Helping owner-managed businesses grow again
When growth stalls, I join your senior team as a fractional director, agree the outcomes in writing and share responsibility for delivering them.
When working harder stops working
Many good businesses reach a point where growth slows, even though everyone is working harder than ever. Turnover flattens, margins come under pressure, and more decisions find their way back to the owner.
Sometimes the business has simply outgrown the way it is run. Sometimes the owner is tired, and running the company has become a weight rather than a source of energy. I work with owners in both situations.
Coaching, consultancy or fractional leadership?
Owners looking for outside help usually choose between three options. Each has its place, but they work in very different ways.
Swipe the table sideways to compare all three.
| Business coaching | Consultancy | Fractional leadershipHow I work | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it involves | A coach helps you think through challenges and holds you to account for the actions you choose | A consultant analyses the business and recommends what to change | A senior leader joins your team part-time and leads the changes with you |
| Who does the work | You | Your team, once the recommendations are delivered | You and I, together with your team |
| How success is measured | Your progress against goals you set | Delivery of the report or recommendations | Agreed business outcomes, such as revenue, margin or profit |
| How long it runs | Often ongoing, month to month | A defined project | A fixed term, tied to the outcomes |
| Best suited to | Owners who want a sounding board and accountability | Specific technical questions or analysis | Owners who need senior capacity to make change happen |
Outcomes agreed in writing, before we start
We agree in writing what the engagement must achieve, based on your business and its specific challenges.
We review progress against those outcomes every month, and the engagement has a fixed end date. Everything I do is directed at those outcomes, so you always know what you are paying for.
Outcomes might include:
- Revenue grown to an agreed target
- Gross margin lifted by a set amount
- A management team that runs day-to-day operations without you
Does this sound like your business?
- Turnover has plateaued, or growth has come at the expense of profit.
- You have become the bottleneck for decisions, sales or key client relationships.
- Your team is busy but not pulling in the same direction.
- Processes live in people’s heads, so quality depends on who is in that day.
- You are working longer hours and enjoying the business less.
None of these is unusual, and none means you or your team lack ability. They are what happens when a business grows faster than the structure around it.
What I focus on
Clearing the obstacles
A business at a ceiling is usually held there by a few constraints: capacity, people, cash, pricing or the owner’s own time. I find them and deal with them in order of impact.
Driving revenue
I review how the business finds, wins and keeps customers, then build a sales process and revenue plan the team can follow and be measured against.
Processes and SOPs
I help your team write and adopt the procedures that matter most, so delivery is consistent and less reliant on a few individuals.
A business rhythm
A regular pattern of meetings, priorities and key numbers, so your management team sees each week how the business is performing and acts on it.
Profitability
I find where margin is lost, from pricing and unprofitable clients to cost control and cash collection, and put the fixes in place.
The roles I take on
Fractional Managing Director
Operations, the management team and profitability.
Fractional Commercial Director
Sales, pricing and revenue.
Which role fits best depends on where the biggest constraint lies.
How we start
The Growth Review
A fixed-fee assessment of your business over two to three weeks. I spend time with you and your senior team, look closely at the numbers, and identify what is holding growth back.
You receive a clear summary of the main constraints and opportunities, with a practical plan setting out priorities, outcomes and timescales. It is yours to keep, whether or not we work together afterwards.
How the work progresses
Understand the business
The Growth Review gives us an honest picture of where the business stands and what matters most.
Build the plan
We agree a few priorities, the outcomes we are aiming for and a realistic timetable.
Deliver the change
I work alongside you and your team, typically for 6 to 12 months, to put the plan into practice and keep it on track.
Results
- +30%
- client revenue in 12 months
- +17%
- average fees
- ~50%
- of the owner’s working week recovered
A £4m multi-site professional services business
The business had stalled, and its owner was spending most of her time on day-to-day problems. Over 12 months, client revenue grew by 30% and average fees rose by 17%.
She recovered almost half of her working week, which she has since used to complete three acquisitions.
Growing the business also grows its value
Clear processes, a stronger management team and healthier margins help a business grow, and they also make it more valuable. A business like that is less exposed if you are ill or away, gives you more choice about your future, and is worth more if you ever sell.
So even if selling is the last thing on your mind, every improvement adds to the value of what you have built.
Let’s talk
A first conversation takes about 30 minutes, with no obligation. We’ll talk about where your business is now, where you would like it to be, and whether I am the right person to help.
Or contact Chris Brown directly: 07557 952491 · sales@growthtoexit.co.uk · LinkedIn
Thinking about succession or a future sale? See Value and Exit