Business Consulting: frequently asked questions

The initial review is a fixed fee. For companies with up to 50 employees it costs £1,200 plus VAT. Larger organisations pay £2,400 plus VAT. That price covers two days on-site, the analysis work and a written report with costed recommendations. Travel within Northern Ireland is included; for sites elsewhere in the UK we add actual travel expenses at cost, with no markup.

It depends on what we find. Some recommendations, like cancelling unused software subscriptions or consolidating supplier accounts, can be acted on within days of receiving the report. Bigger changes, such as redesigning a warehouse pick-and-pack workflow, typically take four to eight weeks. On average, clients who move to the implementation phase see measurable savings within the first eight weeks.

Yes. Our office is in Great Hansen, but we work with clients across England, Scotland and Wales. On-site review days can be arranged at any UK location. Remote advisory work, such as the growth planning service, needs no travel at all. About a third of our current clients are based in England.

We have the deepest experience in manufacturing, logistics, professional services and retail. That said, cost structures and process problems tend to be more similar across industries than people expect. A bottleneck in an approval chain works the same way whether you make engine parts or run a recruitment agency. If your business has between 10 and 250 employees and a turnover above £500,000, there is a good chance we can help.

No. We are not resellers for any software vendor, and we receive no referral fees or commissions. If we recommend a tool, it is because we genuinely think it will solve a problem. More often, we find that clients already own software with features they have never switched on. Configuring what you already have is almost always cheaper and faster than buying something new.

It has happened twice in over 140 engagements. In both cases the businesses were already well run and the review confirmed that. You still keep the report, and we do not charge for any implementation work because there is none to do. We would rather be honest about that than invent problems to justify a longer engagement.

Every recommendation in our report includes a target metric: a pound figure for cost savings, a time reduction for process changes, or a revenue milestone for growth projects. At the end of each 30-day implementation sprint we compare actual results against those targets and share the numbers with you in writing. If something is not working, we adjust the approach for the next sprint rather than pressing on with a plan that has stopped making sense.

Yes. If you already know what the problem is, for example you need to renegotiate a logistics contract or build a financial model for a bank loan, we can scope a focused engagement around that one task. The discovery call is the best place to discuss this. We will tell you honestly whether a focused project or a broader review makes more sense given what you describe.

We offer a six-month advisory retainer as part of the growth planning service. Outside of that, we prefer project-based work with a clear start and end date. A retainer can create an incentive for the consultant to stretch work out, and we would rather finish, hand over and leave you to run your business. If a new issue comes up six months later, you can call us again.

Call us on 01728 71866 or send an email to [email protected]. We will arrange a 30-minute discovery call at a time that suits you. After that call, if we think we can help, we send a one-page proposal with the scope, fee and timeline. You review it, ask questions, and decide. No pressure, no follow-up sales calls.