About
Blaze & Brunt
We partner with owners and leadership teams to lead their organization through their next phase.
For this, we nurture the blaze - by creating a clear and motivating vision for the company's future. And we bear the brunt - by rolling up our sleeves and tackling the practical work needed to turn that vision into reality.
For this, we nurture the blaze - by creating a clear and motivating vision for the company's future. And we bear the brunt - by rolling up our sleeves and tackling the practical work needed to turn that vision into reality.
Problematics
Shaping transition to the next phase
We address two key problematics in an SME's lifecycle: ownership transition and development to the next stage.
Ownership transition
Thousands of Swiss SMEs will need to address the issue of succession. Yet only a minority is properly prepared.
Development to the next stage
While many SMEs achieve stable revenues and profits, they often struggle to chart their path to the next phase of growth.
Root causes
Three root causes significantly hinder ownership transition and growth to the next phase.
Too dependent on the owner
Dependency on the owner creates a dual challenge: it complicates ownership transition since the company's value is tied to the owner, and it hinders growth to the next stage by limiting the delegation necessary for scaling.
Lack of system
Many SMEs lack the core systems - from organizational design to standardized processes - needed for consistent, stable, and scalable operations.
Limited data
While the principle of "as much as necessary, as little as possible" with regard to technology promotes efficiency, it often limits SMEs' potential - from maintaining accurate historical records to leveraging data analytics for strategic insights.
Value proposition
Active shareholder to unlock ownership transition and/or development to the next stage.
We acquire significant stakes in SMEs and provide expertise to pave the way to successful phase transition.
1
Equity participation
We buy significant shares of the company.
This creates a first liquidity event for the owner.
2
Co-transformation
Jointly with the leadership team, we articulate the strategy - being the path to a full ownership transition or next stage of development - and take the steps to move the company on that path.
3
(Co-) exit
The company is transferred at its full potential while having strong foundation to continue striving.
Thematics
While each company is unique, successful transition to the next phase typically requires addressing three generic themes.
Cultural - Honing leadership and managerial practices
Building leadership practices that attract, develop, and retain talent while driving performance.
This reduces owner dependency by enhancing organizational leadership capacity and distributing decision-making authority.
Resilience - Providing foundation for further growth
A robust operational foundation, built on structured processes and risk management, strengthens organizational resilience during change and crisis.
This reduces key dependencies while creating a stable platform for sustainable growth.
This reduces key dependencies while creating a stable platform for sustainable growth.
Digital - Creating data driven businesses
Embedding data throughout operations improves transparency and efficiency while enabling new revenue streams.
This digital foundation creates lasting value by setting a robust backbone enabling further development and data-driven growth.
This digital foundation creates lasting value by setting a robust backbone enabling further development and data-driven growth.