Starting Business

Management Consultants

Abacus Business Coaching is an established and respected management consultancy, specialising in a wide range of effective and innovative solutions. We deliver a range of highly professional and tailored services to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse customer base. Abacus Business Coaching’s professional team of specialist business consultants have a broad range of experience covering the private, public and voluntary sectors, and are committed to delivering fast and effective high quality services.

Business Planning

1) Venture - Business Plan

Starting a new venture or business is exciting but risky. You can reduce these start-up risks and bring quicker success if you have Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants as your advisor. Apart from business strategy experience and practical business guidance, they also bring access to the specialist expertise that your start-up needs. Working very closely with you, Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants can rigorously evaluate whether your new business idea has got the real potential to succeed and bring the entrepreneurial rewards that you seek.

Once the ideas are straight, you can then start to create the new venture strategy and action plan. The focus of this is a robust marketing plan and a detailed financial plan. Attention to detail is critical and this is where Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants will excel. It all comes together in a powerful and persuasive business plan. Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants can then introduce you to sources of finance – including business grants, banks and different forms of private equity.

2) Growth - Business Plan

Pursuing a business growth strategy has many pitfalls. You can avoid these development risks if you have Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants skilled in business growth strategy. They bring practical business guidance and access to the specialist business expertise that your growth plans need. Working very closely with you, Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants can help you set the right growth objectives and help to create a robust strategy and action plan - with a highly focused marketing strategy at its core.

Your plans can be used for raising finance should it be required, and your board advisor can help with this – whether from banks or private equity sources. Once everything is in place, then you can get on and grow your business. Importantly, Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants can help you to become a focused business leader. This is a critical factor in successful business growth. To achieve this you may need to develop high performance teams focused on the things that matter. If you are a Owner / Director of a progressive business of any size and you are reflecting upon the future of your business then talk to Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants. Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants has an enviable record of success of working with people just like you.

3) Exit - Business Plan

The sale of a business is likely to be the biggest and most complex transaction of your life. This is why Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants can help. Time spent growing the business before exit and identifying the likely requirements of acquirers is invaluable. In most cases it leads to both an increase in sale value and a more efficient sale, positively impacting the funds available to you in later life. Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants has extensive experience and success in building businesses for sale. Working closely with you, they ascertain your personal goals and requirements and develop exit options that suit you. Assessing the risks and opportunities facing your business they develop a growth and exit plan with a timetable for you to follow. If required they provide practical assistance in implementing the growth and exit plan.

As part of the growth and exit plan Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants will assess the types of acquirers who may be interested in your business. They will determine their acquisition needs, asking the question: What do they already have, what do they need and what profile do you need to be attractive to them? They also have extensive contacts and access to potential purchasers. Importantly, your board advisor will guide you to consider the best sort of business sale contract for you. Finally, they will work with you in preparing and managing the due diligence and any transitions after the sale is completed. If you are an owner of a successful business and you are reflecting upon your future then talk to Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants

4) Leadership - Business Plan

Business leadership is critical to your success. It’s easier to get it right if you have Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants is well versed in the ways of business leadership and team building. Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants brings candour and practical business guidance, which transforms your business productivity and team performance. Working very closely with you, Abacus Business Coaching will evaluate leadership potential and also critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your management team. The goal is to create a high performance team focused on getting the best results.

Leadership starts with direction and the right business objectives. In addition, involvement is critical as is focus upon team communications. Finally, leadership is about developing team spirit. Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants can bring all these things to the fore. High performance teams need the right people. Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants can guide you in the best practices for recruiting and developing the right people, as well as the right rewards structure to harness the highest motivation. If you are a Director of a progressive business of any size and you are reflecting upon the future of your business then talk to Abacus Business Coaching.

5) Turnaround - Business Plan

If your business gets into trouble then you must take the right actions at the earliest opportunity. This is where Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants can help. Apart from business strategy experience they are experts at turning a business around and achieving a new beginning. If you are in trouble then you must focus upon conserving cash to give you more time. Cutting costs, collecting debtors, delaying creditors gives you the best chance of surviving the immediate difficult circumstances. Once you are stable, then you can move forward.

You then need to find out the root causes of your problems - why did you get into trouble in the first place? You then need a recovery plan that sorts out the root causes and puts you on the right track. If you need new external funds then this recovery plan is critical. Naturally, if you are in trouble then you may have low confidence - this is fatal. You must talk confidently with all the people who are affected. Your staff will be uncertain, your bank manager may lose patience and tax authorities may seek a closure. Focus on getting support.

6) Change - Business Plan

Introducing major changes in your business is not easy. It requires special expertise and experience and this is where Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants can help manage the change. Apart from the special skills they bring they have board level strategy expertise and considerable practical business experience. Abacus Business Coaching / Business Consultants is objective and systematic. Before any work is done they audit your business and identify the changes that can bring real benefit to your business. Then, each major change is carefully evaluated so that the cost/benefits are clear and realistic.

Managing change depends upon developing a robust plan that details all the activities that will lead to the benefits. The better the plan then the more likely you will get high agreement and commitment from everyone affected. Without high agreement your change will fail. If you don’t fully involve people then they will resist the changes you are planning. Communicating and seeking their contributions is a priority. Equally, managing the budget requires constant attention to ensure that the benefits emerge at the expected cost.

7) Enterprise Improvement Toolbox - Business Consultants

Do you have the right tools for improving your business to improve your business performance, productivity and profitability.

• Improved business analysis leads to more profit
• Improved business processes leads to more profit
• Improved decision-making leads to more profit
• Improved statistics leads to much better developments

Business Consultant

Business Coach