James Edsberg, Partner
A typical day at Lighthouse? I’m glad to say, that there’s really no such thing.
Each day, we’re asked to consider an array of issues. If there’s a common theme, I’d say it's that we’re asked to identify growth opportunities for our clients and then to help them exploit those opportunities.
I get questions like, “How can our business grow in a mature market? How can we sustain growth against determined competitors? How should we plan for growth? How can we build a differentiated reputation? Is this business worth what we’re about to pay for it?”
What I aim to bring to each challenge is the experience of having helped many businesses in the same situation. And a bit of structure and process to get people from where they are, to where they want to be.
Take last week for example. An international publishing group has researched a new on-line concept and the market likes the idea. But how do they take the concept through to launch and get revenues flowing in?
Lighthouse will support the launch process in the US and Europe from pilot to profit. Using our sector knowledge, we’ll be advising on the new features, price points, customer segments, marketing strategy. And we’ve modelled the likely competitor reactions to the launch. As one of our clients said, “You’ve helped us to plan better”.
Most of our clients are busy running their operations day-to-day. Planning for the future sometimes takes second place. That’s where I try to help.
Sometimes it’s my role to challenge the prevailing thinking with fresh ideas. That’s partly what some clients say they pay for.
And also, if you are looking to a strategy for growth, you need a balance of analytical skills together with some imagination to explore the opportunities.