Management Consulting

Management consulting, often referred to as business consulting, is structured around a set of advisory and/or implementation services to the senior management of organizations with the aim of improving the effectiveness of their business strategy. We only cover a part of the great diversity in disciplines under the heading of business consulting. Our particular brand of this targets how Italian companies organize in the U.S. on a temporary mandate, or permanently (functional/legal/fiscal), to achieve their business goals in the U.S., whatever they might be. We provide a home, help companies build or refine their U.S. research and marketing tools, find opportunities, increase the probability of closing deals. We provide a tailored package of agile services, different to each client, that can be invaluable for small overseas companies approaching the U.S. market for the first time.

We help companies get their U.S. operations started by presenting what we see as valuable solutions to their goals and then putting together the services and structure – small or large – that support their first steps.

Planning for sustainability

It’s important to to have a vision of a sustainable presence in the U.S.. How will you support direct clients while developing new opportunities. Even distributors, today, often require a business to setup its own support organization in country.

You can launch a credible and sustainable commercial presence for your company in the U.S. by underpinning your first business opportunity with a texture of virtual and as-needed professional services.

Tactical Solutions

Our clients are often surprised by the possibilities we present to them; by thinking outside the box we get them there faster – and cheaper. Some of the things they look for from us:

Real viability study that support go-no-go decisions
A face to their new U.S. business
A strategy to attract and retain quality, high-value relationships
A channel to communicate their products and goals
Ability to deploy diverse resources in support of specific outcomes
Low overheads for their overseas business
Effective strategies to quickly grow a market presence

Research beyond the Business Plan

Client Prospecting

During the sales process, identifying and categorizing potential customers is the first step in the prior to initiating communications and, hopefully, converting some to sales. Much earlier than this, though, during the creation of a business plan, or during Strategic Planning, gaining feed back through friendly conversations with potential customers is essential to evaluating if a new product or service will make a difference and bring value to them. Eastman Partners is happy to initiate these conversations.

English Language Content

Entering the largest market in the world, the U.S., may be larger effort for some than others when it comes to messaging. Our experience is that this effort is usually underestimated. Now we are going from passive English language marketing to “look how comfortable we are doing business in your country”.

When studying a market entry plan for our clients, we look at our clients’ website and corporate presentation and make recommendations on new material and content.

When necessary, we have provided SEO services throu our professional network in Austin: a new website optimized for language and product portfolio, quickly rises in rankings in U.S. searches.

Speak with an Attorney

At some point you may wish to consider the pros and cons of opening a subsidiary (U.S. registered entity) in a U.S. state. What type of entity is best for your business? Get advice from an attorney on the obligations associated with creating and maintaining a corporation or limited liability company in the State of Texas, or elsewhere.

Consult with a CPA

Should you open a subsidiary by creating a U.S. registered entity (Corp or LLC )? What type of entity is best for your business? Get advice from the CPAs we work with.

Use a registered accountant to keep your accounting books updated and in order.
Have the Financial Statement and P&L prepared for periodic review.
Submit the annual U.S. Tax Return on time.
Keep your tax entity current with the State of Texas.

Open a Bank Account

Obtain assistance in opening and managing a U.S. bank account. What are the requirements and fees for maintaining a business account in the U.S.. Control the flow of money to and from Italy.

Market Research

A strong business plan requires going beyond intuition and experience, and supporting your idea with fact-based market research. Investors and new clients, alike, need to have confidence in your understanding of the market, especially if its a new foreign market. Don’t let yourself down by skimping on research. We go beyond fee-based, subscriber-only resources (often offering 2 or 3 years old reports) and draw on a multitude of current sources of information:

Industry forums – Articles, News, Members and Sponsors
U.S. Government Reports – Company and Industry Research
Hoovers – Company and Industry Research
Competitor Websites – Articles and Announcements
Professional Associations – Articles, News Research, Quarterly Data
Industry Publications – Market Analysis, Business Opportunities, M&As

FTO Search

A Freedom to Operate (FTO) analysis invariably begins by searching patent literature for issued or pending patents relative to the target country. Ultimately companies will obtain a legal opinion as to whether a product, process or service may be considered to infringe any patent(s) owned by others. Many private law or IP firms offer such analyses as part of their legal services to clients. Eastman Partners routinely performs preliminary searches for overseas startups and small companies looking at the U.S. for new sales. These searches follow a competitive analysis for North America and are directed at existing patents, pending applications by technology, product, company and individual. Searches of this type provide clients with an indication not just of areas of concern, but often an indication of where a competitor might be heading in the development of competing products.