How to (really) reorganise a company: case history no. 1
Theory and practice
We are not talking about theory but about reality. About a real business, with real problems and a growth path built step by step, with method, vision and courage. Case History #1 Sector: chemical industry producing additives, pigments and colourants – natural and synthetic – for the food sector. Turnover: €8 million. Problem: falling sales, saturated Italian market, declining consumption, growing competition. The question was clear: how could it return to growth? The turning point came with a tailor-made internationalisation plan. Duration: 12 months. Objective: to find new markets, customers and strategic partners abroad. After in-depth analysis, we identified the Chinese market as the most promising destination:
- high-quality products;
- ease of transport;
- customers already linked to multinational groups.
A decisive aspect was understanding from the outset that exporting a product was not enough: the sales approach, communication and local presence had to be adapted to the dynamics of the Chinese market, building solid, lasting relationships with local counterparts. This marked the start of a structured path in operational phases:
- Mapping of sector trade fairs in the main cities (Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou).
- Analysis of competitors, both Italian and international, to understand positioning and pricing strategies.
- Scouting of potential Chinese customers, selected on the basis of technical and commercial compatibility criteria.
- Verification of export procedures, in compliance with MOFCOM and AQSIQ regulations.
- Analysis of transport costs and lead times, taking into account special VAT at 13%, duties of between 15% and 20%, and progressively reduced consumption taxes. In parallel, a phased entry plan was also developed to monitor the results, margins and financial sustainability of the entire international expansion project.