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7 Stage Advisors

Case Studies

Discover how we use our cross-sector expertise to help our clients grow and scale their businesses.

      Vital Statistics

Company Type:    Value Added Reseller (VAR) for Software

                                 Publisher

NAICS Code:         511210

Ownership:           Co-owned/partnership by co-founders,

                                 independently owned-no outside investors

Employees:            30

Scenario

VAR offers a wide variety of products and services which include software licensing sales, tech support, in-person training, hardware sales. They are often asked by their clients to provide strategic guidance. This ‘consulting’ has historically been given to the clients complimentary…in other words, they don’t get paid for it.

Situation

An award winning customer service company. The team is very client centric. How do you build an employee centric culture without sacrificing accountability? Also, the business has grown beyond the founders initial vision. How do you get out of your own way…and SCALE the business?

Solution

 

Company grows 250% in 3-years due to industry -leading client retention numbers. Arming the sales leaders with additional products and services to up-sell to existing customers is largely responsible for gross margin growth keeping pace with gross revenue growth. Once the implementation team is running efficiently, a reassessment of the management team allows the company to highlight its scaling potential now that it is leveraging each managers’ top skills. Additional credit facilities are secured to now pursue acquisition targets.

Strategy

  • Reimagine the business purpose: evolve from software reseller that provides guidance to Growth Advisor that sells software.
  • Conduct long term strategy to quadruple the business.
  • Created success metrics for each sales rep.
  • Bundle product and service offerings along with scripted up-sell and cross-sell opportunities for sales leaders to execute on.
  • Internally, created a process for each team member to build their career path dreams and share with management.
  • Reassigned management roles and responsibilities to highlight “Scaling skills” of key staff.
  • Automate training booking system.

Results

 

250% growth in 3-years

 

Leading client retention numbers

Additional products & services

Reassessment of management team

Credit facilities

New acquisition targets

Vital Statistics

Company Type: Eating Disorder Clinic and Treatment Center

NAICS Code:        624190

Ownership:           Independently owned, Founder owned

Employees:           21

 

Scenario

A traditional eating disorder treatment center that conducts out-patient recovery programs. Seeks to grow its geography and service offerings.

Situation

Constraints to growth come in many forms: the current facility is inadequate to receive OMH licensing, and needs to be upgraded. Since the company lacks overnight accommodations needed to launch a residential facility, all services are performed in person, which limits the scalability of the treatment programs.

Solution

The COVID-19 pandemic forces the shutdown of the physical facility. The treatment center pivots quickly to online delivery of all programing. The firm continues its aggressive marketing outreach program allowing for greater flexibility of clients and patients to engage in various recovery and treatment programs. The facility move is complete and the center receives its coveted licensure which allows for additional programing. All the staff are trained on remote delivery and office work. The firm grows ‘x’% during the pandemic while achieving 100% revenue growth over an 18-month period. Plans for pre and post recovery wellness and ongoing support programs are currently being designed and rolled out. The firm is also seeking licensure to practice in all 50 states.

Strategy

  • Launch an aggressive inbound lead generation program on the backs of an education-based marketing plan.
  • Begin building phone and video chat-based delivery capability of all services.
  • Research new facility options that will allow for increased capacity, and meet compliance for additional licensure.
  • Begin researching residential facility options.

Results

  Untitled design (1)

100% revenue growth in 18-months

 

Additional products & services

Reassessment of online services

Extended licensure to all 50 states

 

Vital Statistics

Company Type: Security System Integrator

NAICS Code: 561621

Ownership: Family Run Business

Employees: 28

Scenario

Security systems integrator seeks to reinvent its delivery model and grow the business situation.

Situation

Saddled with legacy debt and legacy employees the company faces 2 major constraints to growth. Upon initial analyses of the business we recognize that we have some very dedicated and skilled employees that are manning the wrong positions.

Strategy

  • Analyze and re-do the organizational chart to place each person in their area of greatest competency.
  • Operations Manager became the in-the-field Project Manager.
  • Controller became AR clerk.
  • Sales Manager became President.
  • The in-the-field technician becomes an in-the-office Ops Manager.
  • A COO is hired.
  • All areas of operations go through a process mapping exercise to maximize all work flows.
  • Chart of accounts and all accounting practices are revised so reporting matches the actual operations.
  • Waterfall cash flow management system ™ is instituted to sequester funds into separate accounts to protect each projects’ individual cash flow.
  • Debt reduction plan is initiated.

Solution

The business is intentionally contracted down 25% in order to consolidate operations and become profitable. Then once contraction is complete the growth plan is initiated; which included re-pricing of its offerings as well as a wider range of service and maintenance options. Recurring revenue in the business increases 100% and becomes a larger aspect of the business. The company growth in the first-year post-turnaround is 33%. The company has spun-off a second business that has proprietary and industry disrupting video compression software.

Results

  Untitled design (2)

33% growth post turn-around

 

Re-priced its offering

Recurring revenue increased 100%

Spun-off a second business

New acquisition targets

Vital Statistics

Company Type:   Manufacturer & Distributor-Consumable

                               Products/Durable Goods

NAICS Code:       423490

Ownership:          Partnership, Independently owned, no outside 

                              investors. Partners bought the 100+ year-old

                              manufacturing business from someone else.

Employees:          30

Scenario

Equipment manufacturer, media distributor and manufacturer are seeking to expand its operations. 110-year-old company.

Situation

How to leverage the 110-year business and brand name in an ever-increasing competitive marketplace. Also, how to make the switch from offline sales to online and e-commerce to meet the buying preferences of a changing marketplace.

Solution

The company found that by contacting its core clientele, they were able to up-sell 20% additional product purchases. Additionally, the company pivoted into selling PPE led by its own branded hand-sanitizer solution. Also, by acting as a contract fulfillment house for other companies they were able to expand into additional markets and recession proof their business. They have increased their inbound lead generation by over 40% through education-based thought leadership marketing.

Strategy

  • Build out an entirely new sales department. The company had been relying on word-of-mouth referrals and repeat purchases from its existing clientele over the year. Most of the business development had been reactive to this point, and reliant solely on its operational excellence.
  • Wanting to expand, the business now needs to build out proactively its generation, online and inbound lead generation, and a more prospecting sales approach.
  • We designed and documented the entire sales process, leveraging the strengths and differentiator of the business. The company was able to take a normal order fulfillment cycle of 2-months and remarkably is able to fulfill within one day.
  • We were able to build our sales strategy, and brand promise around those innovative delivery methodologies.

Results

  Untitled design (2)

Leads increased 40%

 

Increased inbound leads 40%

Additional product upsell increased 20%

Order fulfillment speed – 2-months to 1 day!

New acquisition targets

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