Strategic Business Advice

Armstrong Watson has worked with us on a variety of short and long term planning issues within our business. They have helped us to maintain a balance between the different voices in a multi-generation family business. It’s been useful to learn the outsider view of our organisation. I would recommend the strategic business advice service to any business.  

Hills of Corby Hill, Carlisle

The relationship between Armstrong Watson and Simpson was initially established prior to the Management buy-out of the Simpson business, which is now some 25 years since and has proved to be a long and lasting quality relationship, developed primarily with the Audit and Tax teams who have supported us well through our business growth and succession.

We have also been able to take advantage and drive improvements and success through our business operations with the help of the Armstrong Watson Strategic Business Advice Service, which has acted as a catalyst to release the potential within our management team, and triggered further business development opportunities.

Ron & Beryl Gatenby, Directors, Simpson (York) Ltd

We approached Armstrong Watson for strategic business advice about one year ago. We like the fact that Nick keeps things simple and doesn’t bombard us with jargon. We have found the process to be a great help in lots of aspects of future planning. The quarterly process can feel a bit daunting, ensuring that our 90-day objectives are met on time. Our team of three owners feel the investment has been worth it as we have a more efficient business and can look to the future with more enthusiasm. We would recommend this service to business owners and leaders alike.

Link Recruitment, Carlisle and Dumfries

The strategic business advice service from Armstrong Watson has been a massive help to my business in the last year. The opportunity to use these meetings as a sounding board is invaluable. The way I have been held to account, and pushed beyond my comfort zone has, in hindsight, been quite enjoyable.  I went on a trade visit to the Far East in part because AW wouldn’t stop reminding me about it. Another significant result has come from a successful introduction to different grant funding organisations.   I expect my business will continue to reap rewards from this investment over the coming years. Thank you.

Glencroft Countrywear, Lancaster

The business advisory meetings we have with Armstrong Watson are really valuable to us. David and Nick are great at focussing on our options whenever we’re making decisions affecting the company. We’ve been that busy in the past we haven’t always had time to stop and think about the future of the business. Having these two involved makes sense to us so we’d recommend this service to anyone.

Craig and Paul Hudson, Directors of PaintShop Northern

I think of David and Nick as my “phone-a-friend”. If I have a business challenge or an idea that I need to get feedback on I pick up the phone or fire off an email.  The structure and process of this strategic advisory service helps me to focus on the long-term objectives I have for my business.  I really value their opinion and the range of experience inside Armstrong Watson.

Jo Pagdin - Managing Director, Rotherwood Recruitment

Having worked with Matt and his team at Armstrong Watson over the past few years I have been particularly impressed by their responsiveness and proactivity as well as their breadth of knowledge. They always respond quickly and expertly with queries and are keen to update me when any changes arise.

I really feel that Matt and his team take every step to understand and become a part of my business and have my best interests at heart at all times. They have also helped to develop and recruit into my finance team, which will enable to business to grow even further in the long term.

Kevin Towers – Managing Director, Techbuyer

As a family owned and managed manufacturing business we have the skills and experience to know what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

We have the day to day running and management of the business in hand.  That said, what we have never challenged ourselves on is the bigger picture, we all know our roles and responsibilities.

What the team at Armstrong Watson have done is to challenge how we work not in the business, but on the business.  Their input and knowledge has allowed us to stand back from the day to day operations and work on the business, looking at the bigger, more strategic plan, rather than the day to day operational issues.

We have found, and are still finding, their input challenging, insightful and of great value.  They have a wealth of knowledge and whilst we believe the issues in our family owned and managed business are unique to us, it becomes more apparent that the issues are common throughout many similar businesses.

Jon Ward Joint MD Kay Dee Engineering Limited

Armstrong Watson's Strategic Business Advice programme is proving to be a catalyst to allow the business to recognise our values and the opportunities for change and improvement.

Simpson Limited

We moved to Armstrong Watson due to their specific legal sector expertise and knowledge.  We have been very pleased with the quality and efficiency of the accountancy, tax and financial advisory services provided by Andy Poole, Graham Poles and the rest of the AW team.  We value the fact they truly understand our business and the legal sector as this enables them to provide us with pro-active valued added advice and suggestions to make our business and strategic business planning even better.

Carl Newton, Managing Partner, Myerson

Grant Smith from Armstrong Watson took over our Accounts last year and has been like a breath of fresh air. It’s easy as a business owner to get bogged down by the daily grind of running the business and sometimes you need to look to the bigger picture. I’ve found Grant to be invaluable in this sense. He is both insightful and practical and is a great asset to our continued growth.

Greg Kelly, Business Owner, Ultimate Security & Investigations Ltd

Running a 'family business' carries with it a set of unique challenges and opportunities specific to the balance between 'family' and 'business'.  As easy as it may to think that keeping the two distinct from each other is straightforward, the lines can become very blurred and often difficult to manage. As my experience in both business and family life grows the more I come to believe that you cannot "do it on your own" - in either area. The listening ear of other people, the experience of other people and the perspectives of other people are essential to making real and lasting progress.
 
We have recently embarked on a more strategic business advice approach with David Richmond and the Armstrong team as we recently stepped away from our day to day labours leaving many perceived problems at the office and stepped into an independent and trusted environment where we have been able to speak freely (both jointly as a management team and individually in one to one sessions). The first session was both a relief and a revelation. The relief in taking a positive step to help ourselves - the revelation in how easy it was to open up and talk about issues we had probably thought too sensitive to get out in the open. Then comes the real value - a realistic plan. Having listened, questioned, and challenged we all worked together to agree definite objectives and plans to achieve them - both together and individually. This forward looking, objective based approach is stimulating and allows the principles established at the Blue session to be taken back into the maelstrom of day to day business - where, because of their clarity, they have a chance to take root.
 
We have wanted to develop ourselves and our business with a fresh approach - going in with an open mind, we have quickly gained a different perspective and we have started to change. There is a fascinating blend of gradual, slow, 'wait and see' adjustment and some decisive, quick, 'take the plunge' change...its exciting to be moving to a new way of thinking, building on all the good things we have and leaving some of the not so good things behind.

Mark Sugden, Managing Director, John W. Laycock Ltd