Our Process
- Working with You for Business Success

Too often inventors with clever ideas assume that a business will naturally flow from their genius at some point in the future. In our experience, however the only truly sustainable businesses derive from thoughtfully exploiting only those inventions that address today’s confirmed marketplace needs.

Our professional associates have an extensive track record for successfully applying different aspects of our fully scaleable and structured approach to a wide-range of investment-grade ideas across several industries and technology disciplines.  We identify three phases in building and maintaining a sustainable business:

Phase One

Initial Project Definition:

First we conduct a comprehensive paper analysis of your business, its origins, mission, property, products and services to thoroughly understand your organization.  We then examine and interview key relationships including investors, customers, partners and collaborators, directors, management and staff.  The desired outcome of this process is a clear understanding of the history and context of your organization; from here we can build the foundations of a preliminary opinion on your best available opportunities.

Best Option Clarification:

Where we surface important knowledge gaps, we propose additional commercial intelligence gathering to explore such key potential barriers to success as the strength of intellectual property, competitors’ strategic options and unpredictable market evolution.  We may suggest purchasing market studies or soliciting counsel from the best accessible specialists and technical advisors in the field.  This knowledge framework enables us to suggest go-forward options for your business.
 
Phase Two

Planning for Action:

We work closely with you to lay out the key features of an operating plan that defines strategic actions required to implement the project.  We actively work with you both to obtain needed approvals and buy-in from directors, investors, key staff, major professional advisors and any other pivotal stakeholders, and to clearly assign accountability for plan implementation.  If appropriate, we will propose a project management system to maximize efficient delivery and minimize operational risk.

Skills Alignment:

We assist you to enhance or change your Board and Management while utilizing the skills of professional specialists and contractors to ensure continuity and fill skill gaps.  If needed, we provide our interim management resources until suitably qualified staff can be developed or recruited.

Budgeting for Action:

We work directly with your accounting staff and financial advisors in the preparation of a formal budget with detailed implementation guidelines covering an 18 – 24 month period.  Our services often include managing fundraising strategies such as equity or creative debt financing.

Communication for Success:

Ailm strongly believes in the importance of a comprehensive communication process throughout the entire life of each project.  We will assist you with ensuring that all communications, key presentations and external marketing materials reflect the agreed-upon strategies and objectives.  Key stakeholders are always kept informed in a timely manner to ensure their positive participation.

Coaching-in-Context:

Throughout our process, we provide ongoing support and coaching for your Management as we move through the implementation plan.  This can also include your Board.  We make a firm commitment to remain completely accessible to all stakeholders while we provide the emotional and process support needed at critical junctures of the project.

Process Outcomes:

The Ailm Consulting process includes the encouragement of consensus building while discouraging any grandstanding or inappropriate behaviour.  We proactively address team issues, skill and commitment limitations and course corrections before small issues become big problems.  Our approach focuses on openness, accountability and regular process updates in order to facilitate the continued commitment of all staff, management and stakeholders throughout the life of the project. 

Phase III

Consolidating Your Success:

At the completion of the project and business transition, we provide ongoing support and counsel so that any required additional Management, Board or advisor realignment will take place to ensure the long term health and success of your business.  As needed, we continue to assist in consolidating and stabilizing your gains of process, structure, and focus.  If the required management and executive professionals are not yet in place, then we can provide a senior-level Ailm Consulting interim CEO or Chairman until either internal promotion or recruiting efforts identify the right professionals, skills and credentials for fill those needed roles.

Ailm Consulting - Your Direct Route to Success