Network partner and Northwest based Chartered Management Accountants and Business Advisors, RfM have recently announced the launch of a brand new product aimed at busy, smaller firms.

The Business Growth Strategy package has been tailored specifically to the needs of smaller businesses (around five people or fewer) after finding that many smaller companies don’t have the time or the expertise to develop a plan for how they will move their business on to the next level.

According to Tony Backhouse, MD of RfM Business Consulting, “The new Business Growth Strategy package would be ideal for many smaller family-run businesses who don’t have the capital or resources to invest large amounts of time or money but would benefit from help to gain clarity, identify opportunities, set goals and map out a realistic plan for achieving them”.

RfM Business Consulting has also launched an introductory limited period offer, whereby businesses can take up this strategic consultancy package for just £500 (usually £1000)*. The offer will expire on 31st August. 

RfM have highlighted the ways that family businesses could benefit from using the package in a summary report below, including how they helped family-owned business Horner Brothers Brewery to formulate a robust business growth plan:

“The ways in which you will benefit will depend on the stage your business is at and how well it is doing. Typically, this business growth strategy package will be of help if:

• you are too busy working IN your business to work ON your business
• you know you need a plan for the future of your business but don’t know where to start or what to prioritise
• you are uncertain of the direction your business should be going in
• you have grand ambitions for growth but no idea how to achieve them
• you need a robust business plan to be able to approach lenders for funding
• you want to identify new opportunities for growth
• you want to build up your business to achieve a particular goal e.g. to have a better living, to sell, or to hand over to the next generation.

What will you gain from working with a business growth consultant?

Our business consultants have gained vast amounts of experience delivering strategic projects in large organisations. They have modified their proven, structured approach to business growth to accelerate the process for smaller companies.

The typical outcomes of working with an RfM business growth consultant are:

• A clearer picture of your business as a whole and a better understanding of what is working well and what is less successful.
• A strategy baseline which will allow you to measure the success of your actions in the future.
• A strategy map/business growth plan which sets out:
  – the aims for the future growth of the business alongside personal goals
  – the steps that must be taken to achieve these growth ambitions in order of priority.

Our business growth planning process

We follow a structured 3-step process, run over two 2-hour workshops as follows:

STAGE 1. Gather intelligence and insights

During this first intelligence-gathering phase, we ask the questions that will allow us to build a picture of how your business is doing now, the market in which you operate and your goals for the future – both business and personal. Our in-depth review covers all aspects of the business – customers, operations, staff, processes, technology, vision, goals, plans, capacity, market positioning and branding – to identify strengths and highlight weaknesses that could be a potential barrier to growth.

STAGE 2 Develop the draft plan

The learnings and insights from stage 1 form the basis of your draft business growth plan. This report will include ideas and our recommended strategy for how you can best achieve your business goals. It will also indicate where you should be focusing your efforts over the short, medium and long term.

STAGE 3 Discuss, refine and agree

It’s your business and your business growth strategy, so in stage 3 we will work with you to fine-tune the report so that it works well for you and you feel confident about carrying out the actions needed.

Tony Backhouse, Managing Director of RfM Business Consulting recently worked with family business Horner Brothers Brewery to formulate a robust business growth plan. “I have found the whole process really helpful, particularly in terms of setting the direction we should be going in and identifying where I need to focus my efforts,” says co-owner Elliot Horner.

“I now have a better understanding of what areas are most important to help me achieve my aims. We are also much clearer on where we should be positioning ourselves and how to capitalise on our operational strengths. Best of all, though, we realised that we can actually embark on the next stage of growth using the existing capital already in the business and won’t need any additional funding at this time.

“Although the results of this exercise will have a big impact on the business, the process has not been disruptive or time-consuming. Tony guided us through each stage and worked with me to clarify what was needed. I’ve already started working on our first priorities and I am excited about what the future holds for Horner Brothers Brewery.”

Any businesses who are interested in finding out more or to discuss the package in person can contact Tony Backhouse directly via  [email protected] or  07969 900864 

*Terms and conditions apply. Offer available for Growth Strategy for Busy Smaller Businesses packages booked before 31.08.19. £500 offer only available to new clients of RfM Business Consulting and limited to businesses with up to five staff. The full amount of £500 (+VAT) is payable in advance.