Frequently Asked Questions

My expertise covers two groups: (1) Corporate teams and franchisors who grow through small business customers, partners, or franchisees (2) Business owners who want to change or improve performance, grow by buying another business, or prepare their business for a successful sale.

I help you work out what’s not working, what needs to change, and then actually get it done. For corporates and franchisors that usually means improving how you grow through partners/franchisees: performance, pricing and commercial models, incentives, go-to-market plans, playbooks/toolkits, and making digital / eCommerce / AI genuinely useful (and adopted). I’m hands-on through delivery — I’ll challenge, structure, and support the team so the change sticks.

Yes. I’ve bought and sold a business myself, and I’ve had M&A training at Bayes Business School (I also guest speak there on buying and selling a small business). I’ll help you get clear on what a “good target” looks like, sense-check the deal, stress-test the numbers, and build the right diligence questions. If you want me more hands-on, I can also run the search and acquisition process as a contained project — shortlist, outreach, screening, and support through diligence/negotiation. Then, if you go ahead, I’ll help you plan the takeover and first 90 days so the integration actually works. I’m not a lawyer or accountant — I focus on the commercial and operational reality.

Yes. I’ve bought and sold a business myself, and I’ve had M&A training at Bayes Business School (I also guest speak there on buying a small business). The goal is to get the business “buyer-ready”: tighten the story and the numbers, reduce key-person dependency, and get the basics (process, data, risks) in good order. If helpful, I can also help you pull together a simple sale pack / brochure that presents the business properly.

Working together is straightforward and practical. We start with a short diagnostic to get clear on what’s really driving performance, not just the symptoms. Then we agree a small set of priorities, a clear plan, and a cadence — when we meet, what gets done in between, and how we keep it moving — that fits your budget, time and resources. I’m hands-on through delivery: turning ideas into decisions, decisions into action — not just a deck. I’ll use AI where it genuinely speeds things up, but the value is the judgement, trade-offs and alignment that make change work. Professional and grounded, but not stiff — ambitious about outcomes, realistic about constraints, and enjoyable to work with.

I’ve mainly worked in businesses that are B2B and B2B2C, often with a direct-to-consumer element as well (eCommerce, flagship stores, or owned channels). I also ran a DTC business for seven years as a franchisee, so I’m very comfortable in pure B2C too. In terms of sector “threads”, there are two main areas where I have deep experience: Health & wellbeing — consumer health/OTC, FMCG/beauty, vision care (contact lenses & glasses), and healthcare channels such as pharmacies, opticians, dentists and private clinics. Home & garden — garden and lawn services, plus premium BBQ products. This sits naturally alongside the broader home & garden ecosystem: tools and equipment, home offices, sheds/outbuildings, and maintenance, repairs and improvements. I’ve also worked with travel, beverages, HR services and legal publishing. And while the sectors vary, the work is transferable: commercial performance, customer/partner/franchise models, pricing, and getting change implemented — the fundamentals that tend to matter in most owner-led and/or partner-driven businesses.

In my experience, big consultancies are often expensive and slow to get properly inside the reality of the business. You can end up with a generic framework and a polished deck, but not enough help turning it into action. With me, you get senior input that’s tailored, practical, and close to delivery. I’m happy to get stuck into the messy bits — the numbers, the incentives, the partner/franchise mechanics, and the internal alignment — so the change actually works. I’ve got an MBA from Bayes and a psychology degree with a focus on decision-making, plus experience on both sides: corporate commercial/transformation work and small business ownership (built, scaled, sold). References available. If you want a big team and a formal programme, a large firm may be the right fit. If you want someone hands-on who’ll get to the point, and help you implement, that’s where I’m strongest.

AI is great for speed: research, drafts, and generating options. I use it too. But in real businesses it’s often not just “we need better ideas”. Sometimes it’s “we haven’t even found the real issue yet” — the classic you don’t know what you don’t know problem. That’s usually where systems, culture, skills and mindset are quietly driving everything. AI won’t spot that. Even when the issue is clear, the hard part is making the solution fit your reality: budget, time, people, and whether you need impact now or can build over months. That means trade-offs and a plan that’s actually doable. So AI is a supportive tool. I help you find what’s really going on, pick the right moves for your timelines, and get it implemented.

Both. Remote works for a lot of it, and we’ll do in-person sessions when it’s worth it. I'm UK based, but happy & experienced working across the UK and Europe.