“In a business, you have to realize that making money is great, but investment in employees is one of the things that are most overlooked.”

Founded in 2013 by entrepreneurs, C&M Group is a global strategy consulting, and R&D firm headquartered in the Boston area.

C&M Group partners with private, public, and not-for-profit agencies to create greater value, identify opportunities, and ultimately gain a competitive edge for their clients. C&M has had success in the United States and abroad. Through unparalleled service, hard work, and dedication, C&M offers an unimaginable experience for all of its associates.

BusinessInterviews.com: What does your daily schedule look like and how do you think that your routine influences your approach to business and life in general?

Chirag: I usually start my day at around 5:30 with meditation, and then proceed to reading and sending out emails. I have noticed that my overall efficiency and productivity have increased tremendously thanks to meditation. My meditation is usually a great time for me to “take a break” from my work too, and I use it as a reflection period. I try to go over my day and make sure I pin point anything I need to achieve. Although in the startup world this may be tough, I try to maintain a balance between my work life, family life, and spiritual life. Depending on what day of the week it is, I usually have class in the morning, and I afterwards attend to meetings that are generally phone calls, or on site client meetings. Any kind of down time is devoted primarily to reading and making sure I am keeping up on the current trends in the market. I also (try) to comprehend what’s occurring in politics, and actively make connections between global external factors and business.

BusinessInterviews.com: Can you provide our readers with some tips when it comes to pitching and securing venture capital investments?

Chirag: I would suggest that before jumping straight to VC investments make sure that you have used every possible resource to organically grow your venture. A lot of the times first time entrepreneurs don’t realize the amount of help other entrepreneurs, and government organizations such as SBA are able to offer. In regards to a successful pitch, make sure you clearly identify not only your product and service and how it will impact a market, but your capabilities. Sometimes, it can be the product or service that is lacking in an A level management team, but it is just as many times the execution of the management team on an already amazing product.

BusinessInterviews.com: What advice would you pass onto a company looking to design their first app?

Chirag: I like to tell clients that put yourself in the shoes of the consumer, and see how you will react to the product. Another necessity for a successful app is market research, market research, and market research. Make sure that you clearly observed and analyzed your market to make sure that they react positively once the app is realized. The last thing you want is fixing mistakes that could have been clearly dodged if the entrepreneur did their research. That is one reason why I believe R&D is essential to success in any company- the more research, the better end product.

BusinessInterviews.com: How do you think that the culture of a company relates to its success?

Chirag: In a business, you have to realize that making money is great, but investment in employees is one of the things that are most overlooked. When are have 0 sales, than obviously investing in employees can be difficult to do, but people don’t realize that investment in employees doesn’t need to be expensive. For example, in the consulting field, something as little as sending your social media strategist an article regarding strategy at Yahoo! will not only increase his/her overview on strategy, but make him feel included in employee conversations. You are also increasing the depth of knowledge your employee has. After you have reached a certain point in sales, I think the way to improve, retain, and attract new employees is through investing in employees for the sake of creating an organization that not only does well financially, but is an exciting place to work, where employees are feeling challenged.

BusinessInterviews.com: Can you share some examples of opportunities that are often overlooked by your clients and businesses in general?

Chirag: The main thing our clients overlook is the opportunity to easily get their marketing initiatives achieved through free or very inexpensive alternatives. Depending on the management, and employees in the organization, the idea of cold calling can sometimes be rare, especially when an organization is well developed. I am so surprised at how funny some of the management looks at me when I tell them to pick up the phone and call someone. For example, I had a client that wanted to introduce a product to teenage students aged 14-18. They were so caught up in complex, go to market strategies, that they couldn’t step back and realize that there is a school right down and the street, and just by giving a presentation in the school, they can do a free study to see who will use their service. Another main point is consumers will jump at anyone giving an incentive to do a survey. You would be surprised; by making a $400 dollar investment in an Ipad Mini can greatly improve your chances of people doing the survey.

BusinessInterviews.com: What’s the most exciting thing on the horizon for you personally or professionally in 2014?

Chirag: I am really happy to say that C&M Group is in heavy talks about an acquisition/merger of sorts. It is a really exciting time for not only C&M, but for an opportunity for us as an organization to grow into a bigger market. In 2014, I also want to not only continue to grow, but make more trips to some of our consultants off site to make sure that the office culture in Boston exists there as well! It should be a good year!