Welcome to Optical Strategies, LLC
At Optical Strategies, I'm passionate about illuminating the path forward for businesses in advanced photonics and fiber optic technology. For over three decades, I've had the privilege of working at the forefront of innovations that are fundamentally changing how we monitor, measure, and interact with our world.
My mission is to help visionary companies harness the incredible potential of distributed fiber optic sensing and specialty photonics to create a more sustainable future. Whether you're developing cutting-edge sensor networks, pioneering new applications in specialty fiber optics, or exploring emerging opportunities in photonics, I bring deep industry expertise and a proven track record of helping businesses like yours succeed.
Drawing from my 30+ years of experience in this dynamic field, I work closely with each client to develop strategies that transform technological excellence into market leadership. I understand the unique challenges and opportunities in these specialized markets, and I'm committed to being more than just a consultant – I aim to be your trusted partner in growth.
Together, we can turn your innovative photonics solutions into powerful tools for sustainability and business success. Let's explore how we can amplify your impact in this exciting and evolving industry.
That’s why Optical Strategies begins the process with your team and a series of mind-mapping interviews. This allows me to assess your current state and fully understand your desired future state – combining this with market intelligence we develop powerful solutions to help you succeed.
At Optical Strategies, I believe that the key to success is understanding our customers' needs.
Services
Optical Strategies services include a range of offerings designed to help businesses grow and thrive in competitive markets. These include:
Business Plan Assessments
Optical Strategies can help you optimize business planning to ensure alignment with your goals and objectives.
Deep Market Analysis
Having grown up in these markets I'm uniquely positioned to provide in-depth, customized market analyses to help you understand the competition, identify new opportunities and stay ahead.
Competitor Research
WIll help you identify your key competitors, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and help develop actionable strategies to grow your company.
Strategic Planning
Recognizing that no “one-size-fits-all” approach works, I operate as part of your team to develop a customized strategic approach, taking into account your goals, strengths, weaknesses, and desired future state.
Business Growth Roadmapping
Optical Strategies helps you develop a roadmap for growth and expansion, whether you’re looking to launch a new product line, enter new markets, or scale current offerings.
Outside Perspective
The view from outside your core team is often different from that within. Optical Strategies adds perspective, arms-length openness and honesty, providing insights to bring balance to beliefs and counter blind spots.
Support of Entrepreneurs
Optical Strategies augments your business expertise with decades of experience, freeing you up to focus on growth.
As a consulting firm Optical Strategies, LLC is flexible in terms of working arrangement. Identifying this usually takes an informal conversation or two to develop a clear sense of client needs and whether a good match exists between the client and my firm. While under contract I commonly work in one of two ways:
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For short-term or introductory projects, we provide services on an hourly rate. This helps the client understand our talents and weigh value and impact for their decision-making preparedness and business health. Such projects are usually 1 to 3 months in duration.
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The second approach is to consult and advise under a Pay for Access Retainer, whereby the client pays a monthly fee in advance of each month for the duration of the project. These are often longer-term projects lasting from 3 months to more than a year. This approach may also be more convenient for firms with longer-term needs.
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The Principal, Mike Hines, has extensive experience in the fiber optics, distributed fiber optic sensing, and specialty photonics markets. Mike has worked with a variety of businesses, from startups to established, multi-national companies, and has a track record of success in developing purpose-built solutions that meet business needs. Mike works with publicly available information, spending time that the client doesn’t have, to gather comprehensive intelligence, make informed assessments, and report back – the most important value is Mike’s ability to connect-the-dots and help clients navigate the commercial and technical maze that surrounds them. Think of Mike as a temporary addition to your team to assist you in developing solid plans for growth.
If you’re looking for expert guidance and support to help your business thrive in these competitive markets, look no further than Optical Strategies. Contact Optical Strategies today to learn more about its services and how Optical Strategies can help you achieve your goals.