strategy, story telling and the art of the long view

Introduction

Ron Immink• Founder smallbusinesscan.com (collective wisdom platform for

business)

• CEO Bookbuzz (a company that helps executives sharpen their performance through engagement with the world’s top business minds)

• Dutch

• Entrepreneur since 1988

• Best selling author

• European Bank (EBRD)/OECD

• Board of advisors some exciting start-ups

www.smallbusinesscan.com

STRATEGY, story telling and the long view

STRATEGY

• Where are you now– Metrics– Spotcheck– SWOT

• Where do you want to go?– Targets

• Gap analysis

• How to get there?

– Time/money/people

• Strategic box

STRATEGIC BOX

• Glass-bottomed boat shows limited view of sea-bed

STRATEGIC BOX

• Values

• Passion

• Vision

• Mission

• Positioning

• Resourcing

Long view

Change!

NO LONG VIEW

INACTION IS BUSINESS SUICIDE

BANDWIDTH

• Agriculture• Banking• Construction• Education• Government• Hospitality• IT• Utilities

• Media• Medicine/Health• Military• Retail• Telecommunications• Trade• Transportation

Techniques

• Brainstorming

• Attribute listing

• Who, what, where, when, why, how

• Mind mapping

• Random words

• Discontinuity/serendipity

• Doodle

• Dream!!!!!

FUTURE TRENDS

• Cocooning

• Fantasy adventure

• Small indulgences

• Ergonomics

• Cashing out

• Staying alive

• The multifunctional consumer

• Women

• Clanning

DEVELOPING YOUR BUSINESS

Other:• Merging cultures

• Merging technologies

• Virtual reality

• The use of drugs for specific purposes

• Development of genetic engineering

• The role of computer in our society

• Telecommunication

• The Web

• Nanno

• Moore’s law

• Quantum chips

• Immortality

• Hydrogen

TRENDWATCHING

• Look for changes in food, new products, trendy restaurants

• Look at the introduction of new products (failures and successes)

• Changes in family structure

• Changes in work environment

• Environment; are people changing their behaviour

• Economy; optimism or pessimism

• Culture

• Changes in wording

• Read science fiction

• Think changes through into their extremes!!!!

IRELAND

2025

EUROPE

2025

?

PITCHING

• Business plan is no longer the preferred means of communication

• Story telling

• 10 slides

• Depth of knowledge

• Process of business planning is still relevant

Guy Kawasaki• Problem• Solution• Market• Technology• Business model• Routes to market• Marketing and sales• Competition• Management team• Financial projections and metrics• Milestones

PITCH

Your story

1. Six statements

2. Market description

3. Marketing

4. Team

5. Process/technology

6. Finance

7. Executive summary

www.bookbuzz.biz

Questions

ron@smallbusinesscan.com

085-1006307