Business Advisory Services
Businesses in emerging markets face big challenges on the road to profitability, sustainability, and expanding social impact. Oftentimes, investment alone is not enough to help a business improve, scale, and succeed.
GBF works closely with clients to provide them with the business expertise they need to grow and scale. This value addition by GBF is based on client needs, and supported by rigorous objectives, deliverables, and success factors per assignment.
These services are closely monitored, and continually revised. Experienced staff members at our headquarters in Washington, DC, and in each regional office, lead this work with clients.
Through relationships with an ever-growing suite of business advisory service partners, GBF provides expertise on a range of business challenges including financial management; operations and supply chain; strategic planning; governance; and environmental and social aspects.
GBF allocates funding for business advisory services according to thematic areas (above).
Timeline:
1. Assessing Client Development Needs
During due diligence, GBF will assess the business’s weaknesses and risks, as well as review opportunities for growth. Each client is measured against our core focus areas and given an ability score for each. This score is then used to help determine the strategy for each client.
2. Project Planning and Allocation
At this stage, alignment of objectives with the client is critical. GBF’s team and client senior management meet to brainstorm and prioritize potential projects.
The team uses the information gathered during the assessment phase and the outcomes of discussions with the client to determine top priorities and main objectives. Based on these objectives, actual business advisory services are programmed with subsequent success indicators.
3. Implementation, Monitoring & Adjustment
GBF staff, expert consultants, and local service providers implement business advisory services. The particular mechanism is determined by the qualifications and timing required on a case by case basis. Once the program is underway, there are monthly phone calls between the Business Advisory Services team and regional offices to ensure that progress is made towards stated objectives, and to identify any possible interim changes required for the success of the program.
4. Evaluation
GBF staff seeks input from clients to determine if the business advisory services led to positive changes in the company. When applicable, GBF also involves post-assignment consultant evaluations. Both GBF staff who provide direct assistance and external consultants are evaluated based on personal performance, and to determine if objectives and deliverables were met in a timely and effective manner.
