Solutions   
RFCS elite consultants offer our clients with an exceptional suit of progessional advisory services. Our focus is on high-priority solutions that will yield the greatest results for our clients. We have unique offerings to both entrepreneurial and corporate clients.
Ref Flag Consulting Solutions also develops and delivers workshops, seminars and speeches that help companies achieve business planning success.
Our Services  
Advertising and PR Campaign Corporate Structure
Assemble Board of Directors E-Commerce
Business Coaching Exit Strategies
Business Model Design Feasibility Studies
Business Plan Preparation and Consulting Financial Modeling and Projections
Business Process Improvement Growth and Expansion Strategies
Buying a Business Identify Opportunities
Buying a Franchise Interim Management
Capital Sourcing Logo and Website Development
Competitor Analysis Market Research
Content Development and Internet Marketing Strategic Partnerships
Corporate Branding Turnarounds and Reorganizations
Corporate Counseling Value Proposition: Marketing and Sales Strategy
Corporate Filings and Registration  
   
Red Flag Consulting Solutions also develops and delivers workshops, seminars and speeches that help companies achieve business planning success. Please feel free to contact us to see how RFCS can help you grow your business.
Advertising and Public Relations (PR) Campaign
RFCS creates collateral materials including, press kits, publishing plans, online content and special events and promotions for our clients. Before allowing our clients to spend significant capital on advertising our specialists determine which means of advertising would provide the best results. Options considered are radio, print, web, e-newsletters, and direct mail.
Public Relations (PR) is the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics.  PR aims to gain an organization positive exposure. RFCS assists clients in common PR activities including speaking at conferences, winning industry awards, working with the press and employee communications.  For a more detailed explanation please see RFCS’ “Advertising and PR Article.”
For more information about our services, contact us
 
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Business Coaching

Business Coaching is an extraordinary relationship between RFCS’ consultants and clients where both parties commit to a common goal.  RFCS’ business coaches are often called when a business is perceived to be performing badly, however many clients recognize the benefits of business coaching even when the organization is successful.  RFCS strives to discover what the client is passionate about in their business and personal life and then provides support and advice to help the client focus and reach their goals.  Business Coaching can also be a powerful tool for businesses that want to have breakthroughs in areas where they have previously been stuck or experienced unsatisfactory results.

RFCS also provides coaching to entrepreneurs who want to start a business or those who need support to move forward with their ideas.  The role of RFCS’ Business Coaches is to improve our clients’ businesses through guidance, support and encouragement.  Our goal is not only to show our clients how to improve their sales, marketing, management, and team building but to increase business revenues and profits without minimizing the importance of establishing an environment where the client can work less and relax more.
For more information about our services, contact us
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Business Model Design

Business Model Design refers to the activity of designing a company's business model. RFCS’ consultants are experts in business development and business strategy which when combined results in successful Business Model Deisign.

Business Model Design includes the modeling and description of a company's:

  • value propositions
  • target customer segments
  • distribution channels
  • customer relationships
  • value configurations
  • core capabilities
  • partner network
  • cost structure
  • revenue model
For more information about our services, contact us.
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Business Plan Preparation and Consulting

Developing a well thought Business Plan is an essential management tool.  It identifies potential Red Flags, obstacles and challenges and provides the foundation for making decisions.  It should be updated and used for planning and operating the business.  Additionally, business plans are key for financial reasons and seeking investors or business loans.  Business Plans typically include an executive summary, a description of the company and its products or services, an industry and customer analysis, competitive analysis, marketing and sales strategy, operations plan, management team description, financial plan and budget, an overview of current and projected financing and projected profits and losses.

The format of a business plan depends on its presentation context. It is not uncommon for businesses, especially start-ups to have three or four formats for the same business plan:

  • An "elevator pitch" - a three minute summary of the business plan's executive summary. This is often used as a teaser to awaken the interest of potential financiers, customers, or strategic partners.
  • An oral presentation - a slide show and oral narrative that is meant to trigger discussion and interest potential investors in reading the written presentation. The content of the presentation is usually limited to the executive summary and a few key graphs showing financial trends and key decision making benchmarks.
  • A written presentation for external stakeholders - a detailed, well written, and pleasingly formatted plan targeted at external stakeholders.
  • An internal operational plan - a detailed plan describing planning details that are needed by management but may not be of interest to external stakeholders. Such plans have a somewhat higher degree of candor and informality than the version targeted at external stakeholders.

RFCS business planning methodology has resulted in rapid growth for existing companies and sound business strategies for start-ups.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Business Process Improvement

Business Process Improvement (BPI) is a systematic approach to help any organization optimize its underlying processes to achieve more efficient results.  The goal of BPI is a radical change in the performance of an organization, rather than a series of incremental changes.  RFCS helps our clients align their business processes to realize the optimization of the organizations goals.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Buying a Business

So you have made the decision to become an entrepreneur. Starting a business is no easy task. If you are serious about operating your own business, you might want to consider minimizing some of the anguish and pain associated with startups by purchasing an established business.  In order to buy the right business or franchise, you need to do a thorough investigation of its historical performance, its operations, current status, the staff and management, competition, the industry and its future potential. Once all this analysis has been completed, you will then have to determine how it measures up with your skill, expertise and leadership. RFCS has had tremendous success in helping entrepreneurs make an educated decision on whether to purchase a business or franchise.

Outlined below are the ten primary advantages of business acquisition versus a start-up:
1) Much lower risk of failure,
2) Business generates cash flow from day one (preferably positive cash),
3) Proven business concept and processes,
4) Proven products, services, marketing and sales strategies,
5) Established customer base providing referrals and references,
6) Established suppliers,
7) Trained employees in place,
8) Immediate credibility and perception of success,
9) Seller likely to lend support and may assist with financing, and
10) Easier to secure affordable financing to complete the acquisition.
While there are no guarantees in business and the risks must always be managed, buying an established business clearly offers significant advantages worth considering if you want to own your own business.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Buying a Franchise

RFCS helps entrepreneurs identify franchises that may be advantageous to buying rather than building their own business.  Such advantages include established name recognition, cooperative marketing, bulk purchasing power and training and management expertise.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Capital Sourcing

RFCS realizes that capital and cash flow is the lifeblood of any business.  Securing capital is one of the most important and difficult challenges companies face in developing their business.  The process of Capital Sourcing can be time-consuming, frustrating and a confusing experience.  RFCS brings several years of financing experience to our clients in capital formation and assessing the appropriate capital markets.  The secret in obtaining capital is to engage in “financial market planning.”  RFCS specializes in creating a distinct marketing plan developed to promote a company’s financing plan.  RFCS allows our clients to focus on developing and implementing new markets, products and ideas, while RFCS consultants prepare business plans, selling memorandums, detailed financial forecasts and investor presentations that will make raising capital that much easier.   RFCS regularly deals with banks, venture capitalists, angel investors, private equity firms, credit unions, insurance companies, lenders and lease finance companies to arrange financing for our clients. Most importantly RFCS hands on approach frees up considerable management and employee time which enables our clients to concentrate on their business, while RFCS secures the necessary capital to create more wealth and growth for our clients.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Competitor Analysis

A Competitor Analysis is an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the current and potential environment in which your business operates. This analysis provides both an offensive and defensive strategic context through which to identify opportunities and threats.

RFCS’ proprietary Red Flag Analysis and Competitive Analysis provide proactive knowledge which assures our client’s strategic agility. Offensive strategy can be implemented more quickly in order to exploit opportunities and capitalize on strengths. Similarly, a defensive strategy can be employed more deftly in order to counter the threat of rival companies from exploiting RFCS clients’ own weaknesses.  Clearly, RFCS expertise in Competitor Analysis presents clients with a significant advantage against their competition.

For more information about our services, contact us.
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Content Development and Internet Marketing

Content Development is the process of researching, writing, gathering, organizing, and editing information for publication on websites. Website content may consist of prose, graphics, pictures, recordings, movies or other media.  Internet Marketing is the marketing of products or services over the Internet.  The Internet has brought many unique benefits to marketing, one of which being lower costs for the distribution of information and media to a global audience. The interactive nature of Internet marketing, both in terms of providing instant response and eliciting response, is a unique quality of the medium. Internet Marketing ties together creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including design, development, advertising, and sales.  Internet Marketing requires a comprehensive strategy that synergizes a given company's business model and sales goals with its website function and appearance, focusing on its target market through proper choice of advertising type, media, and design.  RFCS excels in developing content for the internet and strategizing an optimal online marketing campaign for our clients.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Corporate Branding

It is vitally important for any serious corporation that wishes its product and service offerings to be successful to create and protect a strong corporate brand.  A strong corporate brand adds depth and value to a company’s product and service offerings. It’s also a public statement of the company’s culture and values.  Branding not only involves marketing, but it also entails relations with investors, media, competitors, government and others. These kind of “high-level” considerations require the attention of such company officials as the CEO and senior management.  Today, a company of virtually any size can use the same sophisticated branding research tools as the larger corporations.  RFCS works with our clients to establish a long-term vision for their company and then focuses on Corporate Branding options to satisfy the vision.

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Corporate Counseling

The primary objective of RFCS’ Consultants is to become a trusted advisor to the businesses they represent. Our consultants strive to understand and be sensitive to the objectives of the businesses and the challenges faced by our clients in achieving their goals. We understand that in order to provide the most valuable counsel to our clients we must combine our consulting experience and expertise with an insight into our clients' businesses.

RFCS has extensive experience in providing counseling to our clients on a variety of corporate matters, ranging from day-to-day corporate governance considerations to formulation and implementation of innovative corporate structures and strategies and transactions to meet our clients' business objectives.

For more information about our services, contact us.
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Corporate Filings and Registration

RFCS has helped hundreds of small business owners in determining whether to file as an LLC or corporation.  Issues discussed with clients include, potential personal liabilities, protection of assets, tax advantages, credibility issues and the attraction of investors.

For more information about our services, contact us.
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Corporate Structure

RFCS assists clients in establishing a corporate structure that results in optimal efficiency within an organization.  A plan is designed to assure synergy between different positions and departments within a company, including the marketing department, finance department, human resources department and information technology department. The hierarchy of job positions is also part of the corporate structure, with a typical structure including a CEO or president, board members, managers, and other employees.

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Electronic Commerce

Electronic Commerce consists of the buying and selling of products or services over the Internet.  Electronic Commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions.  Electronic Commerce that is conducted between businesses is referred to as business-to-business or B2B and if between business and consumers it is referred to as B2C.  RFCS ability to develop pay-per-click (PPC) or search-engine-optimization (SEO) campaigns for our clients creates immediate value and growth in revenues.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Exit Strategies

RFCS provides our clients with guidelines and goals to be achieved prior to making any major decisions about the various Exit Strategies options available.  RFCS has expertise in marketing to various prospects, document preparation, structuring and negotiating terms and price and the conditions and covenants of a deal.  RFCS has assisted many clients in determining their best Exit Strategy, among their options are: Mergers, Acquisitions, Private Placements and Initial Public Offerings (IPO).

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Feasibility Studies

RFCS provides clients with a detailed investigation and evaluation of factors influencing the project to determine if the project is viable, is feasible within the estimated cost, and will be profitable.  A Feasibility Study takes place during a projects initiation phase and is made before significant expenses are engaged.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Financial Modeling and Projections

RFCS assists with the preparation of pro forma financial statements which provides a financial representation of some, or all, aspects of a client’s business.  Financial Projections are typically used to raise capital by providing investors with an idea of their potential return on investment.  Additionally RFCS’ Financial Models perform calculations so that strategy recommendations can be made based on the information gathered.  Essential elements of the projections are the basis for budgeting activities, estimating future financing needs and forecasting sales and their related expenses.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Growth and Expansion Strategies

RFCS reviews numerous alternatives to assist our clients with Growth and Expansion Strategies.  These include improving market penetration in existing markets, market development in new markets, attracting new market segments, continued product development and diversification of product line.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Identifying Opportunities

RFCS helps clients to Identify Opportunities, which requires our clients to cast a wide net to look at their company through the eyes of the employees, customers, people in the community and competitors, all with the intention of devising a solution that addresses unmet customer needs.  A company must be able to identify all the customers’ needs and determine which, among all these needs, are poorly satisfied or unmet. These underserved needs are the real opportunities for value creation.  The discovery of underserved areas reveals opportunities for core market growth and sustaining innovation, as it points to where customers want to see improvements made and where they would recognize the delivery of additional value.

RFCS also assists entrepreneurs to find opportunities that may give them a competitive edge or a head-start within a certain industries which are primed for growth.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Interim Management

Interim Management is the temporary provision of management resources and skills. Interim Management can be seen as the short-term assignment of a proven heavyweight interim executive manager to manage a period of transition, crisis or change within an organization. In this situation, a permanent role may be unnecessary or impossible to find on short notice. Additionally, there may be nobody internally who is suitable for, or available to take up, the position in question.  RFCS has consultants that are prepared to step-in and handle all of your Interim Management needs.  RFCS’ consultants are known for their speed, experience, objectivity, accountability, effectiveness and commitment.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Logo and Website Design

RFCS has establish a value add relationship with Onlybusiness.com to provide top-notch logo and website design for our clients.  For more information about our services, contact us.

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Market Research

Market Research is the collection and analysis of information about consumers, competitors and the effectiveness of marketing programs.  Small business owners use market Research to determine the feasibility of a new business, test interest in new products or services, improve aspects of their businesses, such as customer service or distribution channels and develop competitive strategies.  In other words, Market Research allows businesses to make decisions that make them more responsive to customers' needs and increase profits.  While Market Research is crucial for business start-ups, it's also essential for established businesses. Its accurate information about customers and competitors allows the development of a successful marketing plan.  RFCS is often hired by clients to conduct market research for them.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Strategic Partnerships

RFCS helps clients to identify Strategic Partners where there can be a long-term, win-win commitment between two organizations for the purpose of achieving specific business objectives by maximizing the effectiveness of each participant’s resources.  This relationship is based upon integrity, trust, dedication to common goals, and an understanding of each other’s individual expectations and values. Expected benefits include improved efficiency and cost effectiveness, increased opportunity for innovation, collaboration, and the continuous improvement of quality and services.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Turnaround and Reorganizations

RFCS provides solutions to corporations who business in experiencing poor performance.  In some cases, RFCS assists the client in a thorough alteration of the structure of the business corporation.

For more information about our services, contact us.

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Value Proposition (Marketing and Sales Strategy)

RFCS’ consultants work with our clients to devise Marketing and Sales Strategy built around the principles of a Value Proposition.  This requires extensive research into the type of markets our clients deal with, the competition in those markets, the distribution channels to the customer, the necessary supply chain for the products and services, the positioning of the product or service in relation to the total market, the promotion tools being used, the pricing strategies, the customer service provided, the financing available and the management teams expertise.

The Value Proposition is a powerful structure for creating winning messaging. You can focus on one aspect to differentiate your product or service or you can cover off each element.

A value proposition is a vital tool in determining how well you appeal to your prospects and customers in the marketplace.

A Value Proposition consists of:

  • What’s in it for me? PROMISE
  • Why is yours better? DIFFERENTATION
  • Why should I believe you? SUPPORT
  • What does it cost? PRICE
  • What are my costs of making this useful? EFFORT
  • What might go wrong? RISK         
  • Is this for me? TARGET AUDIENCE

These seven components provide you a structure for outlining your messaging.  For a more detailed explanation please see RFCS’ “Value Proposition Worksheet.” 

Marketing your Value Proposition must be customer-focused, measurable, targeted and segmented, repeated and integrated.  For a more detailed explanation please see RFCS’ “Marketing Works Article” and “Advanced Strategies Article.”

For more information about our services, contact us.

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