Business development in Africa & the Balkans

‘New partners, renewed partners’

Challenge

The USA Head Office of a world-renowned, premium motorcycle company asked us to support their global retail expansion plans by filling ‘open points’ in Africa and the Balkans they had been unable to fill.

Approach

The company set the following KPIs to measure our success:

  1. Source investors and operators with the right fiscal profile
  2. Complete a business plan based on the potential of the open point
  3. Identify a prime location of the correct size for the brand
  4. Complete an executive summary to the global board on behalf of the potential partner
  5. On sign off by the global board
    1. Work with the partner on set up
    2. Marketing plans
    3. Staff recruitment
  6. Official hand over to the regional team
  7. Ongoing support years 1 and 2.

By using our network of contacts and drawing on our experience of working in these markets we did an office-based trawl and contacted key investors and operators. Key partners were identified to fit the business profile, using a Balanced Scorecard approach.

Our key measurement was to source the partner and create a viable business plan. On head office sign off we supported potential retailers to find suitable prime locations.

Impact

Within 6 months we had secured and set up new partners in Southern Africa, Croatia and Slovenia. And we supported the financial restructuring of two existing partners who were going to cease trading.

Why Alisar?

In this project ‘time’ was of the essence. We were asked to get involved because we had the time to carry out a thorough search and dedicate ourselves to the entire project, saving time and money for the company.

Their teams needed to keep other dealerships running, attend meetings and carry out many other daily activities, they simply didn’t have the spare time to take on this kind of time intensive project. As external consultants it was easier for us to open doors and to be politically incorrect now and then!