Development Services

Who Best Can Tell You the Answers?

The St James Partnership is probably the best qualified organisation offering a commercial service to address these fundamental questions for your publishing business. The partners have analysed nearly 200 publishing businesses in depth over the past 20 years. They have seen best practice in all areas of publishing, and normally set out an agenda regarded as highly ambitious, particularly in profit terms. They talk through the practicalities, the repositioning required and the resourcing questions. They bring a can-do attitude: because they know it is done elsewhere. Aside from a modest quarterly retainer, their remuneration is an agreed percentage of the bottom line improvement.

The Goldmines Around

Publishing can be a stunningly profitable industry. TSJP hasn't sold three businesses for six times annual turnover without coming across 'goldmines'. It's a combination of market, product, management and luck. Some publishers till valiantly on stony ground; others on fertile soil. Where do you stand?

This service works for those publishers who feel we can help them go further; or go faster - and who are prepared to share some of the upside. In time, these clients may want to sell - but that's in no sense a prerequisite.

Develop or Sell?

Some would like to sell, but cannot at an acceptable price. Others want to sell for negative reasons: no way to growth or higher profits; the same intractable problems; no management succession; or competitive pressure. Analysis often reveals both major unexploited opportunities and problems that should be resolved to facilitate a later sale. Implementation can strengthen the bottom line and reduce the interest in selling. Clients say this process is strengthening their businesses - good news whatever their plans for the future.