From the coalface: Products - license or manufacture?

In the latest in a series of articles focusing on real challenges faced by real entrepreneurs, business expert Edward Bodiam explains the solution he offered to a client struggling to work out whether to sell licensed products or manufacture their own.

Client:
A small software consultancy which had developed an innovative digital audio platform.

Challenge:
The client's investors were pushing them to start manufacturing their own products to sell through traditional retail outlets. However, the company realised that the job was outside their core competence and invited us to determine the best way of exploiting their technology.

Solution overview:
This was a classic situation where the client and the investors realised that they had created something special but held conflicting views on strategy.