The majority of my advisory work is covered by confidentiality agreements - happily the experience I have gained is not! Here is a flavour of what I've achieved with my own businesses, both of which were started as hobbies when my daughters were in primary school to keep my mind busy!
Learn from our success
|
In 2013 one of my businesses, Campden Coffee Company, was awarded a major national award for quality and excellence.
I set up the coffee shop with my husband in 2009 with just five weeks lead time to opening - not an approach we would recommend but a story we are happy to share! By focussing on the quality of the coffee, the quality of its preparation and the quality of its presentation, the business rapidly gained a great reputation. Investing time and energy in finding the right company to supply our coffee paid huge dividends. We made sure that all our staff, even those who worked just a couple of hours at the weekend, were fully trained and understood the importance of quality. Paula and Simon successfully sold Campden Coffee Company in November 2013. |
Simon, Paula and their head of operations, Neil-Dodgson Hatto, collecting Campden Coffee Company's award
|
A private preview at The gallery at the guild
|
The gallery at the guild in Chipping Campden has become an outstanding co-operative of artists and craftspeople. I advised on the establishment of the co-operative in 2005 and continue to provide strategic, marketing and management advice to the 28 members.
Working with creatives brings its own challenges, but also tremendous rewards. The diverse interests and aspirations of the members were challenging when it came to finding the right management model, with tact and diplomacy high on the agenda! The co-operative is self-funding and provides a strong business base for up to 28 micro businesses which would otherwise struggle to own and manage their own sales' outlets. |
