Because of the wide range of disciplines practiced by Jim Twerdahl and his associate consultants, the firm can assist with a great many management assignments. Following, are their areas of concentration.

General Management

• Continuing service as members of the board of directors or advisors
• Turnaround and crisis management
• Interim senior management.
• Project management
• Executive coaching and counsel to management
• Strategic planning
• Facilitate annual management and corporate planning retreats
• Development and writing of business plans for bank, SBA, venture and angel financing
• Development of business mission, vision
• Development of annual and long range plans
• Recruiting and development of boards of advisors, directors
• Mergers and Acquisitions. (See our affiliate site VMG Capital)
  • Formulation of acquisition/divesture strategies
  • Research and targeting potential acquisitions or buyers
  • Initiating contact and prescreening
  • Preparation of letters of intent with legal counsel, initial negotiations
  • In depth due diligence
  • Final negotiations and closing
  • Integration of merged businesses

Marketing

• Market strategy and planning
• Marketing research
• Product pricing, promotion, terms of sales
• Trademark and copyright filings
• Public relations (releases, press contact, event planning)
• Advertising (trade, consumer)
• Collateral and promotional material development
• Product Planning and Development
  • Product development process consulting
• Improving time to market
• Product launch strategies
• Product and brand extensions
• Branding and Product Naming
• Product obsolesce strategies
• Trade and consumer product research
• Product specification and detailing
• Product design, industrial design
• International sourcing  (See our section on International Sourcing)
  • Affiliate offices in Hong Kong, Japan and China
• U.S. and foreign patent applications
• Product labeling
• Packaging development and design
• Instruction manual writing and design
• Warranty administration

Sales and Distribution

• Sales force management
• Recruitment and selection of representatives
• Knowledge and contacts in many areas of distribution:
  • Mass Merchants (Wal-Mart, Target, Sears)
  • Electronics Chains (Best Buy, Circuit City )
  • Department Stores (Macy’s, Nordstrom’s)
  • Specialty Stores (Toys-R-Us, CompUSA)
  • Warehouse Clubs (Costco, Sam’s)
  • Catalog merchants (Sharper Image, TechnoScout)
  • Internet resellers (Amazon, Buy.com)
  • Two-step distributors
  • Premium, incentive distributors
  • International distribution
  • Warehousing and physical distribution
• Warranty repair, administration, refurbishing

Finance

• Corporate Finance
  • Raising equity capital
  • Debt financing
  • Bridge or mezzanine financing
  • Bank financing
  • Private placements
  • Receivables factoring
  • Purchase order financing
• Credit and Collection
• Payment terms and dating programs
• Design of management reports

Special Projects

• Assignments to assist management based on defined goals and objectives