A business that's ready by the end of it.
Weekly one-hour sessions, online, over one, three or six months. For owners who are starting out or early on, and who want to build the business properly rather than find out later what they missed. Practical, UK-specific, and every session ends with one thing to do before the next.
Three lengths
Foundations only. Legal setup, the business model, pricing, and getting ready to approach the first customers.
Foundations, then operations and employment, then growth and leadership. The full arc for a business in its first year or two.
Everything in the three-month programme, then sales and marketing in depth, finance and funding, and building a team you can lead.
What each month covers
Foundations and compliance
- Legal setup and the compliance audit
- Business model, pricing, understanding the numbers
- Winning first customers and positioning
- Contracts, a simple dashboard, a 90-day plan
Operations, employment and systems
- Employment law essentials for a first hire
- Commercial contracts and client agreements
- UK tax, VAT, and working with an accountant
- Operations that don't depend on the owner
Growth, strategy and leadership
- Reputation, personal brand, accreditations
- Scaling: more contracts, more people, more structure
- Finance, funding and a 12-month plan
- Review, goals, and what comes next
The six-month programme continues with a month each on advanced sales and customer acquisition, finance and scaling, and leadership, team building and long-term vision.
How a session runs
- Homework review. What you did since last week, what got in the way.
- Teaching block. The topic, in plain language, with a real UK small business example from your sector.
- Exercise. Something we do together, in the session, applied to your business.
- The owner's mindset. One question connecting the topic to who you're becoming as a business owner. Employee thinking versus owner thinking, delegation, facing the numbers, the long view.
- One task. Specific, achievable in a week alongside running the business.
What I will and won't do
I will teach you to understand your numbers and ask the right questions. I will not do your accounts, and I will point you to a qualified accountant for bookkeeping, VAT, Corporation Tax, payroll and annual accounts. Likewise the law: I will show you the framework and what to watch for, and send you to a solicitor or an employment law provider for drafting, disputes and formal advice. Knowing when to bring in the professionals is part of what you're learning.
Who it suits
Complete beginners and early-stage owners in the UK, often from a trade or an employed background, who have registered a company or are about to and want to run it properly. Sectors I know in depth include security services, property, facilities management, franchising and training, and the foundations are the same in most others.
What clients say
Your coaching style is excellent, and you have an incredible amount of knowledge about how to start, manage and grow a company. The course content was very good, and the pace was perfect: clear, easy to follow and very understandable. Most importantly, your experience and practical knowledge really stood out. I have already recommended you to a few of my friends.Programme client, 2026. Name to follow with permission.
Related work
Three engagements that follow this arc: foundations for a security firm, cash flow for a facilities business, and growth through relationships for a portable cabin company.
Let's talk about your next move.
A free thirty-minute call. Tell me what you're working on and what's not working. If I'm not the right person to help, I'll say so and point you to someone who is.