There are many areas I can help with – all with a view to making your business more profitable. There is no jargon, no flipcharts no mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations – just good straightforward actionable advice which I cost sensibly.
You know how to run your business; I’m just here to listen and see if I can help - and if I can’t then I’ll probably know somebody in my network who can.
A short list of projects I've worked on includes:
Some project examples:
Current and recent clients:
Please see below a list of some of the things I can assist with.
Every good business has a clearly articulated plan. It doesn’t need to be hugely complicated; it’s better to have something simple that people understand and can all work towards. I can review your business, benchmarking against competitors, identifying simple and clear targets and timescales and helping to map out the key objectives and timescales for each area of the organisation.
There aren’t many problems in business that can’t be solved by selling more! I can review your product range and your customer list; help find where any obvious gaps are and then put together a plan to plug those along with your sales team.
I’ve won new listings with customers large and small for decades; it's the best part of the job! These wins range from small individual product listings with retailers and distributors right up to multi million pound contracts with major supermarkets and food manufacturers on branded and own label products. I can help you put together a pitch to secure new business.
I’ve spent nearly 20 years helping overseas partners identify customers in the UK and to get listings for their products that last. My passion is for all things Italian and I have a great network of large and small suppliers from my travels.
Taking cost out of your business is relatively simple and straightforward; the hard bit is doing this while maintaining or improving quality. I have a massive network of suppliers I can get in touch with to benchmark against your current supply base.
I’ve worked in, and managed, sales teams for my whole career, from when I started as a biscuit sales rep through to various sales director roles. I understand salespeople – what makes them tick and, importantly, what makes a good salesperson versus an average one. The difference to the performance to your business from having an excellent, high performing sales team can be huge. I can work with sales teams to help them realise their potential.
I’m passionate about finding ways to squeeze every extra pound out of your operation. It’s about working smarter, not harder. Sometimes it’s identifying lots of little things which will all add up to a material difference to your profits at the end of the year. On the other hand, there might be one big project that you want to focus on but don’t currently have the resources in house. I can help! Sometimes it just takes a fresh pair of eyes to spot an obvious win...
Getting products to your customers can sometimes be one of the hardest challenges in business. Getting it there at a sensible price is even harder. I can review your storage and distribution options and make recommendations – it can make a huge difference to your gross margins.
Need some senior management help at short notice? I might be able to help with this, or know somebody who can, without the usual extortionate fees of going to an agency. I'm a "sleeves rolled up kinda guy” and (subject to having the time available) can offer a really cost effective plug-and-play solution to that worrisome gap in your senior team.
I’ve done lots of hands-on marketing projects in my time from pack designs to press advertising to social media.
I’ve launched websites and also set up e-commerce sites. I don’t claim to be an expert on this - it can be a real minefield - but I know a few people who can navigate a way through and are very cost-effective.
Simon Bell Food Industry Consulting Ltd