Everything starts with an idea. Get in touch with us, and we will talk about how to transform your concept into the next success story.

We offer a company start-up service, which includes the following:
- Clarification on potential business subsidies
- Notification of incorporation to PRH's trade registration via company and community information systems
- Open a bank account
- Find a suitable accounting firm
- Develop a logo and company identity
- Create websites and/or online stores
- Design and print business cards
- Master PowerPoint slides
- Create and print roll-ups

If you like, we can implement the service as nursing care, in which case you will receive the knowledge of the entire corporate institution. The service can also be customised to meet your requirements.

We provide you with the following useful services throughout the Pivoting/PoC phase:

• Acquisition of the first reference customer
• Helping entrepreneur to validate business idea and its potential
◦ You obtain actual business without taking the chance of trying and gain comprehensive understanding of the market and how well your idea works.
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP): development of the smallest functional product / product that meets the minimum requirements
◦ The smallest functional product is a new, first-to-market product that only has features that satisfy the needs of early customers
◦ The purpose of the smallest functional product is to gather feedback for product development.
• Applying for private and/or public funding

Concept validation is usually a quick and close procedure.

PoC, i.e. Proof of concept (validation of the concept) means that the entrepreneur/company can prove the functionality of the business idea at least once and/or with one person/company. The PoC method can be used to illustrate the validity of the idea or concept.

Customers are tested to determine whether a particular product or service concept is engaging, appealing, and useful to them in order to validate the concept as appropriate for a particular use.

Concept validation is sometimes also called Proof of Concept phase testing (PoC testing). Typically, the validation of the concept is done as a qualitative study and it utilizes, for example, discussions and joint development.

If your current business model no longer aligns with your long-term vision or the direction in which you wish to grow, it may be time to pivot.

Pivoting means a situation where an entrepreneur/company finds that their original business idea is not working, it either does not grow or pays off or both. The process of pivoting involves acknowledging the realities, changing or abandoning the company strategy entirely, and switching to a backup plan. However, by nature, pivoting is a positive activity, its purpose is to seek a new start for your business.

We offer the following services for your company's growth phase:

- Development of a growth plan
- Innovation and product development
- Creation of an internationalization plan
Acquisition of private and/or public financing (grants, supports, loans, and/or connections to various financing channels)
- Corporate arrangements, including finding and evaluating suitable acquisition targets and facilitating business acquisitions

Company Growth, Startup, or Scaleup?

According to one definition, a growth company is a business that generates over 500,000 euros in annual revenue and has grown by more than 20% per year for three consecutive years. There are approximately a thousand such companies in Finland.
Another definition describes a growth company as a small to medium-sized enterprise with a turnover of less than 10 million euros, seeking to establish a stronger foothold in its industry through development and innovation, aiming for growth in both turnover and staff numbers. Conversely, startup companies are often referred to as growth companies due to their growth objectives.

While growth companies and startups are often spoken of interchangeably, there are differences in their business stages. A startup is in the initial phase of business, just beginning its journey, where everything (revenue model, business logic, product, team, etc.) may change completely. Startups are agile and typically aimed at rapid international growth, usually operating for less than 5 years.

A growth company is more established and growth-oriented; it seeks to develop its operations, processes, expertise, technology used and sold, and through growth, pursue new opportunities, talents, or markets. A growth company may have years or even decades of market experience behind it.

The concept of a scaleup has emerged partly because economic development and corporate growth strategies have begun to emphasize the importance of rapidly growing companies, or scaleups, in creating jobs and accelerating economic growth.

In Europe and North America, various economic developers and political actors have started to focus on how to support these potentially rapidly growing companies, which has facilitated the integration of the scaleup concept into common usage.

The popularization of the scaleup concept is closely linked to both economic goals and efforts to better understand the growth paths of companies and their needs at different stages of development.

The difference between startup and scaleup phases can be summarized as follows:

Startup: An early-stage company focused on developing an innovative product or service and testing market opportunities. Startups are often limited in terms of funding and resources and aim to prove the viability of their business model.

Scaleup: A more established company that has already overcome initial challenges and proven its business model's effectiveness. A scaleup focuses on rapid growth, expansion into new markets, and strengthening organizational structure, with the goal of scaling its operations more efficiently and broadly.

The difference thus lies in the startup's focus on validating its business model and the scaleup's focus on accelerating growth and expansion.

Contrary to what one might assume, consolidation is the most perilous time for a company's success, as routines are established and business operations are stable. However, this stability presents a trap that even large corporations can fall into. It is tempting to believe that everything is finally in order when all indicators are green. Yet, the variables in the business landscape are constantly evolving, and yesterday's strategies may not work tomorrow.

• Consumer buying habits change
• New and agile competitors disrupt the market
• Corporate practices evolve in response to changing demand
• A previously unique idea may no longer be unique

In earlier phases of the company, direction and market fit for the concept were often sought. During the consolidation phase of the company's life cycle, it is crucial to focus on what is essential and invest in real customer potential.

In the consolidation phase, we assist in identifying and capitalizing on new markets or product segments. This may include international market research, competitive analysis, and adapting the business model to new conditions. We support expansion into foreign markets, including strategy development, understanding local market requirements, and creating an international network.

The exit phase is the stage in a company's lifecycle when entrepreneurs/owners receive a reward for their success. Therefore, the exit must be planned and timed correctly. Venture capitalists do this professionally; they do not fall in love with the company but rather view it as a tool, setting time windows for different developmental phases and pre-defining the exit point.

If the previously described stages have been completed, determining the timing of the exit becomes straightforward. An alternative to exit, for instance, is going public, but this is a procedure in its own right.

Instead of falling in love with their business, entrepreneurs/shareholders should view the exit as a return on invested capital and the work done as an increase in the company's value, from which they are then rewarded during the exit phase. The exit is not about giving up; it is a natural phase in the company’s lifecycle. Rarely does one find an entrepreneur who grows their business from a small workshop to a billion-dollar business by themselves. Throughout that arc, several exits occur as the company grows and continually needs new types of expertise/capital/resources, etc. The entrepreneur/shareholder relinquishes one venture but in return gains significantly more capital to establish/invest in a new enterprise.

We assist in defining the right exit point and finding the optimal timing. We determine what actions need to be taken to achieve maximum results and also help in finding the right parties with whom negotiations can be initiated.