As the market of advisory / consultancy companies is highly saturated, companies need to differentiate themselves to sustain in the market and attract new clients. Consequently, a Swiss advisory organization catering the needs of Swiss SMEs requested a repositioning strategy. The following objectives were set: • What are the seven main competitors and what are potential competitors that could enter the market? • What are the main opportunities for the client with regards to the repositioning? • What needs do clients of specialized China advisory / consulting firms have and are there any gaps?

The procedure used to answer the three above mentioned questions is based on primary and secondary research. Primary research is conducted by interviewing experts and conducting a survey targeting Swiss SMEs. Five experts and 23 companies were questioned to understand the opportunities in China. Secondary research is used to analyze the challenges of the competitive environment. Michael Porter's components of a competitive analysis serves as a model to investigate the seven direct competitors. Furthermore, authors partially apply the "broad-based manegerial approach" by Bergen & Peteraf.

Based on gained insights from the competitor analysis, key findings from interviews and surveys, as well as additional literature, authors identified four services offering the client an opportunity to sustain its position in the market.