• Why would I use an outside consultant?
  Companies of all sizes use The Lake Group to help achieve their business objectives. Smaller companies have fewer resources and limited experience. We provide added capacity, industry knowledge and management frameworks to emerging firms. Larger companies typically are tightly focused on a few key priorities; they bring in The Lake Group to exploit specific niches and to address other priorities that they cannot achieve on their own.
  
  
• How are your fees structured?
  We do not have a standard approach. Most clients prefer to work on a fixed fee basis for a given set of deliverables, which allows them to evaluate the cost vs. the benefit of achieving those objectives.
  
  
• What framework do you use to create an effective business plan?
  We use a collaborative process called the "Lighthouse Model " involving a series of planning steps with your key managers. This process looks at broad market trends and opportunities, then narrows the field to those that are the most attractive and the best fit to your own capabilities. By working together to develop priorities for growth, we involve those managers that will be key to effective implementation of the plan.
  

• I have an advertising agency. What does The Lake Group provide that's different?
  We believe in the broader definition of marketing and work with you to address cultural and managerial issues, as well as traditional advertising and promotional ones. The Lake Group helps you identify a clear marketing path toward sustainable competitive advantage. Where advertising is identified as a need, we work with your agency or bring our own resources. The Lake Group is not predisposed to including advertising in the marketing mix, and helps you determine the best return for your marketing spending.
  

• What can I do in order to get the best return on my investment in The Lake Group?
  Identify a key manager that can help champion the new initiative along with us. Encourage top management to endorse the plan for change or expansion so that the organization will enroll in the activities needed to ensure it is implemented successfully. Bring as much information as possible to the early discussions, so project planning can be well-informed.

For additional information about the Lake Group, please contact us directly at info@lake-group.com.