Authentiq Advice

Any fool can cut expenses…, and most do!

Johar — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:32:40 +0000

A cost cutting strategy is a bit of an oxymoron. Jules Goddard talks about this in his July article of the same name from MLab. Think about how silly “cutting your way to growth” sounds? Some common issues with cost cutting are: it is bounded: once you have cut costs to zero – there is [...]

Coffee business? or Capsule business?

admin — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:14:35 +0000

What does coffee and capsules have to do with business strategy? Several years ago, I encountered a business owner that I believed I was in a perfect position to help. He runs a coffee company similar to Nespresso – they put coffee in capsules and distribute both the coffee machines and the capsules. He has [...]

Intellectual Property: What is it anyway?

Johar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:19:01 +0000

There is some confusion around Intellectual Property. Many believe it consists of one - maybe two things: Patent and Copyright. These are very important, but not the whole suite of Intellectual Property forms. There are at least 2 other very important forms of Intellectual Property: Trademarks and Trade Secrets.

PME Apprendre pour Innover

Johar — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:00:00 +0000

On Thursday 5 Feb, the IMD Lausanne Alumni Association hosted an event for local Small and Medium businesses (PME) . I was very fortunate to be a key member of the organizing committee. I was responsible for working with the 6 principal sponsors, Bilan, Credit Suisse, EPFL, Ernst & Young, IMD, and Swiss Venture Club.

Demise of the Billable Hour

Johar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Today in the Wall Street Journal there is an article "Economy Pinches the Billable Hour at Law Firms" by Jonathan Glater. This article laments that many law firms are being squeezed and pressured by clients on billable hours. They are seeking new charging methods, such as flat rates for certain services.

Dynamic Action Planning

Johar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:00:00 +0000

I first saw this term used in the book, "Find your Lightbulb" by Mike Harris. I have used the process described for quite a long time, especially when working with smaller or fast moving organizations or businesses.

Market Entry Firm White Paper Part II: A New Approach

Johar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:33:05 +0000

The Market Entry Firm Business Model

A Market Entry Firm (MEF) is a business that is focused on helping young, fast-growing companies penetrate and establish themselves in a new geographic market. The MEF acts as an extension to the client company in the international region. The client company in this case is called the

Market Entry Firm White Paper (Part I): The Challenge

Johar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:28:45 +0000

Options for Penetrating Global Markets Part I: The Challenge: Where & How To Expand Internationally The Problem Many new products have market potential beyond the borders of any given country or region. This is particularly true in the technology sector - which we will consider here. When a new company has achieved a degree of early market success in their home market, for instance the U.S, they are likely to consider expanding to other geographies. This, of course, comes at a time when they have their hands full chasing all the opportunities that are presented to them at home. This is not a light-hearted decision. Timing plays an important role in making the decision

Asymmetric Revenue Footprint

Johar — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:12:03 +0000

Recently there has been a lot of talk about "asymmetry". Asymmetry in warfare, in information, just to name a couple. What this means is that there are large variations in the size and shape of two or more items of interest.

Asymmetric warfare is the type of war that the US is fighting in Iraq and Afganistan (also in Vietnam). The US has an extremely powerful, well equipped, modern fighting force.

Planning for Business Growth

Johar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:44:42 +0000

It’s not about the business plan – It’s about the planning process! It’s about the business strategy and vision! The business plan document is useful to a handful of people (principally those whom you are trying to get money from). It is often out of date before the ink dries. The business planning process prepares [...]