General Strategies

There are several circumstances, conditions, or situations that will face your

business. Therefore these situations also will effect each of the functions of the business. The most common situations that will confront the business are:

A start up or new product
Slow growth
Fast growth
Improvement needs (no growth)
Adjustment / reaction needs
Survival
Decline (or reduction of operations)
Sell-out, close up or failure
Buyout takeover or expansion

It is now possible to match each of these conditions to the six functions of the business. Recommendations can be made as to the strategies to be adopted in each of these scenarios.

The strategy matrix - this is the match up of the department with the situations facing the department. A simple recommendation can be made in each of the situations as shown below:

General strategies at each stage of the business life cycle

Situation	Producers	Sales	Finance	Management	Technicians	Staff
Start-up	R&D new product development	Check market and planning	Presentation for funds	Plan and co-ordinate	Test R&D results	Stay small then grow
Slow growth	Introduce as products are available	Introduce as products are available	Funds by debt and equity	Find ways to build sales	Search to fill needs and wants	Select aggressive people
Fast growth	Push to keep up trends	Push but with logic	Stock sales to get funds	Push and grow with care	search action	Expand but with care
Improvement (no growth)	Test to find better ways	Test to find better products	Find new methods and sources of funds	Study competitors and research	Training and more staff	Train current
Adjustment (reaction)	Better competitor efficiency	Check competitors & improve	Keep control and flexibility	Resolve to be more competitive	Copy good product features and improve	Plan to grow or trim
Survive	Study copy and improve	Protect market niche	Control and cut costs	Control and increase sales	Buy available innovations	Trim to the minimum
Decline	Cut production costs	Push with idea item niche	Reduce spending build control	Consolidate jobs	Build results, cut costs	Trim, keep the best
Close-up (Sell-out)	Stop building inventory	Fade slowly	Sell assets - realize best prices	Trim and sell staff to buyer	Stop large investments	Trim and give good notice
Buy-out	Check product strength	Check market trends	Review assets profits	Assess strengths/ weaknesses	Assess keep the best	Care move slowly

General Strategy Assessment Form

Business current stage of evolution (e.g. start-up):

General strategy plan for each department

Production:

Sales:

Finance:

Management:

Technicians:

Staff: