Industry analysis  The Medical District was concerned that rebuilding of two major hospitals destroyed by Katrina would severely strain the labor pool.   We creatively combined a number of publicly available statistics to analyze the gaps between supply and demand across medically related occupations.  The Health Care and Biotech Workforce in the New Orleans Area – Overview also established the framework for on-going benchmarking of workforce development.

Marketing intelligence  A firm specializing in construction management desired to expand its client base. We assessed a number of target companies for corporate fit and  building trends.  We then identified relevant staff within the corporate heirarchy, suggested ways of meeting the players, and prepared briefing sheets for discussion.  

Business planning  A successful local non-profit organization was invited to replicate its model via a social innovation competition. We researched all aspects of the business plan – philanthropic trends, the target market, key competitors, marketing strategies – and wrote the text. The core product was refined through telephone interviews with a sample of potential clients.

Product development  A local company was exploring the introduction of a new product line. We researched market trends related to on-line training, and performed an in-depth analysis of competitors in a narrowly defined niche market, including specific product features, pricing, marketing strategies, and distribution channels.

Targeted marketing   A number of firms wanted to target new business.  For a company providing due diligence services, we identified specific industry associations as the means to reach hard to identify decision makers. For a buying group, we analyzed the existing client base and developed a prospect list based on characteristics of the best performers.

Location analysis  A local entrepreneur was seeking the optimal location for a retail store.  We evaluated potential sites based on area demographics, consumer expenditure data, and proximity of competitive and complementary entities.  The business plan incorporating the data successfully generated bank funding.

Primary data collection  A professional association needed member input on potential new projects. We designed and administered an on-line survey that elicited a 64% response.