The process of creating business value can be achieved through a variety of means, but it is typically done by maximizing the return on investments (ROI) for the company. This can be done through increasing revenue, decreasing costs, or both.
To create business value, it is important to first understand what drives profitability and sustainability in your industry. Each business is different and faces its own set of challenges and opportunities.
The value of an enterprise very closely correlates with the maturity of the innovation culture in the organisation. At the lowest level of innovation maturity, owner-driven innovation is the primary source of value creation. However, as you move up the pyramid, the value creation shifts towards people-driven, system-driven and culture-driven innovations, which have significantly higher values.
This article will explore the concept of business value and discuss how you can create value for your organisation.
What is business value?
Business value is the financial worth of a company or enterprise. It is calculated by multiplying the future cash flows of a company by a discount rate. The higher the discount rate, the lower the business value.
For example, if a company is expected to generate $1 million in cash flow over the next five years, the business value would be $5 million (assuming a 10% discount rate).
It is important to note that this formula is not an exact science and should be used as a general guideline. The value of a company can vary significantly depending on the industry, company size, and other factors.
Service businesses typically have a higher business value than product-based businesses, as the cash flows are more predictable and sustainable. Manufacturing businesses, on the other hand, typically have a lower business value due to the high amount of risk associated with them.
The primary goal of any business is to create value for its shareholders. This can be done by increasing revenue, decreasing costs, or both.
How do you create business value?
There are a number of factors that contribute to the creation of business value. Some of these include:
- The ability to generate revenue
- The ability to decrease costs
- The ability to innovate and create new products or services
- The ability to attract and retain customers
- The ability to manage risk
- The ability to exploit market opportunities
- The ability to establish a competitive advantage
Revenue
One of the most important factors in determining business value is the ability to generate revenue. The more revenue a company can generate, the higher the business value will be.
There are a number of ways to increase revenue, such as increasing sales, expanding into new markets, and establishing a strong customer base.
Costs
Another important factor in determining business value is the ability to decrease costs. The lower the costs, the higher the business value will be.
There are a number of ways to decrease costs, such as streamlining operations, reducing waste, and outsourcing non-core functions.
Some examples of companies that have been able to cut costs and increase business value are:
Walmart: Walmart is the world’s largest retailer and has been able to decrease costs by streamlining its operations and using technology to improve efficiency. As a result, the company has seen a significant increase in business value.
IKEA: IKEA is a furniture retailer and has been able to decrease costs by using a “just in time” inventory model. This enables the company to purchase materials only when they are needed, which reduces waste and lowers costs.
Innovation
The ability to innovate and create new products or services is another key factor in determining business value. The more innovative a company is, the higher the business value will be.
Innovation can be achieved through a number of methods, such as research and development (R&D), partnerships and collaborations, and acquiring new technologies.
Some examples of companies that have innovated and carried out product development to increase business value include:
Tesla: Tesla is a manufacturer of electric cars and energy storage products. The company has disrupted the automotive industry with its innovative products and has seen significant growth in recent years.
Jabra: Jabra is a manufacturer of Bluetooth headphones and headsets. The company has a strong focus on innovation and has released a number of ground-breaking products in recent years.
Customers
The ability to attract and retain customers is another important factor in determining business value. The more customers a company has, the higher the business value will typically be.
Customers can be attracted and retained through a variety of methods, such as offering high-quality products and services, providing excellent customer service, and establishing a strong brand.
Some examples of companies that have been successful in attracting and retaining customers include:
Starbucks: Starbucks has been able to attract and retain customers by offering high-quality coffee and tea products, as well as providing excellent customer service. The company has also built a strong brand that is recognised around the world.
Zappos: Zappos is an online shoe and clothing store that has been able to attract and retain customers by offering free shipping and returns, as well as a 365-day return policy.
Risk
The ability to manage risk is another key factor in determining business value. The lower the risk, the higher the business value will be.
Risk can be managed through a number of methods, such as diversifying the product line, hedging against currency fluctuations, and having a solid financial position.
Some companies manage risk by diversifying their product line. This helps to spread the risk across multiple products and minimizes the impact of any one product going bad.
Another way companies manage risk is by hedging against currency fluctuations. This helps to protect the company from losing money if the value of the currency changes significantly.
Finally, companies can manage risk by having a solid financial position. This helps to ensure the company can withstand any major financial setbacks.
Opportunities
The ability to exploit market opportunities is another important factor in determining business value. The more opportunities a company can capitalize on, the higher the business value will be.
A company can exploit market opportunities by expanding into new markets, establishing a strong presence in existing markets, and partnering with other companies.
Some examples of companies that have successfully exploited market opportunities to increase business value include:
Google: Google was able to increase its business value by acquiring new technologies, such as YouTube and Android.
Amazon: Amazon was able to increase its business value by expanding into new markets, such as groceries and cloud computing.
Competitive Advantage
The ability to establish a competitive advantage is another key factor in determining business value. The more competitive a company is, the higher the business value will be.
A company can establish a competitive advantage by offering unique products or services, having a low-cost structure, and being the first to market.
Some real-life examples of how a company can use a competitive advantage to increase business value include:
Apple: Apple is a prime example of a company that has used a competitive advantage to increase its business value. The company has established a strong brand, offers unique products, and has a low-cost structure. These factors have allowed Apple to become one of the most successful companies in the world.
Walmart: Walmart is another example of a company that has used a competitive advantage to increase its business value. The company has a large customer base, offers low prices, and has a well-known brand. These factors have helped Walmart become the largest retailer in the world.
The correlation between Innovation Maturity and Business Value
The Innovation Value Pyramid is a model that can be used to determine the business value of a company based on the level of its innovation maturity. The pyramid has four levels of innovation maturity, with each level representing a higher level of business value.
The first level of the pyramid is owner-driven innovation. This is the lowest level of innovation and represents companies that are focused on making money rather than creating new products or services.
The second level of the pyramid is people-driven innovation. This level represents companies that are focused on employee creativity and engagement.
The third level of the pyramid is systems-driven innovation. This level represents companies that are focused on process improvement and using technology to improve productivity.
The fourth and final level of the pyramid is culture-driven/autonomous innovation. This level represents companies that are focused on creativity and innovation for the sake of creativity and innovation. These companies have a strong focus on customer satisfaction and have the ability to innovate without outside influence
The higher the level of innovation maturity, the higher the business value will be. This is because these companies are able to create new products and services, exploit market opportunities, and establish a competitive advantage.
So how do you create business value? By focusing on innovation maturity.
Simple, right?