Scientific companies formed by scientists emerging into the commercial world can struggle to get the initial sales and key relationships established. Here are some handy hints and questions to pose internally before taking the plunge to create those important first impressions.

1. Are you sales ready?   Have you got a product or service that can be shipped or rolled-out tomorrow? Does it come complete with instructions? Have you tested this? Often science companies have solved the scientific issues and problems but not completed the look, feel and marketing elements of the product and bounce into sales without having prepared fully.

2. When you approach potential customers are you talking science or finance?   Have you moved on from talking to historical colleagues and contacts about the features of the product, how to make it the ideal product and started talking about when they want to purchase?

3. Who is doing sales?  Is this a professional scientist or a professional sales person? Have they got the confidence, formal sales training and the contacts to get the sales pipeline formed for you. Are you doing it yourself because it is a complex product? Have you taken some basic sales training to provide you that knowledge of process and approach to sales issues?

4. How many deals have you done ever?  How much revenue have you created over the years? Do you really have the negotiation skills and the mind-set for chasing purchase paperwork to be a successful sales rep or do you need to bring in a dedicated member of the team?

5. Have you set concrete financial targets?   If you own the business, if you are the manager as well, then who is going to assess the reality of your targets and hold you to account if they aren't met? It can be very useful to have a separate mentor just for this to hold your interest on the financial progress as well as the scientific progress of the company.

If you are finding any of these aspects difficult please contact the Strategic Scientific team and we can talk you through the pain barrier.

So much can be told about a company from their logo. It is often the first impression that is made and it is the lasting initial impact. Use of colour inspires emotion and therefore can lead the viewer to trust your company more. Colour psychology and impact on company perception is something that Graphic Designers work with all the time. 

Take the IKEA logo, well known across the whole of Europe, but what is it telling you – that this company is from Sweden and they are proud of the reputation of Swedish and Scandinavian design.

How about the AstraZeneca logo? That conveys a knowledge of protein structure and therefore their interest in drug design and creation.

Unilever? The inclusion of animal images and bubbles not only symbolises all parts of the Unilever research understanding but also portrays their environmental interest, though washed in a scientific blue rather than biology green colour.

The silver, blue/green colours of SSC's logo represent expertise in information for the technology and bio-sciences areas by inspiring calm, trust and strength emotions. The logo shape conveys a pathway and supporting C indicating our skills in assisting others reach their goals.

So what does your logo say about your company?

Biotech companies take time to mature and develop. They take time to reach a place where they can be confident that they are a success. To have a product that the market requires and will regularly make payment for.

Ariana Pharma have reached that place and SSC are very proud to have been part of that story.

Dr Mohammad Afshar cut his teeth in business through being part of the management and research team at Ribotargets in Cambridge in the late 1990's. He then progressed to his own 3 person organisation in a small office in Pasteur Inst in Paris and today that company has an impressive turnover and 13 employees in several offices across the globe.

In those early days SSC were able to smoothly blend in the organisation wherever need was diagnosed and value could be added to provide

• Market research, pricing analysis and competition analysis,
• Business Development management establishing key-relationships in Europe, the US and Japan
• Technical Writers who have been fundamental to ensuring the correct communication of their early products.
• Introductions of senior staff members to complement the growing team.

Now we look forward to the next 10 years of observing their growth and success. Congratulations!