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Category: Business Advisory

HRML

HRML approached our business advisory team, although not a compliance client, when owner-managers Ian and Julie Heather were reflecting on the strategies and next steps for their business.

THE STRATEGIC PLAN

The initial project involved the development of a three-year One Page Strategic Plan – the result of a process involving exploring options, clarifying goals and prioritising the key strategies and actions to deliver them.

An important stage involved looking at barriers to implementation of the plan including significant risks to the business:

1. The potential loss of key staff was addressed by improving the processes within the business to share knowledge and expertise across the team, reducing the reliance on individuals. This had the added benefits of improving customer service and increasing efficiency, which directly impacted on the bottom line.

2. To address the risk of losing key customers, the Directors identified recruitment as a significant problem for SMEs, which matched well with the existing skills within the team. By developing an innovative recruitment product targeted at this problem, additional sales were quickly generated with new customers.

IMPLEMENTATION

Once the One Page Plan had been committed to, HRML engaged with us to support implementation. Having considered the timescales for implementation and resources available at HRML, Ian and Julie selected the EPIC Engage programme, which involves a quarterly board meeting, a quarterly peer workshop and unlimited access to our cloud coaching and personal development platform.

All the EPIC programmes have a fixed monthly investment that gives HRML a key benefit, access to an independent sounding board for advice and support whenever it is needed.

THE OUTCOME

Having worked with Will over the last three years, the business has seen a number of significant changes and overcome a number of challenges as it has implemented its growth plan.

Will Abbott, Head of Business Advisory said: “It is a pleasure to work with Ian and Julie and to be closely involved with the successful implementation of the plan we developed together. With their initial decision to make a change and their continued commitment, they should be proud of the progress the business has made over the last three years”.

Ian Heather said “We have often debated the need for a person in a non-executive type role, who can challenge our thinking, bring an outside perspective and keep us focused on key actions. Will fulfils this role for us and access to workshops allows us to learn best practice from peers as well as holding us accountable. As in any business, the unexpected will happen and being able to talk to Will, whenever we need to, with his clear understanding of what we are trying to achieve, is invaluable”.