SERVICES
GLS Consulting is able to offer a wide range of services that compliment our specialisation of new market entrance and distributor management. Our six core services are listed below.
1. Business Strategy
The process of creating a successful business strategy can be captured in three simple sentences:
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Where are you today?
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Where do you want to be?
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How are you going to get there?
At GLS Consulting we would walk you through each of these steps. Starting with listening to and collecting market research to understand your business on facts rather than personal opinions.
Finally, we would recommend a strategic direction, or directions if available, that would best meet your companies long term goals.
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2. Distributor Search & Selection
“Finding the right partner in business will determine
your success or failure”.
This is a strong statement but one we truly believe in at GLS Consulting. After 15 years of looking for, managing, and terminating distributors we are fully aware of the difference a great distributor can make to your business.
At GLS Consulting we have a thorough and tested process for searching & selecting distributors. This does not stop by simply handing you a list of possible companies in a set territory. We go the extra mile because we know a list is not enough.
You need to have the distributor meet certain requirements, we agree these requirement with you. We work with you on the price structure, business planning, and marketing plan. Finally, we check their references with other principals. Only then do we make a recommendation.
3. Distributor Management
We have found that the quality of ongoing distributor management varies hugely from organisation to organisation.
However your business practices have developed over time we inspect each of your business processes from an unbiased viewpoint. Below are just some of the questions we would ask you:
For example:
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What reports do you ask for?
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How frequently do you receive these reports?
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Are there any important metrics missing?
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Are they in a standard format so you can compare with other distributors?
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How often do you review the marketing plan?
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Do you check the mktg. invoices against the amounts in the budget?
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When did you last complete a distributor 5 year plan?
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When did you last compare your distributor against another?
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Is it possible to ask for a reduction in their distributor margin?
If when you read you realise you haven't asked these questions or are unsure what could be missing then maybe it’s time to give us a call.
4. Business Turnaround
There have been several occasions during my tenure at companies when the performance of a region, business unit or subsidiary has not met expectations.
GLS gets straight to the root of the problem and has excellent experience of turning around multi-million pound business in numerous countries.
For example: Business A (the name is confidential)
After 4 years of profit decline in the United States due retail expansion a plan was put together to focus the business on its core products and customers. Delists occurred in many high profile retailers, which although strategically important, it was too soon to enter these outlets now. Plus they were not profitable and consumed significant business resource. Relationship were kept intact and the business along with some other changes increased its bottom line from £2.5m to over £4m in just 24 months.
Do you have a business unit that needs evaluating?
5. Brand Development
Do you have an idea and don’t know how to make it into a product with distribution, logistics and account management?
Do you have a brand and it is stuck in a rut and you are not sure how to take it to the next level or even what the next level could be?
At GLS Consulting we would first listen to you and understand your brand. This would involve market research, great if you have this available, but if not, we would conduct on your behalf.
After properly understanding where the brand is today we would start to outline the options for where it be could tomorrow. We concentrate on brand differentiation. Why is your brand different to others? What are customers seeking? How does your brand meet these needs but also differentiate itself from the competition? Ultimately to Standout, Appeal and create Purchase Intention above the benchmark for your target audience.
Do you know how to take your brand to the next level?
6. UK Focus
Being based in the UK we are regularly asked “How should I enter the UK market?”
Well, there are many different routes to market, including:
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Distributor
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Joint venture
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Own subsidiary
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Other
However, the important questions are:
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What is the right route to market for your business?
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Have you spoken with your key retailers?
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What assumptions have you made in the business plan?
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Are these realistic?
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What needs to be done differently to increase your businesses chance of success?
At GLS we would be able to advise on the different options and help you to decide which would be the best one for your business.