Phil Corper is Managing Director of West Wales Consulting. He started his career as a bank manager serving personal, small business and major corporate customers. Working for top global management consultancies, Phil then served a range of global multi-national clients which he continues to serve occasionally at main board level. In this blog, Phil sets out how West Wales Consulting is helping small and medium sized businesses in West Wales tackle their day to day business issues
Case Studies
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Assisted an agricultural machinery ring to develop its business strategy and define products and services
We assisted an agricultural machinery ring to develop its business strategy and define the products and services it would provide in future.
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Council and community project used our help to develop a viable business plan for a community centre, community housing and commercial business
A council and community projectcommunity based projects used our help to develop a viable business planto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through, and to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies for a community centre, community housing and commercial business so that it could seek grant and lottery fundingwe can help with preparing applications for lottery funding
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Helped a bio-energy business to prepare a business and a financial plan, and to make a large successful grant applications for major equipment
We helped a bio-energy business to prepare a business and a financial planto forecast cash flow, profitability and funding requirements, and to make a large successful grant applicationsassistance to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies with our excellent understanding of banks and grant awarding bodies and their procedures for major equipment
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Woodlands consultant and contractor needed to plan the launch of his new business
A woodlands consultant and contractor needed to plan the launch of his new business. We helped him to prepare a business planto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through, and to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies and a financial planto forecast cash flow, profitability and funding requirements and to obtain a significant bank loan for working capitalAssisting Businesses to gain essential working capital
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New owner of a plant nursery and garden centre needed a financial plan and marketing plan to help him to turn round the business
The new owner of a plant nursery and garden centre needed a financial planto forecast cash flow, profitability and funding requirements and marketing planwe can help with all aspects of planning marketing to help him to turn round the business
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Farm based campsite to prepare a business plan to assist with a successful grant application and a marketing plan to improve sales
We helped a farm based campsite to prepare a business planto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through, and to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies to assist with a successful grant application and a marketing planwe can help with all aspects of planning marketing to improve sales
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Organic farm shop needed our help with a business review to decide whether to put in place a succession plan
An organic farm shop needed our help with a business reviewto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through and review their direction and goals to decide whether to put in place a succession plan to transfer the business to a new owner when the owners retired, and to assess their markets and sales.
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Helped a haulage business to expand into wholesaling, logistics and distribution by preparing a business plan, supporting a successful grant application for equipment, and helping with financial information and financial management
We helped a haulage business to expand into wholesaling, logistics and distribution by preparing a business planto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through, and to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies, supporting a successful grant application for equipment, and helping with financial information and financial management to shorten the loss making loss phase
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Assisted a small construction company to respond to falling sales by reviewing financial performance and improving financial information
We assisted a small construction company to respond to falling sales by reviewing financial performancewe can help to review financial performance and improving financial information, advising on redundancy processes and PROACT support to reduce staffing in line with demand, and on sales and tender managementwe can assist with all aspects of the tender process to win more profitable business
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Helped a family owned agricultural retail/wholesale business to implement a smooth succession
We helped a family owned agricultural retail/wholesale business to implement a smooth succession following the death of the principal, including a business review to help them prepare an action planwe can produce action plans to address business requirements, supporting an incoming MD, and assessing strategic expansion and relocation options.
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Helped key mangers of a technical services company with a Management Buy Out (MBO), including writing a business and financial plan and helping to raise bank finance
We helped key mangers of a technical services company with a Management Buy Out (MBO), including writing a business and financial planto forecast cash flow, profitability and funding requirements and helping to raise bank finance. We later assisted with updating plans and helping them with grant applicationsassistance to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies with our excellent understanding of banks and grant awarding bodies and their procedures to buy new equipment and to launch another business.
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Sole trader craft business to undertake market research, develop a sales and marketing plan to expand sales, and to develop employment policies and processes
We helped a sole traderowned and run by one individual and where there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business craft business to undertake market research, develop a sales and marketing planwe can help with all aspects of planning marketing to expand sales, and to develop employment policies and processes so that it could take on first employee
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Large service provider faced a cash flow crisis and we worked with the company and its bank to assess the financial position, prepare a financial plan, raise additional finance
A large service provider faced a cash flow crisis and we worked with the company and its bank to assess the financial position, prepare a financial planto forecast cash flow, profitability and funding requirements, raise additional finance through leasing and lease-back deals, and improve credit and cash management processeswe can assist in developing essential business processes and financial information
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Care provider to assess plans for a significant expansion, to set clear financial criteria for making the investment, and to develop a funding package
We helped a care provider to assess plans for a significant expansion, to set clear financial criteria for making the investment, and to develop a funding package.
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Painting company to undertake a risk assessment and put in place better health and safety processes
We assisted a painting company to undertake a risk assessmentwe can help with assessing risk or advise on drawing up risk assessment procedures and put in place better health and safety processes, to make their environmental policy proactive and beyond regulatory compliance, and also helped them to put in place a quality management
The International Organization for Standardization's ISO 9001:2008 series describes standards for a QMS addressing the principles and processes surrounding the design, development and delivery of a general product or service
system and to gain ISO 9001 accreditation- Services:
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Manufacturer used our help to assess its products and markets as the recession tightened
A manufacturer used our help to assess its products and markets as the recession tightened, and we assisted with reducing the scale of the business as sales fell off, preserving key staff and capabilities. We also advised on redundancy processes and the PROACT employment support and grants
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Family owned clothing manufacturer to plan a premises location, build a new factory and buy additional equipment
We helped a family owned clothing manufacturer to plan a premises location, build a new factory and buy additional equipment, including writing a business planto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through, and to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies and a financial planto forecast cash flow, profitability and funding requirements and helping with two successful grant applications
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Leading edge electronics company with a business review to assist the incoming CEO to decide how to develop the business
We helped a leading edge electronics company with a business reviewto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through and review their direction and goals to assist the incoming CEO to decide how to develop the business, followed by developing a strategic planwe can assist in Strategic Planning for all situations with senior management and the board, and then helping to put in place project and change managementwe can help put in place change management processes processes
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Business review for a fish processing and marketing business which assessed the viability of the business and the performance of its management
We conducted a business reviewto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through and review their direction and goals for a fish processing and marketing business which assessed the viability of the business and the performance of is management, and set out a clear action planwe can produce action plans to address business requirements to improve and refocus sales
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Sole trader shell fisherman to write a business plan, to buy equipment with grant assistance, and to plan local sales and marketing activities
We assisted a sole traderowned and run by one individual and where there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business shell fisherman to write a business planto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through, and to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies, to buy equipment with grant assistance, and to plan local sales and marketing activities to expand his business
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Ice cream and dessert manufacturer needed help with succession planning
An ice cream and dessert manufacturer needed help with succession planning to decide the scale, location and type of business moving forward,. We then helped them plan a premises re-locationwe can assist with re-location planning and fund raising to allow expansion.
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Meat producer and farm shop with a business review
We helped a meat producer and farm shop with a business reviewto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through and review their direction and goals after the death of a key family member which allowed the family to decide to re-start the business and on new business direction
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Water producer to develop ISO 9001 quality management systems
We helped a water producer to develop ISO 9001 quality management
The International Organization for Standardization's ISO 9001:2008 series describes standards for a QMS addressing the principles and processes surrounding the design, development and delivery of a general product or service
systems, and with learning about tenderingwe can assist with all aspects of the tender process processes so that it could sell more effectively to the public sector and larger customers.- Services:
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Micro-brewery to buy its first equipment with grant assistance
We helped a micro-brewery to buy its first equipment with grant assistance, preparing a business planto help clients ensure that all aspects of the business have been thought through, and to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies, financial planto forecast cash flow, profitability and funding requirements and marketing planwe can help with all aspects of planning marketing, which allowed it to scale production and sales slowly as it developed and gained confidence.
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Activity Centre
A major activity centre needed our help to attract more corporate business using a targeted marketing planwe can help with all aspects of planning marketing and more focused on-line marketing
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Small hotel
We helped a small hotel to refinance its bank mortgage in a difficult financial market to consolidate purchase and improvement costs.
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Farm based B&B, holiday let and activities business
We assisted a farm based B&B, holiday let and activities business to improve its customer informationwe can help improve customer information and management information and improve online marketingwe can help and advise on all aspects of online marketing.
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Coaching inn and restaurant
We helped a coaching inn and restaurant to evaluate its financial performancewe can help to review financial performance, and then used this to develop a business casewe can help to develop a business case to meet key business requirements for refurbishment and expansion and to make two successful grant applicationsassistance to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies with our excellent understanding of banks and grant awarding bodies and their procedures.
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High-tech manufacturing business to refinance its venture capital with a loan from Finance Wales
assisting a high-techHigh-tech businesses manufacturingManufacturing businesses business to refinance its venture capital with a loan from Finance Wales and then to re-bank, reducing its transaction charges and increasing its loan facilities significantly
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Engineering design and manufacturing business to obtain an assembly investment grant from the Welsh Assemby Government
assisting a engineering design and manufacturingManufacturing businesses business to obtain an assembly investment grantassistance to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies with our excellent understanding of banks and grant awarding bodies and their procedures from the Welsh Assemby Government to strengthen its management and buy equipment, a grant from Carmarthenshire County Council to buy more equipment, and negotiating an invoice discounting facility to provide more adequate working capitalAssisting Businesses to gain essential working capital
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Major leisure business to obtain a business development grant from Pembrokeshire County Council
assisting a major leisure business to obtain a business development grantassistance to present their businesses to banks and grant awarding bodies with our excellent understanding of banks and grant awarding bodies and their procedures from Pembrokeshire County Council to improve its marketing capabilities
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