What we believe before we begin

Business Consulting built on principles, not presentations

We start every engagement with a set of commitments we refuse to break. Before a single spreadsheet opens, before any workshop is scheduled, we agree on what honest advice looks like. That agreement shapes everything that follows.

Six working principles

Diagnosis before prescription

We spend the first two weeks listening. Interviews with your team, a review of your financials, observation of how decisions actually get made. Only after that do we write a single recommendation. Rushing to solutions is the most expensive mistake in consulting.

"They spent three days shadowing our operations team before saying a word. That changed everything." — Head of Ops, a Manchester logistics firm

Ownership stays with you

We do not install ourselves as a permanent fixture. Every deliverable includes a handover plan. If your team cannot run the new process without us within 60 days, we have failed.

Uncomfortable truths, delivered clearly

If the data says your flagship product line is losing money, we will say so in the first meeting. Politeness is fine. Avoidance is not. Our reports contain plain language, not consultant jargon.

Small teams, senior people

You will never see a room full of junior analysts wearing our badge. Engagements are led by consultants with a minimum of twelve years of operating experience. Two or three people, deeply involved.

Measure what matters, ignore what doesn't

We pick three to five indicators per engagement. Not twenty. Not a dashboard with 40 tiles. Clarity comes from focus, and focus means saying no to metrics that feel important but don't drive action.

"They told us to stop tracking seven of our KPIs. Revenue went up 18% the next quarter because we finally focused." — Finance Director, a mid-market retailer

Fees tied to outcomes

Half our fee is fixed. The other half depends on whether we hit the targets we agreed on together. If we don't deliver, we earn less. Simple.

Three decisions that shape every engagement

Before we scope a project, we ask you to make three choices. These are not formalities. They determine how we work, what we deliver, and how long we stay.

Depth or breadth?

Some firms need a deep dive into one function: pricing, supply chain, go-to-market. Others need a wide-angle review across the whole business. We do not try to do both at once. Pick one, and we will deliver it properly.

Typical deep-dive: 6 weeks. Typical wide-angle: 10 weeks.

Build or fix?

Are we creating something new — a market entry plan, a new operating model, a growth strategy — or are we fixing something broken? The skill sets overlap, but the pace and tone are different. Fixing demands speed. Building demands patience.

Build engagements average 14 weeks. Fix engagements average 5.

Internal or external focus?

Do the answers lie inside your organisation — in your people, processes, and culture — or outside it, in your market, competitors, and customers? We adjust our research methods accordingly. Internal work means workshops and data analysis. External work means field research and competitive intelligence.

Most clients choose a 70/30 split in one direction.

Is this the right fit?

We work well with	We are not the right choice for
Owner-managed businesses with £2m–£50m revenue	Pre-revenue startups seeking pitch deck help
Leadership teams willing to act on findings within 30 days	Boards looking for a report to file and forget
Firms facing a specific, identifiable challenge	Organisations wanting "general improvement" with no measurable goal
Companies with at least one internal champion for change	Teams where every stakeholder has veto power and uses it
Businesses based in or near Greater Manchester (we meet in person)	Fully remote engagements with no face-to-face time

What clients say

"They identified a £400k annual saving in our procurement process within three weeks. No other consultancy had looked there."

— Operations Lead, a Greater Manchester food manufacturer

"The honesty was jarring at first. Then it was liberating. We stopped chasing two markets that were draining us and doubled down on the one that worked."

— CEO, a B2B services company

"Their handover was the best part. Six months later, we are still running the playbook they left us. No ongoing retainer needed."

— Managing Director, a property management group

Manchester city skyline at golden hour with modern office buildings

Based in Manchester, working with businesses across the North West. We believe proximity matters. We sit in your offices, walk your warehouse floors, and attend your Monday morning meetings.

8 Jared Wood, Manchester M1 5AN

Our capability framework

Strategic review

A full assessment of your competitive position, market opportunity, and internal readiness. Delivered as a 20-page document with a prioritised action list, not a 200-slide deck.

Operational redesign

We map your current workflows, identify bottlenecks, and redesign processes to cut waste. Typical savings: 12–25% reduction in operating costs within the first year.

Financial modelling and scenario planning

We build models that answer specific questions: what happens if we raise prices by 8%? What if raw material costs jump 15%? Each model comes with a decision matrix, not just numbers.

Leadership alignment

When the board disagrees on direction, progress stops. We facilitate structured conversations that surface hidden disagreements and drive toward a shared plan. Usually two to three half-day sessions.

I started this firm because I was tired of watching consultancies deliver beautiful reports that gathered dust. The problem was never a lack of insight. It was a lack of commitment to implementation.

Every engagement we take on ends with a working session where your team rehearses the new approach. Not a presentation. A rehearsal. We role-play difficult conversations, walk through the new process step by step, and identify the first three things that will go wrong so you can prepare for them.

That is not glamorous work. It does not photograph well for a website. But it is the reason our clients actually change, rather than just talking about change.

If that sounds like the kind of help you need, reach out. We respond within one working day.

Common questions

How long does a typical engagement last?

Most projects run between five and fourteen weeks. A focused operational fix might wrap in a month. A full strategic review with implementation support can stretch to four months. We agree on a timeline before we start, and we stick to it.

What does the fee structure look like?

We quote a fixed fee for each engagement, split into two parts. The base fee covers our time and deliverables. The performance component is tied to agreed outcomes. We do not bill by the hour, and we do not run up costs with junior analyst time.

Do you work with businesses outside Manchester?

We prefer to work with firms within reasonable travel distance of Manchester so we can be on-site regularly. We have taken on projects in Leeds, Liverpool, and Sheffield. Fully remote engagements are not something we offer.

What industries do you specialise in?

Manufacturing, professional services, property, food and drink, and B2B distribution make up the bulk of our client base. We have also worked with healthcare providers and education businesses. The common thread is owner-managed or PE-backed firms with £2m to £50m in revenue.

Can we start with a small project to test the relationship?

Yes. We often begin with a two-week diagnostic. It gives both sides a chance to see whether the working relationship is productive before committing to a larger scope.

Start a conversation

Thank you. We will be in touch within one working day.

Prefer to call? Ring us on +44 161 491 4700 weekdays between 8:30 and 17:30.

Or email [email protected]

8 Jared Wood, Manchester M1 5AN, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom