December 10, 2008
The core of the Next Street model is our role as trusted advisor, a long-term relationship that sharpens strategy and mitigates risk. And it’s the broad-based experience, expertise, and perspective of our team that bring this model to life. The result: promising small businesses finally have access to the high-caliber strategic advice and customized finance they need to realize their potential.
Next Street partners Ron Walker and Jon Aram are two of our top team members. Ron, Next Street’s president and founding partner, has more than 17 years of experience in a wide variety of settings, including commercial and retail banking as well as business development and stakeholder management in the Boston target market and nationally. Jon, also a founding partner, has more than 10 years of experience in developing and delivering strategic recommendations to senior executives, and a solid track record of combining rigorous financial analysis with economic development. Along with the rest of the Next Street team, we’ve built a remarkable record of success with guiding promising small businesses to growth and profitability.
This Perspectives piece looks at Next Street’s hands-on work in finance and strategy. Ron and Jon talk about their experience, highlighting themes that have emerged alongside the unique features of each company.
In upcoming Perspectives pieces, the Next Street team will explore common issues and solutions that we see in marketing and in talent management. My hope is that these pieces convey a sense of our work with clients “on the ground” – how we proactively support growth and profitability in this promising market.
Tim Ferguson
Sharpening Strategy and Customizing Finance for High-Performing Small BusinessesA conversation with Ron Walker, Next Street President and Founding Partner, and Jon Aram, Founding Partner
Jon: Every business faces a wide range of important choices, from finance and strategy to talent and marketing. As they grow, those choices and opportunities multiply. The most successful businesses realize they can’t be all things to all people. The critical element is to focus and execute on the top three to five decisions and actions that can truly move the needle on performance.
That takes the commitment and skill to analyze the trade-offs involved, both economic and others. It also requires the confidence that the options have been thoroughly analyzed and that the resulting decisions are sound. Second-guessing undercuts successful execution.
Ron: Marketing also plays a big part in how they position themselves, including – among many other elements – branding, advertising, and web presence. And, of course, organizationally it’s the leadership team, clarity of roles and responsibilities, and accountability for performance, implementation and execution, among others.
