Solving complex business issues
Business consultants can provide invaluable insight and expertise when it comes to helping companies grow and succeed. With their skills...
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Our Services
Welcome to ACT Business Consultants Ltd - your trusted partner in driving success for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Our professional consultancy services will deliver a professional and bespoke business plan including the strategies and tactics to deliver on your business objectives. We are committed to your success and will help you navigate the complex world of modern business.
Your Business Options – Programme 1.
Your Business Options Programme 1. Is a new solution designed to review your business and give you a detailed view of the options open to you. Our report will examine each element of your business performance, market, team, competitors, and finances and will set out the options open to you. Your Business Options Report will be delivered within 8 to 10 weeks
About Us
At ACT Business Consultancy Ltd, we bring together a team of experienced professionals with a deep understanding of the UK business landscape. Our consultants have successfully supported numerous SMEs, helping them achieve exceptional results in today's competitive market.
Your Business In Focus – Programme 2.
Your Business In Focus - Programme 2. This is our key program, where we build, a bespoke plan for your business which will include all the strategies and tactics needed to allow you to achieve the objectives we agreed on at the outset. We will examine your business in all areas including Sales & Marketing, Operations, Finance, IT, Human Resources and Legal, building all the business improvement strategies needed. From Start-up and business development to Exit planning our team will deliver a plan built specifically for you and your business alone. One that can be achieved with confidence.
Your Business In Focus Program 2. Is usually completed in
8 to 10 months.
ABOUT US
BUSINESS ISSUES ADDRESSED:
Business Dependency
Can take various forms, and it's essential to consider these aspects to manage and mitigate risks effectively. Here are some bullet points on business dependency and if you would like further information book a call: 01235 886222
1.Supplier Dependency:
Is your business relying on a single supplier for critical materials or components which can be a significant risk.
2.Customer Dependency:
Are your sales heavily reliant on a small number of customers which can impact revenue stability.
3.Technological Dependency:
When looking at your IT infrastructure are you relying on outdated or legacy technology which can hinder innovation and competitiveness.
4.Employee Dependency:
Are your key personnel holding critical knowledge or skills which can create a risk if they leave the company.
5.Financial Dependency:
Heavy reliance on a single source of funding or investment can limit financial flexibility.
6.Regulatory Dependency:
Being highly dependent on favourable regulations can lead to vulnerabilities.
7.Market Dependency
Is your business over reliant on a specific market or region which can make a business susceptible to economic fluctuations or geopolitical risks.
8.Infrastructure Dependency:
Depending on a single physical location or data centre can be risky in the event of disasters or technical issues.
9.Supply Chain Dependency:
A complex and interconnected supply chain can create vulnerabilities to disruptions, such as natural disasters or political instability.
11.Legal Dependency:
Legal contracts, partnerships, or agreements can create dependencies on other organisations.
13.Global Dependency:
Depending heavily on international markets or global supply chains can expose a business to geopolitical risks and trade fluctuations.
10.Technology Platform Dependency:
Relying heavily on a specific software or technology platform can lead to challenges if it becomes obsolete or experiences issues.
12.Environmental Dependency:
Businesses relying on specific environmental conditions or resources (e.g., agriculture, food etc) can be vulnerable to climate change or resource scarcity.
14.Competitor Dependency:
A business that closely mirrors its competitors may become overly reliant on market trends or competitors' decisions.
15.Cultural Dependency:
Relying on a specific organisational culture can hinder adaptability and resilience.
Understanding and actively managing these dependencies is crucial for building a resilient and sustainable business. Businesses should regularly assess their vulnerabilities and develop contingency plans to mitigate potential risks. ACT Business Consultants can assist you in evaluating your business dependency and mitigating risk with the correct planning.
Business Owner Dependency
Refers to a situation where a business relies heavily on the presence, decisions, or involvement of its owner or founders. This dependency can pose risks to the continuity and growth of the business. Here are some bullet points on business owner dependency: If you would like further information book a call: 01235 886222
1.Key Decision-Making:
The owner is the primary decision-maker for critical aspects of the business, such as strategy, finances, and operations.
2.Vision and Leadership:
The owner provides the vision and leadership that shapes the company's direction and culture.
3.Operational Expertise:
The owner possesses specialised skills or knowledge essential for day-to-day operations.
4.Customer Relationships:
The owner has strong, personal relationships with key customers, which significantly impact sales and revenue.
5.Funding and Investment:
The owner is the primary source of capital or investment for the business, and its financial stability depends on their resources.
6.Vendor and Supplier Relationships
The owner has built and maintains crucial relationships with vendors and suppliers.
7.Employee Morale and Culture:
The owner's presence and leadership contribute to a positive company culture and high employee morale.
8.Brand Identity and Reputation:
The owner's personal brand and reputation are closely tied to the business's success and public perception.
9.Succession Planning:
There is no clear succession plan or strategy in place to transition leadership and ownership.
10.Burnout and Health Risks:
The owner may be at risk of burnout due to overwork or may face health issues that could disrupt business operations.
11.Lack of Delegation:
The owner has difficulty delegating tasks and responsibilities to others within the organisation.
12.Scalability Challenges:
The business may struggle to scale or grow without the owner's direct involvement in every aspect.
13.Difficulty in Attracting Talent:
The business may face challenges in attracting top talent, as potential employees are concerned about the owner's heavy involvement.
14.Limited Strategic Planning:
Long-term strategic planning may be limited due to the owner's focus on day-to-day operations.
15.Financial Risk:
The business's financial stability may be at risk if the owner's personal financial situation becomes unstable.
16.Exit Strategy:
Lack of a clear exit strategy for the owner, such as retirement or selling the business, can hinder long-term planning.
Addressing business owner dependency typically involves developing a succession plan, empowering, and training key personnel, and creating systems and processes that reduce reliance on the owner's direct involvement. This can help ensure the business's sustainability and growth beyond the owner's individual contributions.
BUSINESS DEPENDENCY
Let's Talk Business
BOOK A CALL
HOW WE SUPPORT BUSINESSES.
* Improved financial performance - Increased profitability - Solving cash flow and funding challenges.
* Improved business valuation - Managing a family business - Improving team performance.
* Increasing sales performance - Improved marketing results.
* Defining an Exit Strategy with options - Business succession planning and implementation.
* Improved HR business compliance - Business systems and reporting - Business systemisation.
Take a look at how we have helped other businesses:
Due to the sensitive nature of our professional work, we always maintain client confidentiality and often sign Non-Disclosure Agreements, therefore the following are examples of our recent work.
Home Improvements Company
Initial Objectives
To provide a range of “Exit Options” – our client, a successful business operating in the home improvements market with the client wishing to exit the business at a future point. He felt he had few options other than to close the business when he achieved a certain age.
EXPERT – PROFESSIONAL - SUCCESSFUL
SERVICES
SPECIALIST S.M.E. BUSINESS CONSULTANTS
Taking Care of Business
At ACT Business Consultants, we focus primarily on the 7 functions of business which are Sales, Marketing, Finance, Product & Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Legal.
Your S.M.E. business consultants for Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, London, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and now the Central Midlands.
EXPERT
PROFESSIONAL
SUCCESSFUL
£500 - £20M
clients turnover range
Bespoke
individual solutions and business planning
7
Functions of business, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Operations, Human Resource, IT & Legal
75
Hours of internal and external data evaluation
Clients
50 mile radius of Oxford
PROCESS
EXPERT
Our expertise will help any SME business owner address the issues they face in their daily business.
We talk about the following “Need States”
“I need to”
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Grow my sales revenues and profit
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Improve my marketing to attract more prospects and turn these into paying clients
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To solve my cash flow position to pay my bills
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Access funds to grow my business
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Improve my team’s performance
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Systemise my business process to become more efficient
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Reduce the reliance my business has on me
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Build out my exit strategy to maximise value and give me choices
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Help in managing my family business
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Have a plan that I can achieve with confidence
PROFESSIONAL
You know your business better than anyone, but you may be too involved in your daily business to take an objective view of how your business is performing.
We will take you and your business through a full S.W.O.T. analysis to establish strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
We will help you to map out your defined objectives so that we focus on what you want to achieve and when you want to achieve this by.
Our systems and IP are designed to do just that, they are S.M.A.R.T. i.e., Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time defined.
You are key to the success of your business and our process will ensure you are kept informed of every action, every target, every opportunity, and every step of the journey will be clearly mapped out within your bespoke plan.
SUCCESSFUL
Our success comes from knowing who we can help and how we can help them.
This is demonstrated at the start of our relationship – we show you what we know about your business and what we need to know about your business. Our process is a “part done by us” and a “part done by you” model and geared to what assistance you need to achieve the success we have agreed to target.
As business consultants, we are the architect of your tailormade plan and collaborate with you to ensure we are fully focused to achieve your success with confidence.
Collaborating with companies that have a turnover of circa £500k to £20m we know that our experience will deliver results.
Unleash the full potential of your business by calling our team or booking your initial meeting.
There is no cost or obligation to speak with us.
TEAM
Paul O'Meara
Business Adviser & Consultant
Paul is an accomplished and experienced business professional who has a successful career record working in a variety of senior roles ideally positioning him now in the role of a business adviser.
Paul is also a qualified Electrical Engineer who also holds an MBA from Nottingham University and has a long and successful record of business transformation.
Paul wishes to help small and medium-size enterprises grow their business using the theoretical and practical methods and approaches that he has learned during his career in the highly competitive world of business services.
We are delighted that Paul is part of our team of professional advisers who shares our aims of supporting the needs of the SME business owners community within the central and northern Midlands region.
We encourage you to make contact and take the first step in what will be an incredible journey.
Best,
Paul O'Meara
John Goodwin
Let's do business together
At ACT Business Consultants we recognise SME business owners are the backbone of the UK economy, the country's success relies on their energy, efforts and results but often they receive little help. That's why we exist and why we focus exclusively on the SME sector, providing a range of vital support mechanisms. We are experts in what we call "Business Architecture" there to assist you either in a part "done by you" or a fully "done by us" capacity. Together we can build out your objectives, configure the correct strategies and implement the relevant tactics to achieve success.
Our mission is to add value and not cost - let us show you how.
We encourage you to make contact and take the first step in what will be an incredible journey.
Best,
John Goodwin
Andrew Harwood
Accountant, CFO, Entrepreneur
Andrew Harwood is a highly skilled and professional financial expert, a trained accountant, and a serial entrepreneur.
Andrew's ability to understand the numbers in any business is exceptional, he is best described as a forensic accountant.
He is vastly experienced in business architecture, fundraising, commerce, mergers, acquisitions, venture capital, and within all areas of business finance and accounting.
We encourage you to make contact and take the first step in what will be an incredible journey.
Best,
Andrew Harwood
Step 1.
Initial Client Meeting
A free of charge, no-obligation face to face meeting with a consultant to determine if there is an opportunity to work together. A fact-finding meeting to gather the information that is not held within the public domain and one that can lead to...
Step 2.
A Business Review Meeting
A second free of charge and no obligation presentation, with our compliments, based on the information collected at the Initial Client Meeting and our knowledge of your business. A demonstration of our initial understanding of the issues, aims and objectives of our potential clients.
Step 3.
A Formal Quotation
Only when both parties are comfortable will we offer a bespoke menu-based quotation for one of our programs. In addition, we will walk you through how you can afford and join the program with confidence.
Our Guarantee
We guarantee to deliver a bespoke plan for your business with time-lined strategies and tactics along with a process to measure our progress at every stage of your journey.
ACT BUSINESS CONSULTANTS LTD
BLOGS
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