Financial performance consulting
Most businesses we meet have a reasonable handle on their revenue, but far less visibility into where profit leaks out. We start by mapping every cost line in your management accounts against sector benchmarks. This is not a generic exercise: we use data from over 280 completed engagements and published ONS sector statistics to build a comparison that reflects your size, geography and market position.
From there we identify the five or six areas with the greatest margin recovery potential and build a costed action plan for each. Typical areas include procurement terms, pricing architecture, debtor management and overhead allocation.
- Full P&L and balance-sheet diagnostic against sector medians
- Cash-flow forecasting model built to your reporting cycle
- Supplier renegotiation support (we have achieved average savings of 11 per cent on addressable spend)
- Pricing review: margin by product, customer and channel
- Working-capital improvement plan with 90-day milestones
Typical duration: four to eight weeks. We present findings to your board or leadership team and stay involved through implementation if needed.
Operations and process improvement
Operational problems are often invisible to the people closest to them. A warehouse team might have worked around a broken process for years without recognising the cost. We spend time on the floor, in the field and in front of the systems to understand how work actually flows, not how it is described in a procedure manual.
We then map the end-to-end process, measure cycle times and identify bottlenecks, duplication and handoff failures. The output is a redesigned workflow with clear ownership, realistic timelines and the training needed to make it stick.
- Process mapping and cycle-time analysis for production, logistics or service delivery
- Warehouse and facility layout review (we have reduced pick-and-pack time by up to 28 per cent)
- Quality and rework reduction: root-cause analysis and corrective-action plans
- Technology assessment: whether your current systems support or hinder your processes
- Standard operating procedures written in language your team will actually use
We have worked with food manufacturers, construction firms, third-party logistics providers and professional-services practices. Each sector has its own constraints, and we adjust our methods accordingly rather than applying a one-size template.
Strategy and growth planning
Growth for its own sake is expensive. We help clients figure out where to grow, how fast, and what it will cost before they commit capital. That means market sizing, competitor analysis, customer segmentation and financial modelling, all condensed into a plan the board can debate and act on within a month.
We have supported market-entry decisions for firms expanding from regional to national coverage, product-line extensions for manufacturers, and geographic diversification for service businesses. In each case the deliverable is a decision document with scenarios, not a 100-page strategy deck that sits on a shelf.
- Market and competitor analysis with quantified opportunity sizing
- Customer segmentation and profitability analysis by segment
- Three-year financial model with scenario planning
- Go/no-go frameworks for new products, markets or acquisitions
- Board facilitation: we run the strategy session so your directors can participate rather than present
People and leadership advisory
Hiring the wrong senior person costs roughly 2.5 times their annual salary when you factor in recruitment fees, onboarding, lost productivity and eventual replacement. We help clients get these decisions right the first time by designing role profiles tied to the company's actual needs, running structured assessment processes and coaching new hires through their first 90 days.
Beyond individual hires, we review management structures, spans of control and reporting lines. Many growing businesses outgrow their original org chart without realising it. A founder who managed eight people directly now has twenty-five, and decisions queue up because everything runs through one desk. We redesign the structure, define decision rights and put in place the management rhythms (weekly reviews, monthly dashboards, quarterly planning) that let the business scale without the founder becoming the bottleneck.
- Organisation design and restructuring for firms between 20 and 500 employees
- Leadership assessment using structured interviews and work-sample exercises
- Incentive and bonus scheme design linked to financial and operational KPIs
- Retention analysis: why people leave and what changes will reduce turnover
- 90-day onboarding programmes for senior hires
How every engagement works
Regardless of which service you need, the process follows the same four stages. This keeps costs predictable and gives you clear decision points along the way.
Scoping call
A 30-minute conversation to understand your situation, agree on objectives and decide whether we are the right fit. No charge, no obligation.
Diagnostic
Two weeks of data gathering, interviews and analysis. We deliver a written report with findings, prioritised recommendations and a fixed-fee proposal for the implementation phase.
Implementation
We work alongside your team to execute the agreed changes. Duration varies: four weeks for a pricing review, up to sixteen weeks for a full operational redesign. Weekly progress updates keep everyone aligned.
Handover and review
We document everything, train your people and schedule a 90-day check-in to measure results against the original targets. If the agreed improvement has not been achieved, we revisit the work at no extra cost.
Indicative pricing
We quote fixed fees for every engagement. The figures below are starting points; final pricing depends on scope, complexity and company size. There are no hidden charges or hourly overruns.
Diagnostic only
- Two-week assessment
- Written report with prioritised recommendations
- Board presentation of findings
- No obligation to proceed further
Standard engagement
- Diagnostic plus implementation support
- Four to twelve weeks on site
- Weekly progress reports
- 90-day post-project review
- Performance guarantee clause
Retained advisory
- Two days per month of senior consultant time
- Monthly financial and operational review
- Priority access for ad-hoc questions
- Quarterly strategy session
Ready to talk?
Book a free 30-minute scoping call. We will tell you honestly whether we can help, and if so, what it will cost.
Get in touch