IN A NUTSHELL
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TOP-LEVEL
GROWTH ACCELERATION
FOR STARTUPS
AND ENTREPRENEURS
success = the ability
to articulate and execute
your vision
show investors how their funds
will be used effectively to drive growth
Incomplete or Unclear Plan
Without a clear plan or direction, investors view the business as unprepared and unfocused, reducing funding opportunities. Early stage planning with a cohesive strategy avoids wasted resources and missed growth opportunities.
Weak Go-to-Market Strategy and Market Understanding
A lack of clarity about who the customers are, how to acquire them, and what problem the product solves results in poor adoption, inefficient use of resources, and limited scalability. A long-term vision and plan (OGSM) are crucial for sustainable growth.
Lack of Alignment
Unclear roles and responsibilities create inefficiencies, conflicts, and delays. OGSM aligns the team by defining who works on what and when, ensuring coordinated efforts and focused execution.
Unclear Value Proposition
Customers fail to recognise the problem your product solves or its unique benefits, resulting in weak sales and wasted marketing efforts.
Inconsistent Messaging
Incoherent communication weakens the brand’s ability to build a strong niche, reduces customer retention, and makes scaling more difficult.
Scaling and Consistency
A strong brand prepares the organisation for scaling by ensuring consistency across markets and customer touchpoints, while allowing flexibility to adapt to new markets and cultures.
startups and entrepreneurs
have two core challenges
convincing investors
=
Business plan-related
(OGSM)
attracting customers
=
brand-related
how we help
At Athena Associates, we help our clients to build the two most critical pillars for business success: an actionable business plan and a compelling brand.
Together, these pillars support startups and entrepreneurs in overcoming the core challenges: attracting customers, securing investor confidence and funds, and preparing for growth.
building your business plan (OGSM)
We guide you in crafting a concise, one-page plan that aligns your team and resources around a clear direction. This plan addresses:
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Who your customers are and how to acquire them at scale (Go-to-Market Strategy).
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Define your vision, translate it into long-term goals and short-term actions, and establish clear priorities.
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Alignment through defined responsibilities, due dates, and budgets to avoid inefficiencies and conflicts.
creating your brand
We help you develop a brand with a strong profile that builds trust with customers and investors by:
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Defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Identifying your target audience, their problems, how your solution addresses them, and how to communicate this effectively.
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Establishing a messaging matrix: Ensuring consistency and clarity in how and what your business communicates, so you will stand out in competitive markets.
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Preparing for scaling: building a cohesive yet flexible identity that can adapt to new markets and cultures.
These two processes are not separate but run in parallel, influencing each other at every step. That’s why it is crucial to have them developed cohesively with one partner.
Splitting these tasks between different consultants risks misalignment and missed opportunities.
why work with us?
Tailored for startups and entrepreneurs
We believe startups and entrepreneurs deserve the same advantages as large companies when it comes to strategic guidance—but without the barriers.
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Affordable: We offer a fixed, low fee with no surprises—no hourly charges or unexpected add-ons.
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Actionable and achievable: You’ll receive a concise, one-page OGSM plan—easy to use, implement, and share with your team or investors.
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Accessible and approachable: We make consulting unintimidating, cutting through complexity to provide clear, actionable insights tailored to your needs.
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Fast: Our streamlined process delivers results in just 4-6 weeks, so you can move forward quickly.
We have designed our approach to overcome the common frustrations with traditional consultancies, ensuring you get the expertise, outcomes, and support you need to grow and succeed.
Our unique blend of expertise
Diverse backgrounds
Rudolf brings extensive consulting and client-facing experience, while Mariska contributes corporate insights. Together, we offer a balanced approach that combines strategic thinking with practical execution.
Integrated skills
With expertise in both brand and strategy, we ensure these two critical pillars are developed cohesively, driving alignment and results for your business.
International experience
Our global work has shaped our expertise, including living in London for 10 years, where we collaborated with leading employers, consultancies, and clients.
Business background
The corporate world can sometimes feel like a different universe, but it’s where we’ve spent much of our careers. We draw on this experience to help startups navigate these spaces with confidence and build stronger connections in their interactions.
key benefits of ogsm
growth
Focus
Align your team, resources, and efforts around a motivating vision, clear strategies and an actionable plan.
Priority
for the most impactful and urgent actions by using focus to allocate resources and efforts.
Synergy
Sales efforts alone are not enough. Focus and priority ensure all aspects of your business are supporting each other and drive growth.
Responsibility
Every action has:
– the name of the person responsible to drive the action
– a due date
– a budget
reassured investors
Vision
Show the long-term potential of your technology and business.
Action
Demonstrate your ability to turn vision into reality, with actionable strategies to achieve your goals.
Trust, transparency and control
for your investors, thanks to a concise yet well-thought-out approach, including progress tracking.
Ready for Scaling
A strong brand ensures consistency while adapting to new markets and cultures. This scalability demonstrates that your business is prepared for sustainable growth on a global scale.
