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Critical path training
Critical Path Training is designed to help companies reach their goals in the most cost-efficient way and taking the least time possible. Widely used in civil engineering, this method is applicable to any business.
We’ll teach you how to perform a CPM (Critical Path Method) analysis that will help you understand the most crucial phases of your project. After completing the five steps of CPM analysis, you will have the tools for better planning that reduces the risk and lowers the cost of your project.
As part of the training, we’ll introduce our 12-step program that breaks the whole project into smaller phases to help you have a clear, structured approach from funding, conceptualisation and market research all the way to launching and marketing your product.
Critical Path Training will provide you with a clear roadmap guiding you to better plan towards your goal – over and over again. Once mastered, you can use this method in all your future projects.
Ready to start a new project? Read more about Critical Path on our blog or contact us to discuss options.
Critical path workshops
In the Critical Path Workshop, we’ll help identify the different stages of your product development project and plan your very own critical path. Since every project is unique, there’s no one-size-fits-all method that can be applied. Instead, we’ll use a practical problem-solving approach that addresses your specific needs.
The Critical Path Workshop is equally suitable for startups that have a clear idea for a product but are still unsure of the next steps and for established organisations that are looking to improve operational efficiency. Together, we will do the initial planning and lay out the specific steps needed for you to continue on with your project.
As the name implies, this is a very practical, hands-on workshop. We’ll work with you to plan the critical path that takes your product to market.
Product refining workshop
Conceptualising the best-guess MVP
The aim of the first two service offerings is to help identify the best guess MVP (minimum viable product) based on your idea. When you have your MVP, you can then continue on to doing market studies and collecting customer feedback.
Locking in on the MVP
Once equipped with information about the market and customers, it’s time to lock in on your MPV that you’ll then focus on developing.
Market feasibility study
Target market and market analysis
Market feasibility studies help identify the competition and assess your business idea. They can also help unveil new opportunities.
A market analysis is an in-depth assessment of a specific market within a specific industry. A market analysis looks into the dynamics of a market, for example volume and value, potential customer segments, buying patterns, competition and trends. In addition to playing a role in determining factors about the product itself, having a clearly defined target market can help you with your fund-raising, prospecting, branding and marketing. We can support you with your market research, help interpret the findings or perform the service for you.
Competitor analysis
Competitor analysis is the process of identifying competitors and evaluating their solutions, sales and marketing strategies, and evaluating how they compare with yours. It’s key to validating your assumptions, and it can also be used to find new business opportunities. Just like the market analysis, the competitor analysis can also be done together with your crew or as outsourced to us.
Market potential
Estimating the market potential requires understanding the target market, the growth rate, competing solutions, unit sales prices and annual sales volumes. Having a good idea of the market potential is critical when evaluating the viability of the business. We can support you in assessing market potential based on a mix of information, or we can deliver an estimate to you as an outsourced task.
Revenue streams
There are many different ways to earn revenue from an existing product. In addition to selling the product, you can also rent or lease the product, license to a 3rd party, use a subscription-based model, sell extra services or earn from advertising. You can also sell to consumers, businesses or both, and you can sell online, offline, using distributors, wholesalers or retailers.
We can help determine what makes sense for you, with every product, and every market. Note that in some geographic markets, it may make sense to adopt a different strategy than in others, and that for a small company starting out, it may not be wise to use a number of strategies at least initially.
Sales projections
Sales projections help lay the foundation of your company’s financials. Your sales projections and your costs, which include everything from ideation to launching should be carefully estimated before committing to a project. This helps ensure all eyes are on ensuring profitable operations, and that a high-cost, low earning potential project isn’t selected over a more feasible option.
Because new businesses don’t by definition have past data to base forecasts on, their sales projections often lean heavily on the market research findings and subsequent decisions.
We can help you make sales projections as well as guide you on how to price your products and estimate your development costs.
Sources of funding and applying for funding
Especially for new businesses, funding can seem complicated. In Finland, Business Finland offers funding for research, product development and different kinds of business development needs, especially for small and medium-sized companies operating or intending to operate in international markets while Ely centre offers funding and consulting for a company’s development efforts such as internationalisation or product and service development. We help make sense of the different options and support our clients apply for funding, which may involve helping the client with competitor analyses, market opportunity assessments and cash flow projections.
Project reporting
As needed, we can also help keep track of project costs during the project and after the project has ended, with project reporting.
Public funding
Identifying suitable funding instruments
For new businesses, funding can be a difficult matter. What instruments to use and when? Should we seek funding for research & development or market studies?
We teach you to identify which funding fits your needs best. Depending on your location, the existing instruments for public funding may differ a lot.
Applying for funding
Applying for public funding is often time-consuming and it can be hard to phrase your application so that it gets accepted. Well, we can help you with that with our rather impressive track record on writing applications. We can teach you how to apply, or we can simply do the paperwork for you, so you can focus on your product.
Private funding
Pitch-deck writing services and help with pitching
A pitch deck is a set of slides intended to help potential investors/collaboration partners learn more about your business and engage them in a conversation that hopefully leads to an investment or co-operation.
We can help perfect your existing content or create new content for you. We can also guide you on how to deliver your pitch or we can deliver the pitch for you.
Project management
Rent a CTO
A full-time CTO comes with a financial burden, and you may only have a short-term need for one.
By renting an experienced CTO, you only pay for the help you need to save the day or to ensure your company is on the right technical track.
Project management for secured funding
Product development requires funding, and whether you’ve secured public or private funding for the project, it’s essential that you keep track of the available funds not just to avoid cash running out unexpectedly, which – of course – is important, but also so that you remain informed about your available funding and what it will enable you to accomplish.
We also offer services for helping secure funding.
Specification work
Writing a specification takes time, but when properly done, helps reduce the time and cost of development. With our structured approach, you’ll end up with documents that make every detail clear to the engineers implementing the project, which makes implementation easier and more likely to yield the intended results.
Quality management system training
All medical products and products that need regulatory approval need a quality management system (QMS), and actually, a QMS makes sense for any product. A QMS helps coordinate and direct the whole company’s activities to ensure customer and regulatory requirements are met. A QMS also helps improve the company’s effectiveness as well as efficiency on a continuous basis.
We can help you set up your own QMS, understand the big picture, and guide you through the process.
Cash flow projections and budgets
Failing to understand the importance of cash flow is one of the most common reasons for small company failures. Cash flow is critical to the livelihood of your business.
We can help you with your cash flow projections and budgets, and keep track of finances so that you can make decisions as well as plan ahead.
Matchmaking
Mechanical design
Mechanical design means the designing and framework of mechanical parts, components, products or systems including, for example, shafts, bearings, clutches, gears and fasteners. Mechanical designs are more than 3D renderings of the exteriors of products or product parts, they also take into account the functional requirements. Sometimes it makes sense to design for competitive advantage, from which we have extensive experience.
Communication, commitment and experience are all extremely important when choosing your mechanical design partner. We can help you make the choice for your business either from our own network or by casting a wider net, knowing just what to look for based on your needs.
Mould manufacturing
We know how mould manufacturing can go wrong, and we can help you avoid common pitfalls. As in with our mechanical design services, we’ll act as matchmakers between you and the mould manufacturer we help you find with our know-how and personal experience.
Manufacturing
Setting up manufacturing with proper factory quality management systems in place creates value for your company, your clients and your suppliers by enabling continuous improvement in the process. Our global network helps you outsource with confidence and ease, without compromising the quality of results.
Package design
Your package design is one of the most important elements of a successful product launch (or re-launch). The design has to protect what’s inside, allow for easy storage and distribution, be descriptive of its contents and contain product use information as well as legally required information. Packaging design may also be used as a marketing tool.
Localisation
Localisation is the process of adapting products or services for specific markets. Satu has experience from working with nearly 100 different languages at Nokia, liaising with translators as well as engineers to create, localise and test UI texts. She can help you find a suitable localisation partner, help create/optimise the content to be localised, manage the process and test the outcome as well as advise on localisation strategy.
Go-to-market
Idea validation
The big idea behind idea validation is to lower the risk of developing something that the market doesn’t want, need or is willing to pay for. The process involves testing the idea and making informed decisions based on the gathered evidence.
The critical path line of thinking runs right through this service – when validating an idea, you’re not only assessing the assumed market potential, but also evaluating which assumptions are critical for your idea to work in practice.
Distribution channel help
There are many different types of distribution channels, but the main channels are manufacturer-to-distributor-to-consumer, manufacturer-to-retailer-to-consumer and manufacturer-to-consumer.
Each comes with different challenges, complexity and costs.
Using one channel in one market doesn’t mean you can’t use another in a different market if it makes sense, and what makes sense in which case just depends.
Depending on your strategy and on where and how your products are sold, you may be looking to set up distribution hubs all over the world, in strategic locations only or in as few locations as possible.
We can help you find the best solution for your needs, and also help build cost-efficient channels with smart storage solutions that enable fast deliveries.
Help with exhibiting at trade shows before, after and during the event
Exhibiting at trade shows is how many companies get a lot if not most of their annual revenue. In addition to enabling selling to new and/or existing customers, trade shows are great for doing market research, networking, building brand awareness, showcasing a new product and exploring new business opportunities.
Exhibiting is a lot of work, and showing up for the event is the smallest part of it.
We can help you get the most out of exhibiting, from preparing your materials and helping build your stand to setting up meetings with prospects and joining you in negotiations.
Writing press releases and press kits
Press releases are among the most cost-effective ways for companies to earn publicity, build awareness, establish credibility and increase website traffic.
Writing an effective press release is an art of its own.
We know how to write press releases that pique the interest of journalists and equip them with everything they need to be able to cover your news.
A press release can be used on its own or as a part of a press kit.
A press kit is a compilation of information for anyone – not just the media – interested in more information about the company and its offering.
The press kits we’ve put together have both proved effective and earned praise.
Identifying, contacting and meeting with prospective partners
We can help identify potential collaboration partners for you, contact them to set up meetings, and also take part in the meetings either with you or for you. We can also explore collaboration possibilities with you or for you for prospective partners who you’ve been contacted by or who you’ve identified yourself.
This service is also available in connection of our trade show services.
Board of Directors services
Reports and decision-making support
We’ve acted as Members of the Board, deputy Members of the Board and advisors to the Board.
We can help ensure your Board meetings are effective, facilitate decision-making, deal with problems, assess progress and plan for the future.
We can help prepare various reports, assess different options, look into funding or offer advice and support – as a one-time service or on an on-going basis.
Acting as a Member of the Board/Chairman of the Board
Satu has already earned a Member of the Board diploma and a Chairman of the Board diploma from HHJ, and she’s working on becoming a certified Board professional in the spring of 2021.
Board work
Preparing reports etc. for the board
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Acting as a member of the board/chairman of the board
Are you suggesting coconuts migrate? Come and see the violence inherent in the system. Help! Help! I’m being repressed! You don’t frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called “Arthur King,” you and all your silly English K-nig-hts.
