The CEO's Playbook: Winning Business Strategy for 2035

In today's rapidly changing global economy, CEOs of small-to-medium businesses face a mix of unprecedented opportunities and significant risks. A long-term strategy that balances innovation, technology integration, and sustainability isn't just an option, it's essential for survival and growth. This playbook outlines practical frameworks and future-proofing techniques to help leaders craft a winning strategy for the next decade, ensuring growth, resilience, and a lasting competitive advantage.

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Why Strategy Demands a New Mindset

The pace of change has never been faster. Emerging technologies, shifting consumer expectations, and intensified global competition are reshaping industries, leaving little room for complacency. The strategies that worked five years ago are unlikely to be effective in the decade ahead. For New Zealand businesses, the global market is more accessible than ever, but it also brings new vulnerabilities. Digital transformation, automation, and AI are democratising opportunity while simultaneously intensifying competition. Meanwhile, sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) responsibilities are now critical factors shaping investment and customer loyalty.

At Josty, we believe empowering growth requires more than reacting to trends. It demands a proactive approach to business model innovation, underpinned by clear strategic planning, robust leadership development, and a commitment to continuous corporate development. The next decade will reward businesses that blend market analysis, data analytics, and risk management with a culture of agility and resilience.

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Core Elements of a Winning Business Strategy

A long-term strategy provides stability and direction in a world defined by volatility and uncertainty. Key factors driving this need include:

• Globalisation: SMEs must both compete globally and defend against international competitors in local markets.

• Technological disruption: Technology presents both a risk (e.g., cybersecurity threats) and an opportunity (e.g., automation).

• Customer expectations: Modern consumers demand innovation, sustainability, and digital-first experiences.

Future-proofing your business is about adaptability, not just efficiency. You must invest in innovation to stay relevant and build resilience into your operations by diversifying supply chains and adopting flexible business models.

Here are the core elements to focus on:

• Market Analysis and Foresight: A deep understanding of the market is the foundation of strategic planning. Use data analytics to track customer needs, competitor moves, and industry shifts. Conduct regular market analysis and invest in scenario planning to test the resilience of your strategy against multiple futures.

• Technology Integration and Digital Transformation: Digital tools are no longer optional. Implementing automation can reduce costs, while leveraging AI can enhance forecasting and customer personalisation. Prioritise cybersecurity to protect your business in a digital-first world.

• Building Competitive Advantage Through Leadership and Culture: A winning strategy is executed by people. Strong leadership and a resilient organisational culture are crucial differentiators. Foster a culture of innovation, invest in leadership development at every level, and encourage cross-functional collaboration to enhance agility.

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Practical Frameworks for the Next Decade

• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Data analytics is a central driver of business innovation. Leaders must embed data into everyday decision-making, using analytics for predictive modelling and customer insights.

• Sustainability and ESG Considerations: Sustainability is no longer a choice it's a requirement from investors, customers, and regulators. Embedding ESG principles into your strategic planning can drive efficiency and enhance brand reputation.

• Risk Management and Adaptability: The only certainty about the next decade is uncertainty. Build risk management into your strategy by identifying key risks, creating contingency plans, and building flexibility into your organisational structure to pivot quickly.

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Emerging Trends Every CEO Must Watch

• AI, Automation, and Data Analytics: These technologies will redefine industries, driving efficiency and unlocking new opportunities. Businesses that embrace them early will establish a significant competitive advantage.

• Talent Management and Leadership Development: Future success hinges on your people. Retaining top talent requires a focus on organisational culture, flexible work models, and continuous leadership development.

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Expanding the Playbook: Strategic Priorities

• Customer-Centric Innovation: Place your customers at the heart of every decision. Use technology for personalisation and build feedback loops to act on customer insights in real-time.

• Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystems: No business operates in isolation. The future will reward companies that build strong ecosystems of partners and suppliers. Explore cross-industry alliances and consider mergers and acquisitions to accelerate growth.

• Agility in Business Model Innovation: The ability to pivot quickly will define the winners of 2035. Treat business model innovation as an ongoing process, whether through new subscription models, platform strategies, or hybrid operations.

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A 10-Step CEO Action Plan for 2035

1. Define Your Long-Term Vision: Create a clear strategic direction for the next decade.

2. Conduct Deep Market Analysis: Use data analytics to understand customers, competitors, and regulatory changes.

3. Prioritise Digital Transformation: Invest in automation, AI, and cybersecurity as core enablers.

4. Embed ESG into Strategy: Align operations with sustainability goals.

5. Strengthen Organisational Culture: Build a culture of innovation, wellbeing, and leadership development.

6. Diversify and Build Partnerships: Reduce dependency on single suppliers and explore collaborations.

7. Adopt Agile Business Models: Be ready to pivot with new revenue streams and offerings.

8. Build Robust Risk Management Frameworks: Prepare for supply chain, financial, and technology disruptions.

9. Set Measurable KPIs and Governance: Track progress with clear metrics and leadership accountability.

10. Commit to Continuous Adaptation: Treat your strategy as a living framework, refined regularly to align with new trends.

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Final Thoughts: Building the Strategy for 2035

The path to 2035 won't be linear. The challenges of globalisation, technological disruption, and sustainability will continue to reshape industries. However, with the right long-term strategy, small-to-medium New Zealand businesses can thrive.

At Josty, we are committed to empowering growth and securing success for businesses across New Zealand. Our expertise in strategic planning, leadership development, and corporate advisory equips SMEs with the tools they need to build winning strategies for the decade ahead. The next 10 years will reward organisations that act boldly, innovate consistently, and cultivate resilience at every level.

Post Written by Jason Jost

Are You Project-Ready? 5 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Consultant

Hiring a consultant can be a game-changer for your business, providing the expertise, focus, and fresh perspective needed to tackle a critical project. Whether you're launching a new product, upgrading IT systems, or entering new markets, the right partner can accelerate your success.

However, a common pitfall we've seen at Josty is businesses engaging consultants before they're truly project ready. This lack of preparation can lead to stalled projects, wasted money, and frustrated teams. Being project-ready means more than just having an idea; it means your business has clarified objectives, aligned stakeholders, allocated resources, and created a solid foundation for collaboration. Without this essential groundwork, even the best consultant will struggle to deliver the outcomes you expect.

At Josty, we believe in setting businesses up for sustainable success. That's why we've developed a simple checklist of five critical questions to help you assess your readiness. By asking these questions before you hire, you'll protect your investment, avoid wasted time, and maximize the value of your consultant engagement.

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The 5 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Consultant

1. Do You Have Clarity on Your Project Objectives?

A consultant can't help you reach your destination if you don't know where you're going. The first step to project readiness is having clear, measurable objectives. Vague statements like "we need to improve operations" are not objectives, they are ambitions.

Why clarity matters:

• Consultants need a clear anchor for their recommendations.

• Ambiguity leads to scope creep, budget overruns, and conflicting expectations.

• Clear objectives allow you to measure success and hold everyone accountable.

Checklist for clarity:

• What specific problem are we solving?

• What outcome would define success?

• Are the objectives SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)?

Example: Instead of "upgrade IT systems," a clear objective is: “Implement a new ERP system within 12 months to improve inventory accuracy by 30% and reduce order fulfillment time by 20%.”

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2. Can Your Current Team Balance Operations and the Project?

This is one of the biggest reasons businesses fail with consultants: they expect staff to maintain daily operations while simultaneously leading a major project. Your team may be talented, but their bandwidth is finite.

We've seen this play out countless times. In one case, staff were asked to manage customer service and a system upgrade at the same time. The result? Customers were neglected, staff burned out, and the project was eventually abandoned.

Key considerations:

• Do we have the capacity to take on a project without sacrificing performance?

• Who will be responsible for project leadership?

• Will we need external support for backfilling daily roles?

• Are we willing to dedicate internal champions who can work alongside the consultant?

The framework: Think of a project like rowing a boat. If half your crew is also trying to bail water, the boat will move much slower or worse, it might sink. Consulting works best when clients allocate dedicated time and people to collaborate with external experts. Business readiness means honestly assessing your team's capacity to avoid the trap of asking a consultant to carry the full weight of the project alone.

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3. Have You Defined Scope, Timelines, and Resources Realistically?

Projects often collapse not because of poor consulting, but because of unrealistic planning. One of the first things we assess at Josty is whether a client has a grounded definition of their scope, timelines, and resources.

Common pitfalls:

• Expecting "too much, too fast" (e.g., launching into new markets in six weeks with no research).

• Underestimating the budget (e.g., expecting an enterprise-grade solution on a small-business budget).

• Overloading the scope (e.g., trying to roll out three new systems at once).

Business readiness questions:

• Is the scope clearly defined and agreed upon?

• Have we built in contingency for time and budget overruns?

• Are our expectations aligned with industry benchmarks and consultant recommendations?

• Do we have a resourcing plan for people, technology, and funding?

A consultant thrives in a structured environment. Without a defined scope, timelines, and resources, they spend their time firefighting instead of delivering value.

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4. Do You Have Internal Alignment and Stakeholder Buy-In?

Even the best project plan can fall apart if internal stakeholders aren't aligned. We've worked with businesses where one department is excited about change while another fiercely resists it. The consultant gets caught in the middle, and momentum is lost.

Signs of poor alignment:

• Conflicting messages from leadership.

• Teams treating the project as "management's idea" rather than a shared initiative.

• Stakeholders withholding cooperation until they see proof of benefit.

Business readiness checklist:

• Have all relevant departments been consulted in the early planning stages?

• Has leadership agreed on the importance of this project?

• Are communication channels in place to keep everyone informed?

Part of being project-ready is ensuring a united front. Consultants cannot replace leadership buy-in. If your leaders are divided, staff will mirror that uncertainty. Hold an internal readiness workshop to clarify roles, address concerns, and create a sense of shared ownership.

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5. Are You Prepared to Collaborate Effectively with a Consultant?

Finally, ask yourself: are you ready to treat your consultant as a partner rather than a vendor? Many businesses view consulting as a "handover" exercise: "Here's the problem, fix it." But sustainable outcomes only happen when the client collaborates actively.

Effective collaboration requires:

• Transparency: Sharing the full picture, not just selective information.

• Responsiveness: Making decisions promptly when consultants need input.

• Trust: Respecting the consultant's expertise while contributing your business knowledge.

• Accountability: Recognizing that project outcomes are shared, not outsourced.

The business readiness mindset is this: you don't hire a consultant to "do the project for you." You hire them to accelerate, guide, and strengthen your project journey. The consultant brings external expertise, but you bring the critical context, commitment, and execution capacity.

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Final Thoughts: The Reality of Project Readiness

Engaging a consultant can be a turning point for your business, but only if you're ready. The five questions in this guide reflect the real-world challenges we’ve seen businesses face at Josty: unclear objectives, over-stretched teams, unrealistic timelines, weak stakeholder buy-in, and poor collaboration.

By asking yourself these questions, you're not just protecting your investment, you're empowering growth and setting yourself up for success. Readiness doesn't mean perfection; it means clarity, alignment, and commitment.

The question isn’t just whether you need a consultant. The real question is: are you project-ready?

When the Lights Go Out: Is Your Business Ready for an Outage?

A couple of weeks ago, I had a power outage at home. It wasn’t the usual culprit, not a storm, not a car accident involving a power pole, and not a tree falling on the lines. Instead, it came down to something far more ordinary: the age of the fuses in the roadside box feeding electricity to our house.

The failure happened late at night, which was a blessing. Only a few appliances were running, and the timing meant no disruption to work or family commitments. Within 90 minutes, a linesman arrived, replaced the failed fuses, and restored the power. It was an inconvenience but not a disaster. Why? Because we were prepared.

We had backup power options, candles, and fully charged phones. The interruption was short-lived and manageable.

But that experience raised a bigger question in my mind: How would your business cope with a 90-minute outage?

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Why Preparation Matters

For a household, a short outage is a nuisance. For a business, even a brief interruption can mean serious consequences. A 90-minute power cut might not sound long, but consider what could happen in that timeframe:

• Lost sales: A café, bar, or restaurant could lose peak service revenue. Customers might walk out, and you may never see them again.

• Interrupted operations: Manufacturers or workshops could face stalled production, equipment resets, or even wasted raw materials.

• Customer dissatisfaction: If your business relies on online platforms, call centres, or deliveries, clients may experience delays or failed transactions damaging your reputation.

• Data risks: If systems shut down without warning, unsaved data or corrupted files could add hours (or days) of recovery work.

The reality is that every business is more dependent on power than it often realises not just for keeping the lights on, but for keeping operations smooth, customers happy, and teams productive.

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What Businesses Can Learn from a Small Outage

 My brief experience at home illustrates a critical point for business leaders: outages don’t always come with warnings, and they’re not always dramatic. Sometimes it’s the small, ageing piece of infrastructure, like a fuse, that can suddenly put everything on hold.

This is where business resilience planning comes in. It’s not about imagining once-in-a-lifetime disasters but about anticipating the everyday failures that are far more likely to occur.

Ask yourself:

• Does your business have backup power solutions such as UPS systems or generators?

• Are your staff trained to handle outages safely and efficiently?

• Do you have contingency plans for customer service when systems go offline?

• How quickly can your business bounce back from even a 30–90 minute interruption?

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Turning Risk into Strategy

At Josty, we work with businesses to uncover the vulnerabilities that could quietly erode performance or profits. A 90-minute power cut might be rare, but the ability to withstand and adapt to disruptions is what separates resilient businesses from fragile ones.

Resilience is not just about technology; it’s about culture and strategy. Do your people know what to do? Do your processes allow for quick pivots? Do your systems have redundancies built in?

The outage at my home was a reminder that resilience isn’t about avoiding every problem it’s about being prepared enough that when problems come, they don’t knock you off course.

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Final Thoughts

A power outage at home may only cost you a couple of candles and a late-night wait for the linesman. But in business, the same event could mean lost sales, unhappy customers, wasted stock, or shaken confidence in your reliability.

So, here’s the challenge: if your business faced a 90-minute outage tomorrow, would you be ready?

At Josty, we believe that resilience planning is not optional, it’s a performance driver. Preparing for the unexpected allows businesses to protect their bottom line, strengthen their reputation, and deliver consistent value to customers.

The question isn’t whether outages or disruptions will happen, they will. The real question is whether your business is prepared to handle them without missing a beat.

Business Culture as a Performance Driver

 A thriving business culture isn't a happy accident; it’s a powerful engine for performance and organisational success. For any business in New Zealand, the workplace environment is not just a place to work; it is the very force that drives productivity, innovation, and profitability. The genuine culture of a company, the shared values, beliefs, and behaviours, is the invisible hand that can either propel a business forward or hold it back.

As a business consultant, I've seen countless examples where a disconnect between a company’s intended culture and its lived reality has led to significant pain points. A classic case is when owners and management believe they have a collaborative, team-oriented culture, while the staff feel micromanaged and undervalued. This strategic mismatch creates friction, erodes trust, and hampers productivity. At Josty, our philosophy is that a business's culture should be a natural extension of its people and goals, unique to its specific context. We don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach because every team and every business is different.

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The DNA of a High-Performing Culture

A business's culture is its operating system. When this system is healthy, it can drive extraordinary results. We've seen two distinct yet successful cultural archetypes: the family/team culture and the corporate/revenue culture. Each, when nurtured correctly, can be a powerful performance driver.

The family/team culture thrives on a sense of belonging and mutual support. In this environment, people are more than just employees; they are colleagues who genuinely care for each other's success. This fosters a deep-seated loyalty where people willingly do the "bit extra" because they are working for a common purpose. This sense of collaboration and collective responsibility can lead to remarkable productivity. Employee engagement is naturally high because individuals feel valued, respected, and heard. The result is a highly motivated workforce where talent retention becomes a natural by-product.

Conversely, the corporate/revenue-based culture is often characterised by a focus on individual achievement and tangible rewards. In this setting, people are driven by clearly defined goals, performance metrics, and the pursuit of career progression and higher earnings. This can be a highly effective model, particularly in fast-paced, competitive industries. It fuels a culture of ambition, but leadership must balance individual aspirations with the need for communication and teamwork, ensuring the pursuit of revenue doesn't come at the expense of employee well-being or ethical conduct.

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Leadership as the Catalyst for Change

The most common and most damaging pain point we encounter is a fundamental disconnect between the cultural aspirations of management and the lived reality of the staff. This is where Josty's strategic thinking and leadership development expertise come into play. We believe that leadership is the primary driver of culture. Leaders set the tone, model the behaviour, and define the values.

Therefore, any cultural transformation must begin at the top. This is not about forcing a new set of rules; it’s about guiding leaders to understand and strategically influence their own behaviour. We work with business owners and leadership teams to honestly assess their existing culture and define the desired state that aligns with their business goals. Through our leadership development programmes, we coach leaders to embody the new culture, helping them with change management by ensuring consistency from the top. A cultural shift can fundamentally change the whole business from morale to staff engagement, from profit to customers.

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The Enduring Impact of a High-Performing Culture

A business’s culture is its most valuable, and often most underutilised, asset. It is the intangible force that dictates everything from employee engagement to overall organisational success. The journey to a high-performing culture is not a quick fix; it is a continuous, guided process that requires genuine strategic thinking and a commitment to change management.

At Josty, our role is to act as your trusted business consultant, helping you navigate this journey. We’ve seen firsthand how addressing the disconnect between leadership and staff views on culture can revitalise a business, boosting morale, improving profits, and creating a workplace environment where everyone is aligned and motivated. It’s the most crucial investment you can make in your business's future, ensuring sustained business growth and a legacy of organisational success.

Certification: Do You Really Need It?

 

Business Certification and Professional Credentials – Worth the Investment?

Not all certifications are created equal. Some, like food safety certificates or trade registrations, are essential to operate legally. Others, such as ISO certification, can boost credibility and open new opportunities but require careful consideration of the costs versus benefits. It is crucial for businesses to distinguish between these mandatory compliance certifications and those that are simply “nice to have.” At Josty, we help businesses decide which certifications are necessary and how to strategically leverage them for growth.

Why Certification Matters

In the business world, certification is often a mark of credibility and professionalism. For some businesses, it's not a choice. A café can't legally operate without a Food Safety Certificate, and an electrician can't work without a registration and practicing licence. These are non-negotiable requirements that form the foundation of compliance and consumer protection.

Beyond these mandatory certifications, there is a separate category of credentials that, while not legally required, are seen as pathways to growth. These include ISO certifications like ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), or ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety). They can make your business more competitive, especially when tendering for contracts, but they also come with significant financial and operational costs.

This raises a key question for many New Zealand businesses, particularly SMEs: is an optional certification worth the investment if it's not a legal or tendering requirement? Some companies invest heavily only to see little return, while others gain access to new contracts and strengthen customer trust. The real question is not simply “Do you need certification?” but rather, “Which certifications genuinely add value, and how can you leverage them effectively?” At Josty, we help business owners make these strategic decisions, ensuring that certification becomes a lever for growth, not just a tick-box exercise.

The Two Faces of Certification

Compliance-Based Certification – The Non-Negotiables

Certain certifications are absolute requirements for a business to operate legally and safely. These include:

• Food Safety and Hygiene Certificates: Essential for any business handling and serving food.

• Liquor Licences: Required for hospitality venues that serve alcohol.

• Trade Registrations and Practicing Licences: Mandatory for professionals like electricians, gas fitters, and builders.

Failing to maintain these exposes a business to legal risks, fines, and even shutdowns. Business owners have a non-negotiable responsibility to ensure their company and employees maintain these certifications.

Strategic Certification – Optional but Influential

Other certifications are not legally required but can provide a competitive edge. These include:

• ISO 9001, 14001, 45001: Certifications that validate a company's commitment to quality, environmental, or health and safety standards.

• Industry Association Accreditations: Credentials from professional bodies that boost credibility and trust.

These certifications serve as external validation of a company’s professionalism and can be a deciding factor when competing for contracts, especially with larger clients who prioritize suppliers who meet specific industry standards.

Case Studies: When Certification Works and When It Doesn’t

The Positive Example – ISO 9001 Opening Doors

In a previous role, I saw first-hand the tangible impact of ISO 9001 certification. While the upfront costs and implementation were significant, the certification was a prerequisite for tendering for certain contracts. Without it, we wouldn’t have even been considered. The certification didn’t guarantee a win, but it gave us a seat at the table where our expertise and competitive pricing could be evaluated. The return on investment was clear and substantial.

The Negative Example – Certification Without Return

Conversely, I’ve seen smaller businesses chase certifications without fully assessing the potential return on investment. They might pursue ISO certification because it’s listed in a tender document, hoping it will unlock lucrative contracts. However, without the scale or resources to compete effectively, they secure little or no work. They are left with an expensive certification that delivers little practical value.

Framework for Deciding if Certification Is Worth It

Josty recommends a structured approach to evaluating any certification:

1. Regulatory Check: Is this certification legally required to operate in your sector? If so, it’s a non-negotiable.

2. Customer Expectations: Do your clients expect you to have this certification? If it’s a key factor in their purchasing decisions, it becomes necessary.

3. Market Access: Does certification open the door to new markets, contracts, or partnerships?

4. ROI Assessment: What are the costs (time, money, resources) versus the potential gains (higher sales, reduced risk, improved efficiency)?

5. Long-Term Strategy: Does this certification align with your business model and growth strategy?

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Certification

Advantages:

• Builds credibility and trust with customers.

• Differentiates you from competitors.

• Creates access to new markets and tenders.

• Enhances internal systems and quality control.

• Shows commitment to industry standards.

Disadvantages:

• High upfront and ongoing costs.

• Time-consuming audits and compliance checks.

• Risk of investing without a tangible ROI.

• Can become a “tick-box” exercise rather than a driver of real business improvement.

Josty’s Role – Guiding and Advising on Certification

At Josty, we are more than just consultants. We act as strategic advisors, helping businesses answer crucial questions: Is this certification essential or optional? Does it align with your growth strategy? How can it be leveraged to win new business? Our approach ensures that these decisions are integrated into your broader business model.

The next time you consider certification, ask yourself: Do you really need it? If the answer is yes, make sure it’s for the right reasons, and that it strengthens your business in the ways that matter most.

Entering a New Market: A Strategic Blueprint for Success

 

For businesses seeking growth, entering a new market, whether a new region or industry, is a rewarding but risky undertaking. While the promise of new customers and increased revenue is appealing, a poorly planned entry can lead to wasted resources, lost credibility, and lasting damage. A successful expansion requires building a sustainable foundation, which includes a deep understanding of local culture, competitive landscapes, and regulatory environments. At Josty, we've seen both flawless execution and costly failures, and this guide outlines 11 practical steps to improve your odds of success.

The 11-Step Framework

1. Conduct Comprehensive Market Research: Don't assume a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Gather detailed intelligence on market size, customer behavior, and cultural nuances. Use surveys and focus groups to uncover specific needs and tailor your value proposition to the local audience.

2. Understand the Competition: Go beyond listing rivals. Analyze their pricing, offerings, and marketing tactics to identify gaps. This deep dive is key to developing a unique value proposition that gives you a sustainable edge.

3. Identify Product-Market Fit: Your product may not succeed elsewhere without adjustments. Validate your offering by listening to potential customers in the new market. This might mean modifying features, packaging, or positioning to ensure your solution resonates with their specific problems.

4. Compliance, Tax, and Legal Checks: Proactively address legal and administrative hurdles. Consult local experts to navigate import/export rules, licensing, data privacy laws, and tax obligations. This is a crucial form of risk management, especially in international markets.

5. Strategic Planning: Your plan should be a dynamic blueprint, not a checklist. Define clear objectives, budgets, roles, and a timeline. Account for both short-term launch tactics and long-term positioning to ensure you have the resources for sustained activity.

6. Build a Market Entry Sales & Marketing Strategy: Localize your strategy. Adapt messaging to cultural preferences, use relevant marketing channels, and localize your sales processes. This ensures your outreach is both authentic and effective, helping you build trust and credibility faster.

7. Establish Local Partnerships: Leverage local distributors, agents, or industry bodies. They provide invaluable insider knowledge, existing customer relationships, and instant credibility, saving you years of effort.

8. Make Initial Contact & Secure Meetings: Proactive outreach is essential. Be prepared and professional in your first conversations. Focus on building a foundation of trust and showcasing your value proposition respectfully.

9. Collaborate Across the Business: Ensure internal alignment. All departments from sales to operations must be engaged in the market entry plan. This prevents miscommunication and ensures a unified, consistent customer experience.

10. Meetings & Follow-Ups: Convert initial interest into lasting relationships with consistent communication. Beyond a simple check-in, provide value and demonstrate a genuine interest in your partners' and customers' success.

11. Monitor, Evaluate, and Adapt: Market conditions are dynamic. Track KPIs, listen to feedback, and be ready to adjust your tactics. This post-launch phase is about continuous learning and iteration to ensure long-term relevance and success.

Case Studies: Best vs. Worst Examples

We've seen the difference a plan can make. In one case, a company entered a new market with almost no marketing, relying on cold calls and a fragmented approach. They had zero brand awareness, missed opportunities with existing clients, and ultimately wasted their budget.

In contrast, other businesses we've worked with approached market entry with precision. They invested in research, understood their competitors, and aligned all departments. By launching with credibility and a strong plan, they captured early wins and built a sustainable pipeline.

Why Josty’s Approach Works

Josty serves as both a strategic planning partner and a full-service execution consultant. We combine market intelligence, compliance awareness, and cross-departmental coordination to help businesses avoid common pitfalls. Our structured approach turns the uncertainty of expansion into a predictable, manageable process.

Conclusion: Entering a New Market Without the Guesswork 

Entering a new market is not a gamble when you have a structured approach. We provide a dynamic blueprint for success, helping you combine internal collaboration, external partnerships, and a strong sales and marketing strategy. Our blend of strategic guidance and hands-on execution empowers businesses to turn opportunity into a sustainable growth journey.

To learn more on this topic or to find out more about Josty, visit the link in our bio.

Why Businesses Evolve: Adapting for Long-Term Success

Businesses rarely succeed by standing still. Evolving your business model in response to market trends, shifting customer needs, and competitive pressures is essential for sustainable growth and long-term success. This post explores why businesses evolve, provides real-world examples, and offers practical strategies to future-proof your own enterprise.

In business, change is not just inevitable it’s essential. The most successful companies are those that embrace evolution, anticipate market trends, and adapt quickly to new realities. Consider some of the biggest names in the world today. Amazon began as an online bookstore; Netflix mailed DVDs before becoming a streaming giant; Nokia was once a paper mill before dominating mobile phones. The question every business owner and leadership team should be asking is: Is your current business model the same as when you started? If it is, there’s a strong chance you’re missing opportunities or worse, falling behind.

At Josty, we work with businesses to empower growth and secure success by helping them recognise when and how to adapt. Sometimes evolution is about innovating products; other times, it’s about adjusting pricing models, diversifying revenue streams, or shifting operational focus. The bottom line? Adapting to change is no longer optional it’s a survival skill.

Why Businesses Evolve

Businesses evolve for many reasons, but they typically fall into a few major categories:

• Responding to Market Trends: Market conditions shift constantly. Businesses that pay attention to trends can position themselves ahead of the curve. A 2023 PwC survey found that 75% of global CEOs were actively adapting their business models to keep pace with changes.

• Customer Needs Drive Change: Your customers will tell you what they want. A small microbrewery I worked with, for example, noticed customers wanted a place to linger. They pivoted to add a restaurant section, which eventually became their primary revenue stream, demonstrating a powerful response to customer demand.

• External Pressures: Legislation, economic conditions, supply chain disruptions, and competitive pressures can force a business to change. A manufacturing facility I worked with had to adapt its entire workflow when supplier reliability dropped, pivoting to local sourcing to survive and thrive.

Examples of Business Evolution Across Industries

Evolution is not industry specific. Tech giants like Netflix and Apple continuously pivot, but so do other sectors. Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brands like Coca-Cola have expanded into healthier products to meet consumer demand. Even smaller businesses adapt I know of a restaurant that began bottling and selling its house-made sauces turning a feature of their meals into a significant new revenue stream.

How to Recognise It’s Time to Evolve

The Harvard Business Review notes that over 50% of Fortune 500 companies have merged, been acquired, or gone bankrupt since 2000, often because they failed to evolve. Key triggers for change include:

• Technological disruption (e.g., AI, automation)

• Shifting customer demographics and purchasing habits

• Declining sales or shrinking profit margins

• New competitors entering the market

• Rising operational costs or supply chain issues

Strategies for Evolving Your Business Model

The key is to anticipate change rather than just react to it.

• Embrace continuous market research.

• Test small before committing big.

• Invest in innovation.

• Diversify revenue streams.

• Engage with your customers regularly.

• Ensure any new direction is scalable.

Final Thoughts

The history of business is a story of evolution. From the corner store that expands into e-commerce to the multinational that pivots its entire product range, growth comes from recognising when to adapt. If there’s one lesson that stands out, it’s this: staying the same can be more dangerous than changing. The businesses that thrive in the long term are those that treat adapting as a core competency.

At Josty, we’ve help companies of all sizes implement strategic planning and innovation frameworks that not only respond to current market shifts but also future proof their business. The choice to evolve isn’t just about survival, it’s about seizing the opportunity for long-term success.

For insights on how to streamline your operations and build a more resilient business, visit our website via the link in our bio.