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Frequently Asked
Questions
Q. Under what circumstances would
a company need to use a business profile?
A. To introduce your company or provide
new information to;
·
Financiers
· Strategic
partners
· Purchasing managers
·
Clients and customers
· The
media
Q. What purpose
does a business profile serve?
A. To introduce a business much like a personal resume
or c.v.
To capture the attention of busy executives
To encapsulate
the scope of the business in one or two pages
To organize one's
approach for a company presentation or a one-hour
meeting
Q. What format do
most companies use to tell their "story"?
A.
· Business
plan
· Business letter
·
Executive summary
· Press
release
· Brochure
· Web site
company descriptive
Q.
What kinds of organizations or individuals find a concise company profile
useful?
A.
· Venture
capitalists
· Investment
bankers
· Purchasing managers
·
Corporate decision makers
· Government
contractors
· Tier-one
suppliers
Q. What uses
would an Intrepreneur within a corporate setting have for a division or
department profile?
A.
· To increase
budget
· For inclusion in annual
reports
· To chart successes
·
To support top management
Q. How much time does an executive or other
decision maker usually spend looking over an unsolicited business plan or
a proposal?
A. Ten minutes, maximum
Q. What is the best way to ensure that a profile
reaches the hands of the appropriate
executive?
A. Research the name of the
specific executive you should communicate with. Send a business profile
with a brief cover letter stating your purpose, and follow it up with a
phone call.
Q. Under what circumstances should an entrepreneur's business
profile accompany other business
communications?
A.
As an attachment to
an introductory letter;
Along with a business
plan;
Along with a media kit;
As a leave-behind;
On a company web
site; and
In a directory listing
Q. What is the most important information a company should be able to
deliver to decision makers in an introductory
paragraph?
A.
· The nature of the
business
· Location
· Company's
position in the market
· Duration of
business
· Corporate (business) structure
Return
on investment
Q. Assuming that a company profile is two pages, how
much detailed financial information should be
included?
A.
· Dollar size of the
market
· Company's current annual revenue (and/or
company assets),
· Share of market and/or
ranking
· Growth over past few years
· Its revenue projections for one to five
years.
Q. Under what circumstance would a company include market data,
market analysis, demographics market growth projections, competitive
advantages?
· When the data demonstrates
the viability of a business
· When you are making a
presentation to marketing/sales executives
· To
demonstrate a unique position a company has in the market
Q. What
is the most important company information for profiling your company to
clients, customers and the media?
·
Specific company news
· Uniqueness and innovation of
products and services
· Solutions provided by the
product (or service)
· Price
competitiveness
Q. What are the best ways to assess the kinds of
information to include for a specific profile recipient (s)?
· Visit recipient's web
site
· Read annual reports
·
Visit relevant web sites
· Research contract
opportunities
Q. What are the best ways to assess the kinds of information to include
for a specific profile recipient (s)?
·
Visit recipient's web site
· Read annual
reports
· Visit relevant web
sites
· Research contract
opportunities
Q. What specific information does a start-up company
need in a company profile?
A.
·
Capitalization
· Management team's
experience
· Uniqueness of product or
service
· Market niche
· The
potential for return on investment
Q. What specific information does a
growth company need in a company profile?
A.
·
Track Record
Q. What is the optimal length for a document that
profiles a business?
A.
· 1 to 1-1/2
pages
Q. What information should a profile include to demonstrate
benefits to a specific recipient?
A.
·
Increased sales
· Decreased
costs
· New Market penetration
·
Innovative solutions
· Special
expertise
· Better productivity
Q. What are some
of the distribution points for a company
profile?
A.
· Online and print
directories
· Networking
occasions
· Industry events
·
Mail outs and fliers
Q. How does a business profile differ from a
business plan?
A.
· Gain exposure while
keeping sensitive information private
· Target
information to recipients
· Frequent
updating
· Use in different formats
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