS Solution: Johnson Consulting Services was engaged to assist the founder in refining his concept for developing an Information Center that could help the domestic offices of the larger firm expand their service offerings to the target market. We worked with the founder and his key staff to better clarify their lead generation process and conducted research to identify other resources that would allow similar lead generation research to be replicated on a national basis. We conducted an initial review to identify possible research tools, websites and databases that could be used to develop leads, and to obtain insight regarding potential client needs for environmental consulting.

Results: The founder was relieved to have a workable idea to present to the larger firm and he used our written report to move the acquisition discussion forward.

Challenge: The owners of a rehabilitation agency providing physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services in 29 locations had been selected from among hundreds of applicants as a state winner of a prestigious entrepreneurial success award. The award recognized the nation’s top small businesses who have used the tools of quality management as the foundation of their success. The owners needed to figure out how to best capitalize on the award and help position their firm for a possible acquisition in the future.

JCS Solution: We worked with the owners and their key staff to identify and prioritize the numerous opportunities available to communicate about their on-going success and quality award to reach their more than 2,000 clients. Our consulting work also helped them develop opportunities to expand their outreach and networking efforts with their key referral sources.

Results: The owners garnered wide acclaim for their success and enhanced their relationships with their key clients and referral sources. The owners were able to leverage their award into a higher industry profile and the firm was ultimately acquired by a larger organization.