In early 2009, Brian Pio went into business for himself leading the U.S. branch of ERI Group, an international packaging company producing eco-friendly, molded-pulp protective packaging for major manufacturers. It should have felt like a milestone. Instead, he was working 70 to 80 hour weeks and could feel the organization drifting in the wrong direction.
“We had a multitude of opportunities but we were missing something to push us over the top,” Brian remembers. “John came in and took inventory of my personal life and business practice. He dove head first into the actual work and contract negotiations. It was an easy decision to hire him… After 3 years of working together I have become a better family man, volunteer and business leader. I can’t recommend John enough both personally and professionally.”
Big Opportunity, No Roadmap
Brian brought more than 15 years of packaging industry experience to ERI USA, and he’d correctly spotted a growing market: manufacturers and large retailers — companies like Motorola, Microsoft, Home Depot, Sony, IBM, HP, LG, and Keurig — were actively looking for sustainable “green packaging” alternatives, and ERI’s molded pulp solutions fit the need well. But a good market opportunity isn’t the same as a working business. ERI USA was facing steep startup expenses with no financial forecast to guide budgeting or planning, no real clarity on which direction would deliver the best return, and increasingly difficult investor relations to manage on top of it all. The business needed capital just to keep the lights on while it found its footing, and the day-to-day grind of chasing that capital was wearing down Brian’s motivation in the face of ongoing setbacks.
Building a Financial Model — and a Way Forward
Waters Business Consulting Group’s engagement started with clarity: helping Brian define target objectives and build a strategy and financial model the business could actually run on. From there, the focus shifted to prioritizing the activities that would move the business forward fastest, including introducing Brian to a major DIY retailer that opened up new opportunities ERI hadn’t previously pursued. Daily action items kept the team focused and motivated even through the hard stretches, and a full financial forecast and business roadmap gave Brian something he hadn’t had before — a clear sense of direction.
The Results
The shift showed up in ERI USA’s client base and its balance sheet alike. The company began representing more sizable companies in Taiwan and worked with partners in China and Mexico on large packaging opportunities. Perhaps most importantly, the business moved from the stress of intermittent, unpredictable funding to cash flowing on its own — a fundamental shift in stability. Investor returns increased, new opportunities opened up with major manufacturers seeking eco-friendly packaging, and several purchase orders came in for high-volume production. Just as meaningfully, Brian describes gaining a better quality of life, with more freedom and less frustration than the 70-80 hour weeks that defined the business’s early days.
If your business has real market opportunity but lacks the financial model and roadmap to capitalize on it, that gap is exactly where the right guidance makes the biggest difference. Waters Business Consulting Group helps founders across industries turn promising opportunities into stable, self-sustaining businesses. Schedule a free consultation to talk through where your business stands today.
