Business Planning. Strategic Direction. Clarity.
SERVICES
Consulting Services
LM Johnston Consulting delivers first-rate strategic and business planning, marketing and brand development, and project management services to enterprise in any industry. Should you wish to start a business, transition a business, or sell or exit a business, we provide professional, industry-specific expertise to help you achieve your goals.
LMJC develops strategies that enables business to change direction, to launch initiatives, to secure financing, and to comply with the visa and licensing requirements of regulatory authorities. We write compelling plans and proposals, pitch decks, and sales and marketing plans to take companies where they want to go.
We have been providing specialized marketing services for over 35 years and can help you be competitive in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
Business Plans
Using a standard template to write your business plan is NOT a good idea. Templates do not ask vital questions and give you feedback.
The process of building a plan for your business is often as important as the final document. Your business is unique and every step along the way should be designed specifically for your business requirements. This is likely the most important document you will ever create for your business and so it is better to get it right the first time.
Alternatively, the plan may show you that your business idea is not such a good one, after all. According to Industry Canada, approximately 7,000 startups fail every year in Canada. The single biggest reason cited for failure is a lack of preparation. A smart plan will act as a road map to business success; outlining future challenges and how to overcome them.
Corporate Writing
A well planned strategy can avoid many costly mistakes and blunders, evaluate assumptions that should be challenged, and set realistic goals and milestones. Corporate planning is a continuous process that empowers decision-makers to anticipate and prepare for changing conditions internal and external to the company. It allows companies to proactively adapt. We help companies innovate, transition, and thrive.
Corporate writing & communications are critical to this process. Once a strategic plan developed it must be communicated to stakeholders. This may include employees, customers, shareholders, and/or the general public. Whether you require internal newsletters, press releases, marketing campaigns, or annual reports, our corporate writing services will meet all your planning and communications needs.
Cannabis
Planning to build or expand a cannabis business? Do it right the first time.
The failure rate of Canadian license applicants in this industry has been quite extraordinary. Health Canada reports that more than 20% of the applications it receives fail to meet license specifications and over 40% are rejected because they are incomplete.
Even micro growers should expect to spend as much as $2 million to get their operations up and running. Given the sheer magnitude of the investment, anybody looking for a license needs professional advisors. Along with technical expertise, Health Canada requires a realistic, comprehensive, and informed plan that demonstrates that the proposed operation will be a commercially viable venture. A smart business plan is critical to the applicant’s success.
In spite of these challenges Canada is leading the way in the industry. Cannabis 2.0 presents numerous market opportunities - not only to cannabis companies but equally to companies in the edibles, beverage, and health and wellness industries. And it is clear that the future products will appeal to a much broader consumer base. Cannabis 2.0 will redefine the industry to include a myriad of new entrepreneurs - giving rise to niche markets that never before existed. There is much to look forward in this industry - once this pandemic is behind us.
LM Johnston Consulting has been writing for companies in North American cannabis markets since Colorado legalized in 2012. We have since expanded to new projects in South America, Africa, and Europe.
We serve many cannabis clients - including standard and micro growers and processors, nurseries, R&D and testing agencies, retailers, and industry associations.