A tradition in L.A. every January is a three-day homeless census organized by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. This year, in the 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, L.A. residents, volunteers, and community groups coordinated both a street count and a shelter/institutional count to ascertain accurate numbers of the county’s homeless.
According to the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count resources, these statistics are vital to:
- Informing the state of homelessness and educating people and companies about the homeless epidemic
- Delivering appropriate and effective community resources
- Increasing engagement of leaders, residents, and stakeholders
The count historically mobilizes over 7,500 volunteers and results in valuable data to back up programs, funding, and initiatives to finally end homelessness in LA.
As it does every year, Los Angeles Mission actively participated in the count by engaging volunteers and acting as a deployment site and media hub. The Mission also contributed information to the shelter count and provided resources to the demographic and youth survey portion. According to president and CEO Herb Smith, the Mission is committed to researching the data needed to provide long-term solutions and critical emergency care.
An essential strategy
This process of assessing the environment in this way is critical in many fields. For the Los Angeles Mission, homeless counts help determine goals, and measure progress in meeting those goals. The counts help answer: What is the true need? Who are the stakeholders, and what resources are needed to address the problem?
At the same time, in business, environmental assessments help answer: What is the market? What generates demand? What is the competition doing, and what is the competition worth?
Big Change Advisors begins all transactions with a solid basis of research. What are the client’s goals and how can we attain those goals in the as-is and future environment? We do in-depth overviews of target markets and companies, along with an analysis of recent M&A activities and valuations across industries. This benchmarking ensures the targets make sense, and the strategy to reach them is solid.
In society and in business, only by knowing just what you’re up against can you make sure you’re on track for desired outcomes.
Smart synergies
Big Change Advisors is proud to support the Los Angeles Mission and their involvement in the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. As the LA Homeless Services Authority asserts, everyone counts, no matter where they live. And for our clients, every factor of the business landscape can make a difference, if we understand its impact.
Steve Pomeroy is the founder of Big Change Advisors, an M&A consulting firm in Los Angeles focusing on middle market companies in the IT services space. Since 1992, Big Change leaders have completed over 36 transactions including M&A, Capital Sourcing, and Public Offerings representing over $800 million in total transaction value. Big Change Advisors donates a percentage of all fees to help serve the homeless through the Los Angeles Mission. To request a free consultant, contact us.
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