Business Consulting starts with knowing where you stand
Most firms contact a consultancy too early or too late. Answer five short questions and we will tell you whether outside guidance makes sense right now, or whether you should wait.
Your readiness check
This is not a sales funnel disguised as a quiz. We built it because roughly a third of initial enquiries we receive turn out to be firms that would benefit more from an internal review first. Knowing the difference saves everyone time.
Why this matters: Consulting engagements work best when there is a clear gap between where a firm is and where it needs to be. If the gap is fuzzy, the engagement drifts. The quiz helps sharpen that gap or confirm it does not exist yet.
Capability map
We do not list services in a brochure grid. The table below shows what we actually do, who it is for, and how deep we go. Green means we handle the full scope in-house. Amber means we bring in a specialist partner. Grey means we do not cover it.
| Capability | Typical client | Depth | Usual duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic review and repositioning | Firms with 20-200 employees at a growth inflection | Full scope | 8 to 14 weeks |
| Operational efficiency audit | Manufacturers, logistics, service delivery firms | Full scope | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Financial modelling and scenario planning | Pre-investment or pre-acquisition firms | Full scope | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Leadership alignment workshops | Firms with new leadership or post-merger teams | Full scope | 2 to 4 sessions |
| Digital transformation roadmap | Firms with legacy systems blocking growth | With partner | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Market entry analysis (UK and Ireland) | International firms entering the UK market | Full scope | 5 to 8 weeks |
| HR restructuring and org design | Firms scaling past 50 employees | With partner | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Branding and go-to-market strategy | Product launches, pivots | Not covered | — |
Table reflects current capacity as of January 2026. Partner-supported engagements are quoted separately.
Proof points
Numbers from completed engagements over the past three years. We track outcomes for 18 months after each project closes.
How an engagement actually works
We do not have a one-size pipeline. But every engagement follows this rough shape, adjusted for scope and urgency.
Scoping call (free, 30 minutes)
We listen. You describe the situation. We ask pointed questions. No slides, no pitch deck. By the end we both know whether there is a fit.
Diagnostic phase (1 to 2 weeks)
We review financials, interview key people, and map the operational landscape. This phase produces a written diagnostic with specific findings, not generic observations.
Strategy or solution design (variable)
Depending on the engagement type, this is where the core work happens. We build models, test scenarios, draft implementation plans. You see interim outputs weekly.
Handover and implementation support
We deliver a complete package your team can execute. For clients who want us to stay through implementation, we offer a reduced-rate support retainer for up to six months.
Outcome review at 6 and 12 months
We check back. This is how we generate the proof numbers above. If targets are off track, we offer a recalibration session at no charge.
Who we work well with (and who we don't)
Good fit
Owner-managed firms between 15 and 250 employees. Businesses that have grown past the founder's original plan and need a new structure. Companies preparing for investment, acquisition, or a major market shift. Leadership teams willing to hear uncomfortable truths and act on them.
SMEsPre-investmentGrowth-stagePost-mergerNot the right match
Startups still searching for product-market fit. Firms looking for a slide deck to impress investors without changing anything. Organisations that need ongoing outsourced management rather than consulting. We are happy to refer you to someone better suited.
Pre-revenuePitch-onlyOutsource needWorking principles
These are not aspirational values on a poster. They are rules we follow on every engagement.
No open-ended billing. Every engagement has a fixed scope and price agreed before work begins. If we underestimate, that is our problem.
Weekly written updates. You get a short memo every Friday. No surprises, no month-long silences.
Your data stays yours. We do not retain client data after an engagement closes. Everything is returned or destroyed within 30 days.
Honest scoping. If a project is too small for our rates to make sense, we will say so. We would rather lose a fee than deliver poor value.
Recent engagement snapshots
Operational efficiency audit
A 90-person logistics company in Derry was spending 34% of revenue on warehousing. We mapped their fulfilment chain, identified three redundant handling steps, and redesigned the layout. Warehousing cost dropped to 22% within four months.
Engagement: 5 weeks. Client since 2024.
Strategic review
A family-owned food producer with £8m turnover wanted to enter the UK retail market. Our analysis showed the margin structure would not survive retailer terms. We recommended a foodservice pivot instead. First-year revenue from the new channel: £1.4m.
Engagement: 12 weeks. Client since 2023.
Request a scoping call
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698 Jast Gardens, Newton Witting, Northern Ireland, DB4 3VX
Common questions
How much does a typical engagement cost?
It depends entirely on scope. An operational audit for a 30-person firm might be £8,000 to £12,000. A full strategic review for a 200-person company could be £25,000 to £40,000. We quote a fixed price after the scoping call.
Do you work outside Northern Ireland?
Yes. About 40% of our current clients are in England and Scotland. We travel for on-site work and run diagnostic interviews remotely when that makes more sense.
What if we need ongoing advisory, not a one-off project?
We offer a quarterly advisory retainer for firms that want a standing relationship. It includes one half-day session per quarter plus ad-hoc calls. This is separate from project work.
How many clients do you work with at once?
We cap active engagements at five simultaneously. This is deliberate. It means we sometimes have a waiting list, but every client gets senior-level attention throughout.