Part time consultancy for beer tokens

[Asterix]

After 12 years in Dubai, we're 'retiring' back to the UK early next year.

I know I'll go mental after a while so would want to do something - I've held senior positions (C Level) with a Marcomms specialisation.

I was thinking about hooking up with some local companies and offering some sort of mentoring or advise service. The money would almost be an irrelevance and my question is; do you think it's the sort of thing small companies would be interested in and if so, what would be the best way of going about it? Sole trader, Ltd Company, cash in hand...

It's been a while since last home and while we have our personal tax stuff in hand, I have no idea what would be the best way to do this sort of thing.

Thanks in advance.

[BGARK]

You might have your first customer here if you are genuinely any good. Where are you based?

[Asterix]

BGARK said:

You might have your first customer here if you are genuinely any good. Where are you based?

Dubai at the moment but will be back in the UK in January - we have a short term let organised on the Shrops/Welsh border sorted (near parents) until we look for somewhere more permanent - and that could be anywhere.

PM me if you like, and I'll forward you my resume and we could chat further so you can decide for yourself.

My aim is to stay rural to be honest and work remotely with the minimum of meetings - easily done nowadays.

I could even do stuff now if you like - I'm sort of employed but not (long story).

[Asterix]

Btw - just had a look at the post you put up in Jobs...

Lots of good advice there and RLY makes a very good point - it's big picture stuff. Trees & woods spring to mind.

I've consulted before and after months of getting under the skin of a company, you can often come up with a single macro point that will make a huge difference (backed up by reams of research) and they'll go, 'Is that it? You've just told us the bleedin' obvious!' Well, yeah, if it's that obvious, why haven't you been doing that? Stop trying to be clever and just get on with the basics, and this is how you do it...

I'm a huge Pareto guy - it's just working out the 80 and the 20.

[Simpo Two]

I agree that an intelligent and market-wise fresh eye can work wonders - if the corporate wallahs are prepared to lean back from the grindstone.

Sole trader will be fine for starters. Get work, do it, invoice, get paid, crunch numbers, pay tax if due. If anyone says 'Oh but we will only work with a Limited Company because we are important' find a prospect with more imagination.

[Altrezia]

We could do with some mentoring from a PH-type too. Feel free to drop me a line via my profile

[BGARK]

Asterix said:

Dubai at the moment but will be back in the UK in January - we have a short term let organised on the Shrops/Welsh border sorted (near parents) until we look for somewhere more permanent - and that could be anywhere.

PM me if you like, and I'll forward you my resume and we could chat further so you can decide for yourself.

My aim is to stay rural to be honest and work remotely with the minimum of meetings - easily done nowadays.

I could even do stuff now if you like - I'm sort of employed but not (long story).

Daft of me asking where you are when you said you are in Dubai but I did mean when back in the UK.

I agree many things can be done remotely these days.

We have supplied a couple of clients that are based in Dubai. I will send you a PM.

[Asterix]

BGARK said:

Asterix said:

Dubai at the moment but will be back in the UK in January - we have a short term let organised on the Shrops/Welsh border sorted (near parents) until we look for somewhere more permanent - and that could be anywhere.

PM me if you like, and I'll forward you my resume and we could chat further so you can decide for yourself.

My aim is to stay rural to be honest and work remotely with the minimum of meetings - easily done nowadays.

I could even do stuff now if you like - I'm sort of employed but not (long story).

Daft of me asking where you are when you said you are in Dubai but I did mean when back in the UK.

I agree many things can be done remotely these days.

We have supplied a couple of clients that are based in Dubai. I will send you a PM.

Quick message returned - we'll talk after the weekend. I'll do the same Altrezia.

BTW - for the Mods: This thread was never started with the intention of looking for business, purely for info on the best way to go about it should it be feasible. Cheers.

[rog007]

Simpo Two said:

I agree that an intelligent and market-wise fresh eye can work wonders... If anyone says 'Oh but we will only work with a Limited Company because we are important' find a prospect with more imagination.

That struck a chord; it's certainly been my approach. And as said earlier, get the basics right and other things fall in to place. It's just odd how really smart people want to jump ahead and skip the basics when we all know that they will come a cropper as a result at some point.

[BGARK]

rog007 said:

It's just odd how really smart people want to jump ahead and skip the basics

What basics do you find that many people skip over?

[rog007]

Whilst it would be easy, and not incorrect, to simply restate Porter's 5 competitive forces that determine an industry's profitability, the answer to your query of course will vary dependent upon the industry and the current state and maturity of the business, but the basic building blocks of any endeavour are common sense but sometimes when one is too close one cannot see the wood for the trees. Basics should include, but are certainly not limited to:

- true assessment of the quality of product/service, and then in relation to any competitors
- a thorough assessment of the market; your share and the share held by competitors, and the true demand for the product/service
- resources available (numbers/competence) in terms of delivering the product/service
- maturity of the offering; a new entrant will require a different strategy to a more mature player

As Asterix states above, some should just 'stop trying to be clever and just get on with the basics'. And as Porter states 'the first fundamental determinant of a firm's profitability is industry attractiveness'. Only by identifying this will one be able to determine the ability to earn, on average, rates of return on investment in excess of the cost of capital. Simples!

[hajaba123]

Rog, after the help you gave me and the things I see in my professional life I'd say the most basic basic that people and businesses miss is deciding the goal. Porter had 5 forces, Covey had 7 habits, start with the end in mind, is a great way to start a plan

[Frimley111R]

I think that the challenge to selling in such services is that, particularly now, most businesses are doing quite well and so see little need in this type of consultancy. Everything is going well, everyone is getting paid, they are making money and there are no real dramas. Finding businesses that recognise that 'your' advice will help them grow even more is the biggest challenge of the lot in many ways. Of course they could be doing it better but doing it ok/pretty well is fine for most. And the reality is often that not every business is focussing on significant growth.

[rog007]

Couple of very valid points there. Re goal; the ultimate goal must be profitability. And agree re not everyone wants to grow; but everyone in business should be in pursuit of the same, profitability. This should drive strategy.

[GlenMH]

Frimley and rog make good points. The other thing to consider is how many others are trying to do that kind of work. Get along to your local IoD or CoC meeting and there will probably be a whole pile of people who are looking for exactly that kind of work.

This is where the strength of your contact base/network comes in: if you haven't got a good network in the UK, it is going to take you a while to break in.