Most companies are seeking growth outside of their core business through organic means or mergers and acquisitions, according to a new survey by McKinsey.
What’s interesting is that although many companies want to expand beyond their mainstay business, most do not have the capabilities to do so. Here are three best practice steps noted for successfully growing in new categories:
- Scanning for expansion opportunities
- Evaluating expansion opportunities
- Integrating new activities into core business
By following these best practices, companies are two times as likely to be successful; however, McKinsey reports that only between 27% and 33% of those that they surveyed did so.
When it comes to exploring new opportunities, business leaders are often too caught up in day-to-day activities to think about the bigger picture. Many are overly concerned with their competitors or simply are at a loss when it comes to generating new ideas for growth. This also means that once an opportunity is identified, it’s often the only one considered – so of course, the company has trouble properly evaluating the single opportunity and determining whether it is a good fit. And if an opportunity is not the right fit, there will be difficulties in integrating it into the core business.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, or simply wish to improve your capabilities, here’s some advice to help with your growth efforts.
- Start with strategy – It should go without saying, but strategy is key to success. The survey emphasized the importance of having a clear, long-term strategy: “When executives say their companies have a clear strategy for expanding into new activities, for example, they are four times more likely than those whose companies have no such strategy to report significant value creation.”
- Consider all your growth options – Did you know there are FIVE options for growth? They are: organic, external, minimize costs, exit, and do nothing. While you may be leaning toward one of these pathways, it’s best to consider it in the context of the others. This gives you a chance to seriously evaluate all of possibilities and provides a more complete picture. By considering all five options, you will either gain confidence about the decision you’ve already made or uncover a new path for growth.
- Use tools to generate ideas – We use tools like the Adjacency Map and the Opportunity Matrix to generate, organize and evaluate new opportunities. We find that a brainstorming session using these tools gets the ideas flowing. No idea should be off the table, no matter how remote or crazy it may seem.
- Evaluate opportunities with criteria – Develop criteria that match your ideal opportunity. Which aspects are most important to you? Market size, demographics, technological capabilities or something else? For example, if your overall strategy is to expand into Latin America, location is clearly important. Those opportunities that allow you to expand south of the border will be evaluated more favorably that those that don’t. Once your criteria are established, compare all options against the same criteria. This will help you remain objective and strategic.
- Develop an action plan – You need a clear plan for executing and integrating the newly acquired business (or new product or capability) with the rest of your current business. For M&A, especially, integration is the number one reason for failure – so start planning early. Your plan should, of course, be guided by your long-term growth strategy.
If you’d like to continue exploring your options for growth, download your free copy of “Finding Opportunities for Growth: The Opportunity Matrix.”
