We regularly work with other professionals who may be your existing advisers or they may have been brought in by us to input on an issue requiring specific specialist expertise.

By working in this way, you, our client, get a seamless service which addresses whatever issues we are working on in your business and which ensures that all the necessary expertise and experience is brought to the table.

Our team includes:

• Banking – we work closely with a number of commercial banks and financial institutions
• Financial Planning including a Chartered Financial Planner to span business and personal planning
• Accountants and Lawyers – we work with a number of professional firms so we can match the right people to each client
• Marketing, Design, PR professionals
• Vehicle acquisition and finance and asset finance
• Independent insurance brokers
• Health & Safety, HR and Recruiting specialists

Brian graduated as a pharmacist and practised pharmacy before focusing on business with his first Directorship in 1972. Since then he has operated at Board level in businesses across a wide range of sectors and ranging from start up to £96m pa turnover.

He has been founder/MD of four start up businesses as well as being a group main board director and MD of various businesses and has been involved in business sales and acquisitions.

In the early 80s he brought a USA franchise to the UK and later went on to franchise two of his own businesses, both from start up, taking one international. He has helped to franchise or license businesses ranging from a Billion pound pa turnover PLC through to a one man business.

He has worked in business rescue, recovery and commercial finance on projects in the UK, Ireland, Greece, Italy and Switzerland.

Brian’s work over the last twenty years has been problem solving and implementing recovery plans and growth/development plans, working with solid businesses with high growth as well as problem businesses and working with franchised and licensed businesses.

Next Level Business Solutions Ltd is an Associate Member of YABA (Yorkshire Association of Business Angels), Member of Leeds Chamber, Approved Supplier on the Yorkshire & Humberside Provider Register, Listed as a UK Training Provider and member of a number of groups focused on business development.

The benefits of franchising or licensing your benefits include

• faster growth
• increased profits
• improved cash flow
• your own resources are conserved
• the value of your business is increased

We mentor you through all the issues and processes involved to identify the right model for your business and develop a franchise or licensing programme. We can also help you with the launch of your programme, recruiting franchisees and can help you manage your franchise network if you wish.

Our work is based on solid hands-on experience which includes

• brought a USA franchise to UK
• franchised tow of my own businesses, both from start up, taking one international
• helped franchise or license businesses for clients ranging from a 2-man business to a £billion pa PLC

Call us today to arrange a free Feasibility Review to explore whether franchising or licensing is a suitable development path for your business.

We worked with a pet services business to develop a franchise programme for them to expand nationally through a network of franchisees.

In this case Franchisees are replicating the full business model.

The Franchisor will generate additional income from franchise fees and ongoing management fees as well as from increased sales through the franchise network.

Licensing a design studio

A two tier model was developed so the studio would generate additional profit from management fees to full franchisees operating their own studio and from additional volume through their own studio from “bolt on” franchisees who were selling their services as an add-on to their existing business.

Licensing part of a Consultancy Business

A high tech consultancy offering services to large users of energy and advising on replacing equipment and changing processes used to work through Associates. They had no commitment from these Associates and little control over how they operated.

We developed a license programme to change Associates into Licensees who paid an initial fee to join the network, received structured training and operated within clearly defined systems and guidelines to recruit clients and project manage.

This resulted in additional income to the business, increased value of the business by having a sales team which is under contract and increased turnover and faster growth.

Licensing part of a specialist Recruiting Business

Established specialist recruiting business operating nationally out of one office wanted to increase sales across the UK. To open regional offices and staff them would have required considerable investment of cash and time.

We licensed the sales part of the business so the Company can develop a national network with zero set up costs and payroll costs but still generate increased sales and profits.

Established business with falling profits

An established business had sales of £6m with sales rising every year but profits had been falling every year for the last four years.

• Reviewed the last 5 years financial results to analyse ratios and trends.
• Established that gross margins were falling every year, overheads were rising every year and that in about 6 months time the business would move into loss making unless those trends were reversed.
• Highlighted items which were not achieving a satisfactory level of profitability and the company dropped some items and re-priced others.
• Terms were re-negotiated with certain customers.
• A new sales manager was appointed.
• Worked with the sales team who had got into the bad habit of getting sales by discounting and showed them how this was putting the business at risk and the company issued guidelines to limit discounting.
• Changed the basis of remuneration so the sales team were profit focused rather than volume focused.
• Held a meeting of all employees to explain the position and why changes were being made to engage everyone with the new approaches.
• Overhead savings in excess of £200K pa were identified.

Nine months later the Company made more profit in one month than it had the whole of the year before we started working with them.

Rapidly growing business

A successful business was growing rapidly. The directors were very experienced in their fields and needed to develop a middle management team to grow and develop as the business continued to grow.

• Reviewed business processes including who did what.
• Worked with the Board and managers to develop and operate a business planning process.
• Developed KPIs as part of the planning process and a monitoring process.
• Established a performance related bonus scheme for managers.

Directors now focus on their key roles with tasks delegated to managers and results monitored against targets. The business growth continues to accelerate and the management team grows in confidence and is able to support the growth of the business.

Relatively new business

The business model was proven over a period of about one year and was at break even but the MD was not able to take any time away from the business which operated seven days a week and was working long hours for little income.

• Established what the MD wanted from the business in terms of time and income.
• Developed a long term business plan to set a “destination” and a short term plan to start on the journey.
• Worked with the MD to develop a management team and put in systems and control which enabled the MD to take time off on a regular basis and go on holiday with the business running efficiently in their absence.
• Worked on the gross margin and overheads (mainly payroll).

By month 3 the MD was able to take time off every week and a holiday every quarter.

Six figure profit at end of Year 3.

Business performing in the top 3% of its sector.

Established business hit by recession

An established business in a sector hit badly by the recession was in real danger of its bank withdrawing or reducing facilities which put the future of the business at risk.

• Developed a realistic business plan with the directors which demonstrated the viability of the business.
• Met the Company’s bank with the Directors and presented the business plan which was accepted and facilities increased.
• Worked with the Directors to help them achieve the business plan.
• Reviewed all business processes and identified items being done by the MD which took him away from sales and profit generation.
• Improved business processes, changed roles and responsibilities of key people to allow the MD to delegate more.

Results

• Increased facility from bank.
• Systems put in place to allow more work to be delegated.
• MD freed up to spend more time on getting in new business and control costs to improve profitability.

Joint venture marketing for professional firms

• Would you like to attract new clients?

• Generate new work from existing clients?

• Add value to your professional service?

I would like to head up a business development service within your practice that helps existing clients improve their performance whilst giving new clients reasons to choose your firm as their professional partner.

Any business owner (existing or prospect client) will be encouraged to ‘Ask Brian’ for advice on any topic through a dedicated contact page on your website.

Existing clients will be invited to free monthly networking workshops covering issues relevant to their business. They will be encouraged to bring a friend.

Existing clients will be invited to attend free one-to-one business clinics at agreed times during the month.

The monthly workshop programme could include the following topics:

• Leadership
• Effective Time Management
• Business Modelling
• Management information
• Customer Service/Operations
• Marketing & Sales
• Systems
• People
• Driving your business forward

It’s envisaged that direct marketing (email and snail mail) will be the main communication medium but PR and telemarketing may also be considered.

Call us today on 01423 550787 to discuss this with us.

Presented by Brian Allmey, MD, Next Level Business Solutions Ltd and Paul Berwin, MD, Berwins Solicitors Ltd

In the Sunderland Museum there is (or there was in my day) a stuffed walrus which is believed to be the source of inspiration for Lewis Carol’s poem on the Walrus and the Carpenter.

That is why I was drawn to this Lewis Carol quote:

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree.

“Which road do I take?” she asked.

“Where do you want to go?” was his response.

“I don’t know,” Alice answered.

“Then,” said the cat, “it doesn’t matter.”

It is exactly the same for a business. Without a business plan, how do you know what direction to take in your business?

A business without a plan will end up wherever it happens to end up rather than at a destination of your choosing – rather like the two ships analogy.

So – get some direction into your business in order to maximise your result – contact us today to arrange a meeting to review your strategy, your destination, plans and options for you business so we can set some directions and a route map to follow.