Bear Paw Consulting is a management consulting firm specializing in the development of business, product, and marketing strategies for high technology companies. Andy Lauta, president of Bear Paw Consulting, typically engages with clients around new business initiatives - either exploring new business opportunities for larger firms or working with small startup companies to draft or refine their business plans - and helps them to better understand their business, their target market and the associated market landscape (customers, partners, and competitors), and how to align their business and organization to maximize the business potential.
Mr. Lauta most often fills an expertise or bandwidth gap on the executive management team, acting as a virtual team member to get through a key business milestone - such as a funding event. His value-add comes from not only his extensive experience, but more importantly through primary and secondary customer, market, and competitive research - in other words, bringing the "voice of the market" into the executive team's strategy development and decision-making processes.
The specific work Mr. Lauta undertakes for his clients varies, but common tasks include:
- Developing a clear and deep understanding of the market landscape, specific target market segments, and customer needs
- Identifying the "complete solution" - i.e., all of the components required for the product or service to deliver benefit to the customer
- Determining and/or clarifying the compelling value proposition - i.e., exactly what tangible benefit the product or service delivers to the customer and how that benefit is distinct relative to the available alternatives
- Developing effective ways to communicate the compelling value proposition to the target customers, as well as the market at large
- Developing profitable business models - i.e., determining exactly how and how much revenue is realized from the delivery of the product or service to customers
- Identifying the appropriate routes-to-market through which the product or service can be delivered to the customer
- Identifying the strategic partners required to ensure the complete solution is enabled
- Establishing strategic partnerships to increase go-to-market leverage
- Establishing and closing funding relationships
- Recommending specific organizational changes that can optimize the client's chances for business success
Completing these tasks typically leads to either authoring or refining the client's business plan. In addition, Mr. Lauta often continues to work with his clients in an operational role - executing the strategies and plans that have been developed - until a permanent, full-time replacement has been identified.