Although I am now retired, I am leaving all the information on the website available.

Your business journey

Simple, practical business advice and mentoring

I am now retired and we are able to spend more time with our children and grandchildren. We are also taking more holidays, which is a delight. If you ever get the chance to visit the Galapagos – do it. It is amazing and you will see everything you would expect to see. Be prepared for a lot of snorkelling and seeing many millions of multi-coloured fish.

Starting Up

Starting up your new venture can be very daunting. You may have a great idea but won’t know where to start. Consequently you need some good advice. There are a great number of (usually free) resources on the web. Your first step should therefore be to have a look at these. As a result they will help you with many of the key things you need to look at.

Think about the whole process. The idea, (or the product you want to sell), may be great but “Who will want to buy it?” From that question you should be able to put in plan of how you will go about selling your product. Also don’t forget that to be a success, you need to make a profit. Consequently the right advice, at the right time can be crucial.

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Business Challenges

You will face many business challenges throughout your career as an owner. An advisor, coach or mentor will be able to help you to face those challenges and find your way through them. Sometimes you may also need special advice about issues. It is important that this advice comes from someone who is an expert in the field.

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Sustainable Growth

If you are not growing your business then you are moving backwards compared with others. It is therefore crucial that you carry on growing. This does not simply mean “Get more sales”. Sustainable growth is much more controlled. You need to think about every aspect of your business to manage your growth well. There are a lot of businesses that have failed because they tried to grow too quickly. Similarly a business that does not grow may well fade away.

Customers matter most

You must also think about the care of your customers. This is certainly one of the most important aspects of a winning business. You cannot care for them well if you take on more work than you can handle. So get your ducks in a row. Also make sure you have the resources to meet the demand. Ensure your systems can handle the extra work. Above all make sure you have the right staff and that they are well trained.

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Exiting Your Business

The very first point to make about exit planning is that selling your business is not the only option. So when you cannot be sure what you might get, selling your business might not be the right option. You should also bear in mind that you may not be able to find a buyer.

Exit planning means “planning” for “exit” of the business. Therefore no matter what option for exiting you choose, you will need to do much of the same work. Do also consider ALL of the options. While the preparation work may be the same, in contrast the outcomes can be very different.

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Testimonials

Testimonials are important for every business. They matter because then customers can see what you are really like. We believe in treating all of our customers with respect and care. We value hugely the service they receive from us and therefore what they think of us. The testimonials below give a view of what our customers think of us. Please browse through them.

Siobhan Lavelle

Managing Director at Cornelle Communications MCIPR

Graham offers a great combination of experience, reassurance and focus. I enjoy working with Graham and seeing his calm and measured approach spring into action with tremendous clarity - carving solutions and opportunities for every challenge presented. At the same time, he brings a very human and realistic approach to his work with clients. He creates collaboration and fosters team spirit. This is always with a focus on achieving real results. I have seen businesses achieve great things with Graham’s support, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him.

James Latimer

Executive, Business & Personal Life Coach

Graham has a fabulous knack for being insightful at the right time and in the right manner. He comes across relaxed (which he is), but don't be fooled. He is very watchful and purposeful as he goes about his business. Graham is a consummate professional who really can and does make a difference. He has a great deal of experience in business and thoroughly enjoys sharing his knowledge and expertise. It has been a pleasure working with him and I highly recommend him.

Lisa Galvani

Boutique Spa Salon Owner

Graham is an inspirational leader who has a wealth of experience in successfully leading transformational change. He has excellent communication skills which have enabled him to gain the trust and respect of clients and colleagues from all levels of the organisation. He is able to quickly understand the key issues and ensures that robust solutions are agreed and implemented which are efficient and effective.

John Morton

nterim CTO / CDO / CIO, Big Data Advisor, Head of Enterprise Architecture at Computers, Processes and Management

Graham is an intelligent business manager. He balances the operational imperative to make change with pragmatic "don't get it wrong". In my dealings he showed empathy towards the challenge of transformation as well as reality of driving that change. A great person to work with a great person to have on any team that deeply thinks about the softer issues and the operational and cultural impact. He is also a great customer advocate.

Natalie Heaver

Freelance Airbrush Makeup artist and beauty Expert

Graham has been a fantastic Pillar for both me and my business. Not only has my business grown from strength to strength, I also have the reassurance of knowing that any idea or decision making, I have someone extremely wise to run it past, Graham’s business knowledge and contacts have been invaluable. Highly recommend!

Richard Oswin

Associate at Clegg Associates Ltd

Graham has worked with Clegg Associates for the past 4 months and has helped us with our marketing and strategy planning. He has been professional and his advice has been sound and he has also put us in touch with other professionals that has helped with our business. I have no hesitation in recommending Graham.

Claire Bending

Managing Director, Curious Cat Digital - digital marketing specialists

Graham came on board at a critical cross-road in the business and provided a structured, logical and realistic approach to developing the business, culminating in a detailed action-plan to get things moving forward. I found Graham to be highly experienced, organised and comprehensive and would not hesitate in recommending him.

David Fremlin

Director at Advanced Power Care Ltd

Graham has helped us gain a more professional management style, has guided us through difficult times and has helped solve complex situations. He has become the first person I talk to when making important strategic decisions.

Adrian Edgington

Account Director at Opus Trust Marketing

Graham was extremely helpful to me when we met. His knowledge of the internal workings of Capita and the Client were in no small way responsible for enabling me to find my feet quickly and move forward with the change management programme. Graham was always pleasant and offered sound advice and even directed his departments to engage with me directly - many thanks!!

Rein Aantjes

Zelfstandig consultant

I met Graham as an Accredited Associate of the Institute for Independent Business and was very much impressed about his performance. He is not only a very friendly person to deal with but also a very sharp and eager analyst. His remarks are always very to the point and worthwhile and I just wished I could work with him more often.

Greg Teare

Efficient and cost effective innovative e-recruitment solutions

Graham is a very competent, confident professional, who's attention to detail and thoroughness ensures a quality solution will be delivered. I have no hesitation in recommending Graham to any future organisation that requires help, support and advice.

Tony Lawton

Business Development for IT

Graham is a thorough professional who is insightful and has a "can do" attitute. He is a pleasure to work with and is always exceeding expectations.

Petteri Pietilä

Partner, Executive Search Consultant at TRANSEARCH

Graham is a knowledgeable person whose decisive and creative approach to problem solving is admirable. He is a very likeable fellow and easy to get along with.

Zane Etches

Southern Region Solutions Specialist at Sharp Corporation of New Zealand

Graham is a hard working and experienced business person that is diligent and resourceful in his approach to problematic issues. His honesty and likeable personality make it easy for him to integrate into most situations and steer individuals towards a positive solution. I highly recommend Graham.

Viv Acharya

Designing and delivering new service Front Doors for transforming Public Sector Organisations.

Graham is a highly experienced business manager with a strong emphasis on performance management and service improvement. He has used this extensive capability in both operational Directorship roles as well within new business and transitional start ups. He is approachable and provides excellent mentorship whilst being goal orientated with a particular focus on the strategic aims of the business he is involved in.

Paul Brennan

Retired

Graham brings many years of experience and an eye for practical detail. He is easy to work with, very knowledgeable and he quickly gains the trust of colleagues and clients.

Phil Sewards

Head of Solutions Design (Public Sector) at Tata Consultancy Services

Graham is a versatile and experienced senior director with a thorough understanding of the BPO environment and good interpersonal skills.

Steve long

SAP FI/CO Projects Team Lead at Capita

I worked with Graham early in my career & I found him to be very professional & nice a man to work for. Always polite & very good at getting his ideas across so I knew exactly what the goal was & how I was expected to contribute towards the goal.

Case Studies

Every client is different. Their businesses and needs are also different. We respect those differences and will always work WITH a client. This will ensure that we deliver to suit those very special needs. We simply do not believe in "one size fits all". Neither do we agree with the notion of following the same process for every business. Our service is ALWAYS bespoke. We listen to our clients and offer help, advice, mentoring and coaching services that are unique for every client. These case studies give a good flavour of some of the unique needs of our clients.

Charity X

Charity X has been operating for over 40 years. During this time they have established a national reputation for innovative devices and technologies for people with disabilities. They have been involved in over 300 projects for over 120,000 people. Graham was asked to carry out a review of their business to help with defining the way forward as their new director took over.
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Clegg Associates, civil and structural engineering consultancy

Clegg Associates are a well known practice of Civil & Structural consulting engineers. They offer their service across a wide range of sectors. They asked Graham Hodges to help to with their growth. The company have since achieved growth of around 30% p.a.
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Landscaping

ABC supply a wide range of Landscaping services. There are three separate parts to the business which adds to the complexity. They are a family run business and the MD asked Graham to work with them. Their goals were to: • Enable the Directors to have a better quality of life; • Sort out how to structure their business; • Improve their decision making.
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ANO Installation, Support & Maintenance

Ano install and support business critical equipment at client premises. They formed a new partnership with an overseas supplier resulting in huge growth, with a 30% increase in turnover. There was also a predicted further 70% increase in the next year. The MD asked for help to cope with this growth.
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Manufacturing and Installation

Ano manufactures, distributes and installs heating and ventilation equipment. They operate nationwide through consultants, architects and distributors. Their success is built on high quality manufacturing. We istarted with a business review to draw up a plan & then helped with implementing it.
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Mission Statement

My mission is to help people improve their businesses. I believe that our local community really matters and that thriving local business is good for everyone. I work in all sorts of small businesses and get a huge amount of satisfaction from seeing them thrive. Anyone who has had a good business mentor will give testimony that it can make all the difference. A good business mentor or coach sees things from a dispassionate viewpoint. They can also bring extra knowledge or experience just when you need it. Often it can simply be having someone to talk to who is not trying to sell you something or does not have an ulterior motive. An honest, open opinion is rare in business. Your business mentor will give you that.