You don’t need another consultant. You need someone who’s run a business like yours

Business owners just want to know what is going on. The difficult part is that the biggest issues are not as obvious as you’d like them to be. We all get used to things like late payments and monthly sales wobbles.  It’s just how it is. Until it isn’t. That’s when you find out you didn’t know what you didn’t know.

What does ‘not knowing what you don’t know’ look like in a real SME?

Imagine a bustling business where operations seem smooth, yet profits stagnate and the owner feels trapped in a cycle of recurring issues.  Phones ring, staff work hard, orders go out, but there’s still a cashflow issue.  A manager who keeps coming up against the same problem each week. A board meeting that turns into a moan-fest and nothing gets agreed.

Often the business looks like it’s got a sales issue, but it’s really a confidence issue. Or maybe everyone thinks it’s the market to blame when really the problem is that the firm has stopped telling its story well.

When do owners realise they’ve got blind spots and what usually triggers it?

It’s often crops up slowly. One of the clearest triggers is when the numbers look ‘fine’ but the mood drops. People go quiet. Standards slip. That’s the point where outside help can save months of issues.

What’s the difference between advice from a consultant and support from someone who’s run a business?

More often than not,  a consultant gives you slides. However, a person who has run a business can sit in the room and say, “This is the real issue and this is what we do on Monday.”

It’s not about being harsh. It’s about being useful. Someone who has run their own business and dealt with a missed target knows what pressure feels like. They know how easy it is to avoid serious conversations and they know why teams shy away from change when they’re tired. They can spot when a plan looks good on paper but won’t work with real people.

Which problems have a habit of becoming more common than they should?

Reducing margins is a big one. Prices edge down deal by deal, but no one can point to the moment it happened. Late payers become ‘usual’ and cash gets squeezed for no good reason.

Then you see the owner still doing too much  – the team waits for them to make decisions and nothing moves unless they push it. If you add this to slow quotes and weak follow-up, you end up with a business that works hard for less than it should.

What should a business owner expect in the first 30 days of proper hands-on support?

You should expect someone to spend time in the business, not just on calls. They should ask pertinent questions, look at what’s really happening and speak to the people doing the work.

You should also expect a short plan you can use. Not a thick report. A clear list of actions, owners and dates – which should make immediate sense.

How do you spot the right person to help and avoid paying for consultant ‘speak’?

Ask where they’ve done it before. Not what they’ve read, but what they’ve actually been involved in. What happens in the first month?  What do they need from you and your team? If they can’t explain it in plain words, walk away.

You know when you get good support from someone: it’s a gentle opinion but also respectful. That’s someone who can identify the bumps and see what you can’t, then hopefully help you sort it out.

As a business owner, you’ve got enough on your plate already. If your business needs a nudge in the right direction get in touch for a free chat about how we might help.  My email address is david.turner@tinderboxbd.com

David Turner

MD Tinderbox and Director of The Growth Experts