Author: Darin Bifani
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Build Strategic Technology Tie-Ups: Connect Great Technology with Businesses That Can Commercialize It
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Entrepreneurship, Market Execution and Scaling Focus Area: Entrepreneurship and Scaling Key Article Point Technology creates enormous opportunities for SMEs, but there is often a structural mismatch between technology capability and commercial capability. Many operating businesses have customers, distribution, industry knowledge, processes and cash flow but lack the technology capabilities needed to…
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M&A Case Study: Creating More Value Though a Structured Ownership Transition
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Entrepreneurship, Market Execution and Scaling Focus Area: Entrepreneurship and Scaling Key Issue A substantial share sale can create a difficult problem for both buyer and seller. The seller wants to maximize the value of the business and obtain a clean realization of the value they have created. The buyer, however, is…
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Sell Your Company Without Leaving It Behind: Turn Founder Transition into a Win-Win Transaction Advantage
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Entrepreneurship, Market Execution and Scaling Focus Area: Entrepreneurship and Scaling Key Article Point Selling a company is often described as a transaction: the buyer pays money, the seller transfers shares, and the seller leaves. For many SMEs, that is neither necessary nor optimal. Founder-led companies often contain substantial value that is…
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Organizational Design Case Study: Turning Founder Knowledge into a Scalable Business Model
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Leadership, People and Organizational Excellence Focus Area: Organizational Design and Goverance Key Issue How can a successful family-owned SME reduce its dependence on its founder while simultaneously creating an operating model that can be replicated across new locations and acquired businesses? Northwoods Outdoor was a family-owned retailer specializing in outdoor sports…
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Replace People with Systems: Reduce Irreplaceability Before You Sell Your Company
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Finance, Risk Management and Long-Term Resilience; Leadership, People and Organizational Excellence Focus Area: Capital Raising; Organizational Design and Governance Key Article Point An SME often begins its business lifecycle with a remarkable concentration of capability in a few people—usually the founder and perhaps one or two key employees. That concentration can…
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Capital Raising Case Study: Proving That Your Company Is Less Risky Than Your Market
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Finance, Risk Management and Long-Term Resilience Focus Area: Capital Raising Key Issue How can an SME operating in a high-risk jurisdiction demonstrate to international investors that its actual business risk is materially lower than the risk of the market in which it operates? MedTech Solutions was a successful healthcare technology and…
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Defend Your Valuation: Show Investors Why Your SME Is Less Risky Than Its Market
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Finance, Risk Management and Long-Term Resilience Focus Area: Capital Raising Key Article Point For an SME operating in an emerging market, raising international capital can create a challenging valuation problem. An investor may look at the company and see an attractive business with strong growth potential. But before analyzing the company…
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Investment Case Study: Increasing Valuation with a Strategic Investor
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Entrepreneurship, Market Execution and Scaling Focus Area: Entrepreneurship and Scaling Key Issue Mediterranea Olive Foods was a successful olive oil producer based in Southern Europe. The company had built a strong premium brand, developed relationships with high-quality olive growers, and established an efficient bottling and distribution operation. It had also developed…
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Find the Buyer Willing to Pay the Most for Your Company
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Entrepreneurship, Market Execution and Scaling Focus Area: Entrepreneurship and Scaling Key Article Point When an SME prepares to sell itself or raise significant investment, one of the first questions usually asked is: “What is the company worth?” While this is an important question, it can lead sellers toward the wrong strategy.…
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Investment Case Study: Bridging a Valuation Gap Through Risk Sharing
🧭 Dojo Compass Module: Entrepreneurship, Market Execution and Scaling Focus Area: Entrepreneurship and Scaling Key Issue Andina Industrial Technologies was a 140-person industrial services company headquartered in Latin America. The company had developed a strong position in a specialized industrial market and had grown substantially over the previous five years. Its founders believed that the…