The new year 2016 began. I decided to share my typical consultancy topics for management and business owners from last 3 years. It is a very good time to sit down and start analyzing our current state, direction and next steps.

    1. I advise you to do a business process document describing how you got to where you are now, what are the key processes of your business both now and in terms of getting started. Please share this with me.

    2. What is your business model? I will review your site. I need to get a clarity how you are making money. Please, send me your trading history: costs, revenues, profits. I always worry if I see the EU logos that the business may be losing money. If the business model is going to change in the future please describe it.

    3. Competition analysis. Who are you against in USA, Europe, Poland (and who in the west is dangerous and how can you be better than them)

    4. Strategic options. What do you see you way forward in terms not just of geographical spread but also product service offerings?

    5. Endgame, are you going to exit? If so how, when, who is going to buy you?

    6. Ownership/shareholders/ key team members etc. Who apart from you is part of your set up?

    7. Gaps, what do you lack/what are your weaknesses/challenges? What else do you need that you don’t have today, and what are you doing to address them? Have you ever done SWOT analysis? Dangers and threats. How could it „all go wrong”? Barriers to entry. If you start turning into a high-profit business. what is to stop others entering the market?

    8. Client satisfaction, what is it that makes

    a) your users

    b) people who send you money really appreciate what you do.

    9. How can I help you? What is the main reason you approached me?

    These are my typical consultancy topics – questions and subjects.

    Majority of questions are related to my main specialty in eCommerce, online shopping solutions, setting eCommerce organization, integration with 3rd party software like ERP, CRM, and usability, optimization of websites.

    During last 3 years, eCommerce developed rapidly. Currently, I see a huge movement in the B2B environment that uses B2C setup, even marketing automation tools, and similar online strategies.

    I hope this list will be helpful for you to start analyzing your current business.

    Happy New Year 2016!

    Urszula Urban