How to Grow When Markets Don't - Hardcover

Slywotzky, Adrian; Wise, Richard; Weber, Karl

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0446531774 ISBN 13: 9780446531771

Publisher: Warner Business Books, 2003

Synopsis

From two vanguards of global strategy consulting comes this eye-opening look at the business dilemma of unsustainable growth--along with insights on what companies can do to stimulate consistent profits. Though most companies claim to be growth oriented, surprisingly few actually achieve double-digit growth--and over the past 10 years, that percentage has steadily decreased. In HOW TO GROW WHEN MARKETS DON'T, Adrian Slywotzky and Richard Wise examine this problem and offer real solutions, including how to fully map customers' higher- order needs and ways to get investors to change their thinking. They also offer methods to enhance existing asset bases through acquisitions, partnerships, and licensing, and suggest that companies learn not to depend on the CEO to solve the growth crisis. Creating sustained growth in company value has never been an easy task--in fact, it's getting more and more difficult in today's economic climate--and HOW TO GROW WHEN MARKETS DON'T addresses the need for solid and sensible advice.

About this title

About the Author

Adrian Slywotzky and Richard Wise live in the Boston area.

Reviews

In this shrewdly titled volume for today's tough economy, global strategy consultants Slywotsky (The Art of Profitability) and Wise analyze companies in mature markets that have managed to achieve significant growth without venturing outside their industry, manipulating their financial statements or acquiring dot-coms. Their chief insight is that established companies with experience in their field have, aside from their core business, a wealth of hidden assets-customer contacts, technical expertise, efficient business models-that they can exploit to grow new businesses. Take John Deere, which studied the growth in home ownership (and consequently in the residential landscaping market) and decided to graft its trusted brand name and expertise in agricultural equipment onto a significant growth market. Clarke American took an apparently waning business-check printing-and morphed it into a customer services firm for large banks. By building on intangible assets like brand recognition, knowledge of the customer and distribution channels, these companies transformed themselves into growth centers for new products and services. The authors gloss over many of the problems that hamper blue chip companies seeking growth, however-e.g., market attrition, declining cash flow, recalcitrant middle managers and stodgy tradition-and fail to note that many of the corporations they cite here fall into current growth industries like personal banking, health care and home ownership. Nevertheless, the book does take an imaginative look at the possibilities open to mature companies looking to rejuvenate themselves.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Warner Business Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0446531774
• ISBN 13: 9780446531771
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352