Challenge: The owner and founder of a nationally regarded wealth management firm was considering making a $2 million investment in a real estate development project and retained Johnson Consulting Services to provide them with information and insight about the real estate developer, his business and the various development projects in which he was involved.

JCS Solution: Our primary research included interviews with the major business partners involved in his deals (architect, banker, etc.), as well as secret shopping several of his properties. This research was combined with secondary research of his competition, business background, and his other projects to provide this client with the insight they needed to gain comfort with their decision.

Results: Based upon the information we discovered in our research, the client decided to increase his investment to a total of $3 million in this business venture.

Challenge: Senior managers in a Connecticut investment banking firm were involved in a serious internal conflict about whether they should invest in a $10 million financing proposal that had been submitted them.

JCS Solution: We provided this financial consulting services client with an independent market analysis to evaluate the proposed development plan located in Arizona. While we confirmed there was a market potential for the project, we uncovered significant variances between the proposal and the market reality. We advised the firm to reject the financing request.

Results: The firm accepted our consulting recommendation and declined to finance this deal.

Challenge: A venture capitalist needed assistance in obtaining information to be used to complete a feasibility study to assess the market potential for an over-the-counter analgesic drug delivery system. The business would involve a joint venture between the University of Minnesota researcher who developed the technology and a Tucson-based business that would do a private offering and take on the technology. The other business partners were pressing for information so they could decide what they were going to do with the money sitting in escrow and move the deal forward. The venture capitalist was extremely busy and needed help to do the research necessary to complete the feasibility study in a short time-period.

JCS Solution: We reviewed the information the client had already obtained and identified additional information resources to augment the available data. We conducted complex interviews with key industry association representatives to gain further insight into industry trends and market entry issues. We conducted an extensive literature review to provide the client with background information to enhance the understanding of the various investors involved in the deal.

Results: We were able to provide the venture capital firm with the information they needed to move able to their decision-making forward and educate their investor group. The business partners were very pleased with the amount of information we were able to provide them in the short time frame. The venture capitalist subsequently hired us to work with them on another research project.

Challenge: The Vice President in charge of training for a large full-service regional brokerage and investment banking firm needed assistance in providing insight to their experienced brokers about the needs of small business owners and how to effectively market financial services to them.

JCS Solution: We participated in an expert panel discussion to provide the experienced participants with insight into the do’s and don’ts of broker initiated contacts with small business owners. We also provided unique insight into how to develop financial relationships with growth-oriented women business owners.

Results: Our comments stirred up a great deal of conversation among the participants of this firm that was a member of the New York Stock Exchange. The Vice President felt the information shared would be very valuable to helping the brokers grow their businesses and believed we brought home several critical points for the brokers to be aware of in trying to effectively market to small business owners.