management, shareholders and investors seeking to assess, start-up or improve the strength of their
organization viewed as an investment.
The worth of a business is related to its liquidity, current value and accessible cash. The strategy of the
business model, competitive positioning, marketing, partnering and new product development are all
tools that can be used to improve return, accelerate growth and gain market share.
Businesses and operating divisions should seek to continuously maximize “instantaneous value” and
maintain contingent exit strategies to deal with this volatile and highly competitive global economy and
aggressive legal and regulatory climate.
Certain expansion strategies increase risk because they are ill-conceived, ill-timed, lack resources to
succeed, or are executed too slowly. Every enterprise has a sweet spot – the right place to go, at the
right time and the right way to get there.
Any business has inherent Strengths and Weaknesses as well as its unique spectrum of core
competencies, things that they do well, that often can be mapped well into competitive white spaces
(unfulfilled needs) in the market. Current and planned target market segments pose market
Opportunities, as well as competitive or trend Threats to the business.
The path cannot be envisioned as a straight line, but must, when appropriate, curve around the
business threats, as they exist, and in anticipation of them materializing. In some cases, threats might
be met head-on, but that must be a well considered decision. Thus, in a real-time world of instant
information, we need formulate continuously evolving or Dynamic Business and Marketing Strategies
that deal with known threats, anticipated a threats and having contingency to react to unforeseen
categories of threat.
M.F. Smith is a pragmatic, thoughtful, analytical advisory firm that can quickly and effectively assess
the current and potential worth of the business, and formulate approaches to unlock hidden value and
realize its full potential. This can serve the needs of a ‘going concern’ or increase value in readiness of
a business transaction such as a sale, merger, divestiture, acquisition, etc. or anticipate the combined
post-transaction worth.
M.F. Smith assesses the business, its operations, the market and its needs, as well as the competitive
landscape and market trend to formulate pragmatic opportunities to grow or capitalize on prevailing
opportunities while avoiding current or emerging threats. Strategies and improvement programs are
formulated to incorporate known constraints such as management preference, available resources
and capabilities of the organization.
M.F. Smith's network of global business contacts, commercial and academic subject matter experts,
partners, access to capital markets and investors gives it both the resources and connections to
address a wide array of alternatives. Support to clients might be limited to decision advice and support,
partial or comprehensive business assessment, recommendations, implementation planning or partial
to complete program execution. Engagements can be conducted quickly or include knowledge or
methodology transference or mentoring services to the organization.
Above all, M.F. Smith's clients can expect substantive results, well-conceived solutions and value in
each engagement.
Michael F. Smith
