Stalled growth? More sales isn’t always the answer.
When growth stalls, the cause is often somewhere other than sales. It could be:
Your business proposition or positioning
Products or services that have stopped making a profit
An offer that has gone stale as the market has moved on
Skills, capability or decision-making that haven’t kept up with the business
Sustainability or carbon requirements from customers and tenders
Cash flow that is tied up or unclear
I help owner-managed businesses in Berkshire and Surrey find what’s really holding them back and fix it. Flexible support, clear fixed fees and no long-term commitment.
Is this you?
I work with owner-managed B2B businesses in Berkshire and Surrey, where the founder or leader wants an independent second view.
If you’re busy but not growing, or you suspect the problem is bigger than sales, this is where I can help.
“We should be doing more sales.”
Before prescribing more sales activity, we look at what’s causing growth to stall: where money is made, where it’s tied up, which products and markets are working, and what tools you need to move again.
How I help: a structured business model and commercial review, followed by clear priorities on what to stop, start and change.
“We can’t see the pipeline or forecast with confidence.”
A business can be busy without a reliable view of future revenue. If you can’t see the value of your pipeline, the profitability of your work or your cash position, hiring and investment decisions become guesswork.
How I help: identify the information you need to make better commercial decisions, and put practical improvements in place.
“What got us here isn’t getting us there.”
The skills and informal ways of working that carried you through an early stage may no longer be enough. Perhaps the founder has become a bottleneck, decisions are slow, or the team lacks the capability to take the next step.
How I help: pinpoint the capability, roles, systems and decision-making changes you need for the next stage.
“We need to know whether the business is fit for the future.”
Customer expectations, supply-chain dependencies and sustainability requirements can affect your ability to keep customers and win tenders. Done properly, responsible business practice builds resilience and value.
How I help: a separate Future-Fit engagement to help you understand the relevant risks and opportunities, and decide what practical action makes sense.
The ten questions I work through
Every engagement starts with the same questions. They reveal where growth is being lost and what to change.
What business are you really in?
Where do you make the money
Is the business proposition and positioning clear to all?
What is your competitive position?
Is this a good market to be in?
What customers and markets should you pursue?
What resource and capabilities do you need?
What should you stop doing?
Should you do something else?
Are sustainability or carbon-data requirements affecting your ability to retain customers and win tenders?
Services
Clear engagements. Commercial focus.
01. Business & Commercial Review
£950, fixed fee
Understand what’s really holding your business back.
I review your business, look at the numbers, identify the issues that matter most, and set out practical steps to improve performance and build resilience.
Best for: owners who suspect a problem but can’t yet name it.
What’s included
Review of relevant business information
A structured discussion about your challenges and priorities
Assessment of cash flow, profitability, marketing, operations, risk and resilience
A prioritised action plan with clear recommendations
A defined piece of work, with agreed inputs, deliverables and timescales
02. Monthly Business Advisory
£450 per month · one half-day session each month
An experienced perspective when you need it.
Running a business means making difficult decisions, often alone. This gives you dedicated time to step back, examine the issues and decide what needs attention.
Best for: owners who value regular, independent input but don’t need hands-on support every week.
What’s included
One scheduled half-day advisory session each month
Review of business performance, current challenges and priorities
Practical guidance on decisions and potential solutions
A concise follow-up summary with agreed actions
Additional work can be agreed separately.
03. Part-time Management Partner
£2,400 per month · one working day per week
You don’t have to run the whole business on your own.
I work alongside you as an experienced, hands-on partner. I bring judgement, practical support and an extra pair of capable hands where they’re needed most: commercial decisions, customer relationships, cash flow, operational problems, team priorities and important projects.
Best for: owners who need practical help now, without recruiting a full-time manager.
What’s included
One agreed working day per week
Regular planning and priority-setting with you
Practical involvement in commercial and operational challenges
Coordination of agreed projects, people and actions
Ongoing attention to business performance and priorities
This is a working partnership, not simply advice or another action plan. We agree the scope and priorities together, a short written agreement sets out how we work, and additional days are available by agreement.
About Gavin
I’ve spent my career working through commercial change, from senior roles at BBC Worldwide and Universal Pictures to managing director roles in founder-led media, content and B2B businesses.
At Archant Dialogue, I helped move a legacy contract-publishing business towards a content-marketing agency. At Ultima Media, I helped shift a traditional media business towards digital, data and intelligence as print and advertising declined. During Covid, the business accelerated its digital move and developed new ways to engage audiences.
My job is to look past the story a business tells about itself, get close to the commercial reality, and help its leaders decide what to do next.
Qualifications
MBA and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM)
Future-Fit Accredited Advisor, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)
25+ years’ P&L experience, including BBC Worldwide, Universal Pictures and SME managing director roles
Other accreditations: Accredited Carbon Literacy Facilitator; Course Director, CIM Sustainability & Marketing; Corporate Governance Institute, Board Oversight & ESG Governance.
Selected results
University World News: Advisory work using the eight questions, resulting in a redefined proposition, structural changes and a revised business model.
Ultima Media: £1.4m revenue growth, £900k margin improvement and 140% digital revenue growth through transformation towards digital, data and custom content.
Archant Dialogue: Approximately £6m turnover and £700k profit in 2.5 years, with 10% organic growth while retaining key clients.
Lick Creative: More than 50% revenue growth to £4.3m and 12% net profit following repositioning and changes to the fee model.
Universal Pictures: 34% revenue growth to £150m and a 41% improvement in contribution margin.
BBC Worldwide: More than £500k in incremental revenue through commercial development across events, publishing, digital and acquisitions.
SA Brain: Developed a practical sustainability strategy and operational pathway, connecting commercial realities with environmental and social goals.
Retail Marketing Agency: Advised on enterprise client RFP requirements, sustainability positioning and commercial contracting strategy across supply-chain operations.
FEEDBACK
What Clients Say
“Gavin combines commercial thinking with practical sustainability expertise. He focuses on what sustainability means in real business terms rather than theory or ESG reporting. He provided clear, actionable advice and a coaching style that helped us rethink how we approached the challenges we were facing. He also delivered a written strategy document that gave us a practical foundation and pathway for moving forward. It was a strong mix of commercial clarity, practical sustainability insight and hands-on support.”
Nick Payne
Managing Director, SA Brain · May 2026
“What really sets Gavin apart is how well he gets both the sustainability world and the commercial one. That mix meant we ended up with a strategy that wasn’t just ‘nice to have’ but something people could get behind and deliver. He brought our teams along for the ride and helped us talk to clients about it in a way that felt honest, inspiring, and practical. He made a big difference to our journey. I’m really glad we had him on board and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking to do sustainability properly.”
Group Managing Director
Leadership, Retail Marketing & Logistics Company · November 2024
"Gavin facilitated a full-day sustainability session for a room of people from the same sector but with very different commercial priorities. He managed something genuinely difficult - bridging real commercial pressures with genuine sustainability ambition, without making either feel like a compromise. His candour, warmth and depth of experience created an environment where people felt comfortable being honest and had their thinking genuinely challenged. Lively, enjoyable and substantive - a rare combination."
Cheryl Chung
Corporate & Government Affairs, Sector Leadership Group. Facilitation
"Gavin is consistently helpful, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. He's helped us to get started with clarity about sustainability and what this means in practice, well beyond carbon footprints. Thought-partnership in these early stages has been invaluable."
Dr. Saskie Dorman
Palliative Care Consultant, Forest Holme NHS Hospice. Advisory
"I've worked with Gavin for the past two and a half years and have found him to be a truly inspirational leader. His expertise in running businesses (and turning them around!) is second to none. I have learned more from him about business strategy, commercial awareness and people management in the past two years than I have during my entire 17-year career in publishing."
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Leadership, Dialogue Content Agency. Leadership
