Growth and expansion strategies for market research

Even when times are tough you still need to find ways to grow. Our promise is simple: we'll work with your own management team to identify new paths to growth, while still controlling costs.

The painful reality is that growing a market research business on a sustainable basis requires simultaneous strategies for increasing sales, decreasing turn-around times, improving deliverables and expanding service capabilities and coverage. In addition, many companies are having to face up to issues of expanding into new geographies at the same time as developing and protecting their traditional markets. Since most MR companies operate with lean management teams and tight margins, finding time and resource to adequately assess and implement expansion strategies is a challenge . Dealing with HR issues, travel, meetings, local "crises" and general "fire-fighting" means that stretched senior executives often cannot take advantage of all the opportunities for growth.

Gordon & McCallum provide you with quick access to an "on-tap" network of senior professionals who can provide an independent assessment of where growth opportunities lie, which of them should be prioritised and, most importantly, clear advice and support in helping you develop grass-roots implementation plans.

Going Beyond the Obvious:

Not just what markets to target, but clear assessment of what it takes to expand faster in each
Not just global, "big picture" strategies, but in-depth plans to help drive increased performance in even the most low performing of local units
Not just focusing on your current offerings, but clear advice on how to adapt and export them to speed growth
Not just a focus on big MNC client needs, but in-depth planning to drive relationship building with the new breed of fast growing local giants in developing markets
Not just what sectors to target, but clear help on developing sales plans and internal programmes that can be actioned in any market
Not just telling you what you need your staff to do, but active support in getting internal buy-in to necessary changes

You utilise our team only while you need us and (unlike many traditional consultants) we understand what it takes to implement growth initiatives in challenging market research environments, so the ROI is high.

How we help market researchers grow their business

We adapt our approach to suit your management structure, objectives and particular issues faced. However, our starting point (after a briefing from senior leaders) typically involves one of three routes:

A structured management workshop designed to improve focus on key business issues and evoke creative solutions to problems that restrict growth. The frame work for these workshops is built around our experience in running client Creativity Groups and MR management forums, and is designed to focus on "hard business issues" rather than the softer side of business leader development.
A formal Quality Audit & Review at regional or local level. This is an in-depth, formalised process that identifies external and internal opportunities and barriers to growth by providing a clear framework for action.
Read More on Quality & Review.
Where more specific issues are involved (e.g. expansion into a new geography, merger and acquisition etc.), we would utilise our experience, market intelligence, interviews with client executives and our expert network to prepare Feasibility Assessment Reports to help assess best next steps.

Building on the results of the above, we can provide further and more specific support. Gordon & McCallum can provide access to a network of independent specialists in areas such as Operations, Delivery Enhancement, Qualitative, NPD and Online research. This means that if issues are identified requiring extra resource or expertise to solve, we can not only provide an action plan showing ways to overcome the barriers, but will often be able to offer flexible assistance in tackling the associated implementation work.

See also: Quality Audit & Review
Merger & sales support