Business strategy development provides the foundation for making effective decisions in operations, execution, growth, talent and infrastructure. It also ensures that the business prioritizes the right areas of focus for investment, executive leadership and market development.

The field of brand strategy involves the alignment of the business within its current or future target markets. It is not primarily concerned with how the business desires to present itself to the market. Instead, brand strategy seeks to understand the market’s needs or wants, and then matches those with the firm’s capabilities to create an effective brand position.

Customer Relationship Management constitutes both a strategy and a system of record to manage the business relationships upon which the business operates. These include customers, prospects, partners, influencers and brand evangelists. CRM provides the foundation upon which each of these relationships established and grown.

An effective sales organization is built upon a collection of essential components, each of which must interconnect with the others in order to achieve success. This begins with a clear sales strategy and a structured sales team model, and is further supported by sales acceleration, sales enablement and social selling components.

Fully integrating marketing into the overall growth strategy is what allows the company’s brand to flourish. The brand foundation and digital presence serve as a framework upon which high-value content is then delivered to key channels and partners. Programs, events and public relations then further amplify the impact of clear messaging.

Alternative financing helps businesses expand their access to capital by allowing them to protect cash flow and drive expansion through additional sources of funding. These may include merchant cash advances, invoice financing (factoring), inventory financing and revenue-based financing, among other options.

CFO service providers typically deliver fractional or outsourced access to highly experienced chief financial officers who can work with the CEO on strategies to address business growth financing, cash management, capital asset planning, operational requirements, accounting operations and other financial functions.

Commercial banking brings together the core banking functions that businesses need, and the lending support that commercial banks can provide. Services typically include deposit accounts, merchant services, cash management, business credit cards and lines of credit, and commercial loans for working capital, equipment and real estate.

Investment banking addresses the capital formation side of the enterprise and typically encompasses raising equity and debt capital; private equity recapitalization; financing for exit and succession strategies; private placements; and the role of capital in mergers and acquisitions.

Investor relations is the specialized discipline of preparing and delivering both mandatory and strategic communications to a firm’s investors. IR incorporates quarterly financial statements and quantitative analysis with support for investor presentations in a manner consistent with applicable regulations and standards.

Growth through mergers and acquisitions provides yet another avenue for expanding the enterprise. M&A advisory firms provide support and counsel on business mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and both debt and equity financing. Some can also serve as an underwriter or agent for the issuance of securities, as well as advising investors.

Wealth managers with expertise in serving CEOs recognize that the business owner and the business both have financial needs that are intertwined. They deliver expert support for the investment, retirement and tax planning needs of the owner while also facilitating plans for the owner’s charitable, estate and legacy objectives.

One of the most essential resources for a growth-driven business is a reliable accounting partner (or team of partners). Typically retained initially to assist with tax planning and filing, accounting firms can also provide audit and attestation services, analysis and support for internal controls, advisory services relating to accounting and bookkeeping operations, and technical accounting among other functions.

As a company grows, it requires support from key disciplines essential to the physical plant and infrastructure of the enterprise. Professional architects work with the firm’s senior executive leadership to define the vision, direction and culture of the business and then express that both operationally and aesthetically in a variety of contexts including commercial, institutional, interior and landscape design elements.

First and foremost, a growth-driven business must have a high-quality business law attorney retained as a member of the core team (whether as in-house counsel or, in most cases, as retained outside counsel). Core elements of the enterprise, including entity incorporation documents, contracts, agreements, employment documents, leases and more require development by, or consultation with, a business attorney. In addition, specialized legal experts may add essential value in areas such as litigation, risk management, employment law and international business.

Planning for offices, facilities and infrastructure is essential as the enterprise expands. Will you lease space or purchase a building? Can your business needs be met in the location(s) that are most optimal for your growth? If you lease space, should you seek to negotiate a full service lease or accept a triple-net (NNN) offer from a landlord? What length of term and tenant fit-out options should be included? For growing companies, commercial real estate expertise includes that from experienced commercial brokers (typically SIOR or CCIM certified), as well as consultants, zoning and planning experts, and land use attorneys as well as landlords and developers.

Whether the focus is on interior build-out in an office, retail or institutional space or on full design-build capabilities for a warehouse or distribution center, it’s essential to source and partner with expert construction contractors and construction management firms. In many cases, the construction experts with whom you work can also address issues such as site planning, building commissioning and strategic procurement.

Alongside architecture and construction is civil and consulting engineering, which provides a wide range of essential expertise in disciplines relevant to the enterprise. These may include mechanical and electrical design, HVAC and water/plumbing, environmental engineering, fire/life safety, green design and energy efficiency, and structural design and consultation as well as interior considerations such as acoustics and lighting.

The field of information technology (IT) has grown over time to encompass an enormous array of mission-critical functions. These include core IT infrastructure elements such as desktop and laptop computers, file servers and other network services as well as cybersecurity, infrastructure redundancy, mobile devices, cloud hosting and enablement, and application and database management as well as enterprise software such as ERP systems.

From truckload and LTL delivery of finished goods to rail and air shipping of critical components, logistics and transportation connects the hub of essential components at the core of the business. Warehousing, 3PL providers and logistics consultants round out the complement of partners essential in this capacity.

With a focus on strengthening the firm’s bottom line, management consulting provides on-demand expertise to assist the business in preparing to scale effectively across all essential enterprise functions. Typical management consulting functions include business applications and enterprise systems; financial management; operations transformation; and optimizing business value.

The field of workspace solutions has evolved radically in the last decade as workspace design and delivery models have rapidly evolved. Alongside traditional functions such as workspace design, interior architecture and contract furniture, the workspace solutions field now also encompasses outsourced workspace service providers, preconfigured office suites, coworking spaces and flexible workspace consultants as well.

Operations consultants bring particular expertise to the delivery and fulfillment side of the enterprise. With deep roots in inventory management and production control, operations consultants can provide insights that maximize efficiency, protect delivery times, and improve profitability through better management of production and distribution activities.

The field of risk management connects consulting, insurance and law to maximize enterprise and asset protection. Business insurance expertise can advise CEOs on how to protect key areas of the business with applicable coverage for facilities, assets, operations, personnel and key leaders as well as reduce liability exposure associated with human resources, contract disputes or man-made or natural disasters. Enterprise risk management takes this framework further and is particularly applicable for public companies or highly regulated industries.

The strategic planning function seeks to lay an essential groundwork that can prepare the enterprise for its next 3, 5, 10 or more years by examining essential priorities that the executive team can select, focus on and pursue across functions and between disciplines. Bringing together analytical knowledge and facilitative support, strategic planning can set an effective tone for the overall future of the business.

Extending beyond the company’s own four walls, supply chain management connects the dots between material resource planning, subcontracting of key services or production activities, procurement and ultimately, customer delivery. By examining operations, transportation and logistics and quality management, the supply chain process can be optimized to minimize carrying costs and maximize effective throughput.

Executive coaching brings together the unique expertise of a consultant, the individual attention of a personal advisor, and the personal experience of a fellow business owner or executive who has ‘walked a mile’ in your shoes. As a result, executive coaching is an ideal and essential resource for CEOs as well as incumbent executives and high-potential emerging leaders. By combining knowledge and facilitation, coaching provides an essential ingredient in the growth and shaping of the company’s culture.

The field of human capital management integrates a group of key knowledge areas under the umbrella of the ‘people’ side of the business. Key components may include onboarding strategy, employee culture development, quality of work life assessment, human resource management, talent and compensation strategy, and compliance support for federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Providing employees with comprehensive insurance and benefits coverage is an essential part of growth strategy. Health insurance options and models vary dramatically under the Affordable Care Act and its successors, and a company’s needs may change dramatically based upon the states in which it operates as well as any international operations. In addition, building an effective benefit strategy overall provides employees with security and confidence, boosting recruiting and retention.

One of the key services that can help shape and support a rapidly growing enterprise is organizational development, which can take many forms. Overall, the practice of OD focuses on assessing, benchmarking and strengthening the culture of the business through leadership development, implementation of mentorship programs, strategic facilitation, personality and team assessments, and more. A trusted organizational development advisor or Industrial & Organizational Psychologist can be an essential resource for growth.

Perhaps the only thing on par with effectively collecting from customers accurately and on-time is effectively paying employees accurately and on-time. A high-quality payroll services partner will assist in ensuring that employees are accurately compensated; that employee classification is precise; and that the company’s pay and compensation policies are in line with applicable laws.

When building a growth-oriented human resource team, CEOs typically have three choices. The first is to build that team in-house, the second is to outsource that service to a third-party partner, and the third is to partner with a Professional Employer Organization, or PEO. The PEO model brings together a combination of legal, financial and benefit management options through the “co-employment” model, which can effectively streamline employee management for applicable companies.

Ensuring that the right people are “on the bus” begins with an effective talent and recruiting program. Talent strategy incorporates such elements as talent branding, recruitment communications, effective position design, employee referral programs, internal employee retention strategies, and more. Industry-specific or deeply engaged recruiting firms, staffing agencies and talent partners can support the firm’s growth strategy effectively through each major expansion of the team.

By focusing on providing a clear skills development pathway, training and development partners are in a position to ensure that employees feel valued and challenged appropriately as they develop their own career pathways. Whether the professional development model for a given employee focuses on on technical knowledge, technology certifications, professional expertise, leadership potential or soft skills, the result is a stronger workforce overall.