Welcome to the four core foundations that every business needs...
Are you over being told you need to "be purpose-led" or "define your authentic values"?
Do you want to grow a strong business without feeling jaded by consultancy jargon?
We get it.
It's not that any of the 'expert' advice filling up your social streams is inherently wrong.
It's just that it comes without any insight into your actual business.
Call us controversial but Rock's view is that you may not need to have a “purpose, vision, mission & manifesto” - not yet or not ever. We believe the buzzwords have become a distraction from the work that really matters.
Most business owners agree that strong businesses are built on solid core foundations.
So, let's just stick with that.
Four key foundations for every business:
At Rock, we think strategic consultancy should be clear, direct & 100% client-led. We’re led by what each business needs, not how each output is labelled.
Our foundations work focuses on the four key areas we believe every business needs clarity on:
Direction
Connection
Impact
Value
Revolutionary? Not really.
Rock's founder, Rachel Vigers, has over 25 years experience in business brand strategy.
She spent ten years in agency as a Consultancy Director advising corporate C-suites. Then a further ten as an independent consultant advising the founders & owners of micros & SMEs.
Regardless of the size, sector or stage of the business, Rachel kept seeing the same critical success factors: Direction. Connection. Impact. Value.
It’s a basic formula for what really matters in business.
Direction What territory you want to own. What goal you want to achieve. What world you want to see. Whatever direction means to you, whatever you want to call it, internally or externally, every business needs an idea of where it's come from, where it wants to be & how it’s going to get there. Direction should move you forward - not necessarily in a straight line (success is rarely linear), but certainly not in circles.
Connection Strong businesses build strong bonds with the people that matter - not just customers but also team members, suppliers, partners etc. What these different audiences know, think & feel about your business is important. Their perception of you directly influences their desire to work with you, or for you, to buy your products or services, to support or promote you. Understanding what perception you want them to have & then how to manage it is essential. Connection is what turns direction into impact.
Impact When we talk about impact, we mean the difference you want to make - whether that’s in the world, in your community, in your market or simply for the people or companies you work with. Sustainability. Transformation. Growth. Profitability. Opportunity. Freedom. What does impact mean to your business & how will you measure it? If you don’t know, why bother being in business at all?
Value Humans can be surprising. In business as well as life. So don't assume you know what they value about your offer. Ask. It may be what you do, how you do it or even why. It may be about the other people you do it for. It may be rational (e.g. price, convenience) or emotional (e.g a sense of identity or perceived status). It may be different for different people. But you must understand what your value is & where it lies so you can leverage it.
Every business is different.
Every Foundations strategy Rock works on is unique.
But that doesn't mean we make it up as we go along.
We have our own basic principles (such as "no research = no project"!) but, within them we custom-craft the methodology & the outcome to suit the business & the challenges it's facing.
Do you want to start strong, stay strong, grow strong or exit strong?
Tell us your challenges
Is your business off to a weak start?
If you're an early-stage founder feeling overwhelmed by all the unknowns or struggling to build traction for your offer, it could be a sign you've not paid enough thought to your foundations.
The first 1-2 years of any business are dynamic. It takes time to adjust to market feedback & find your fit. Development is rarely linear. It's easy to think there's no point in trying to nail core foundations. But, if you think this, you're wrong.
Early-stage foundations balance fit with flex. Being intentional about your business' direction, connection, impact & value will mitigate risk & help you to hit the ground running, without restricting potential opportunities ahead.
But don’t expect to get it nailed from Day 1. It's common to review & revise your foundations in greater depth once traction has been gained & the opportunity for growth is clearer to see - and that’s ok.
Has your business got stuck?
Nothing's really broken but it all feels a bit lacklustre.
Management has lost its mojo, team morale is low.
Customer numbers are ticking over but not exactly growing.
Fees could be higher, but aren't.
Competition has stepped up.
It's a familiar picture for many founders who are too busy being 'hands-on' to have time to be 'eyes-on'.
When was the last time you held a mirror up to your business? Times change. Markets move. People move on. Do your foundations still reflect the business as it stands? or do they need a rethink? We're all ears...
Is your business experiencing growing pains?
When you've been in business a while & have started to grow, cracks can start to appear in your foundations.
Decision making becomes more difficult.
There's friction or silos between teams.
It gets harder to attract & keep the right talent.
Leads are dropping or not converting.
Customers are complaining or leaving altogether.
The market perception of your business no longer fits its reality.
To get smooth, sustained growth, you need the whole business aligned around a shared focus. A solid foundations strategy provides that focus &, provided you get the consultation piece right, you’ll be guaranteed buy-in too.
So that’s it. Direction. Connection. Impact. Value.
No buzzwords. No jargon.
Just four key foundations for every business.
We are Rock.
Rock.Partners is the brainchild of Rachel Vigers, an experienced business/brand strategist with 25+ years international industry experience.
Working with a hand-picked team of specialists, Rock helps determined businesses to get fully aligned around solid core foundations.
By 'solid', we mean researched, balanced, relevant & grounded.
By 'fully', we mean cohesively coordinated across commercial, cultural & creative workstreams.
What is your business determined to do?
We offer solutions to suit most businesses - in both strategy & alignment.
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