Privately-held businesses on Main Street are unique. Entrepreneurs do it the old-fashioned way, serving customers like they are family.
Privately-held companies of substantial worth likely have either a Founder or family member still running things. Entrepreneurs who start a business and have the requisite skills to grow it through the various stages are unique.
Does any of this matter when preparing for a meeting with a senior executive (perhaps the Founder and CEO) of a privately-held company to discuss an idea for a new branding, marketing, and communications campaign or to discuss how to position the company for a more favorable sale?
Yes, it always matters, that’s why we do do our homework before we meet. This includes learning what products the company sells and who their customers are, why they are successful, who the competition is, which competitors have launched new products or a new branding campaign, and the state of their market.
If a picture is worth 1000 words, how much is a creative idea worth? We start with the basics and then build-out a strategic path forward that helps you grow your business or position it in the next six to 12 months for a much more favorable exit sale.
Jonathan Gehris