Company History |
The Principals started in business consulting in 1988, following a plc career in corporate new venturing,
where they developed expertise in simplifying the tricks of big business to accelerate the performance of
the businesses that were being started, acquired and developed. 25 years later, most of these are
now £multimillion enterprises proving the methodology as highly effective. The very same as used by Hawick Group today.
The Principals have used these methods to great effect in the last 22 years,
working extensively with successive governments to develop business improvement programmes and
support organisations to assist Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to become more competitive. These include:
- Business Growth Training (BGT) that helped 17,000 SMEs
- Investors in People (IiP) that has helped 45,000 organisations
- Training & Enterprise Councils (TECs) that helped over 1,000,000 SMEs
The principals have marketed and delivered these and other SME programmes all over the UK for delivery agencies including:
- Further Education Colleges
- Business Link
- Training & Enterprise Councils
- The Learning & Skills Council
- Regional Development Agencies
- Sector Skills Councils
All of which has involved visiting over 10,000 businesses, diagnosing the business needs of over 100,000 others
and training around 1,000 consultants.
Despite this, Hawick Group has developed a business model that is focused on getting
straightforward business results and is not distorted by having to satisfy grant conditions.
Hawick Group works from modern offices in London’s Maida Vale with a core team of 6 partners and 100
Associates located around the UK.
- The Front Office is focused on telephone and web based diagnosis of SME business needs.
Where this results in a commitment to do business together, a Partner visits the new client to plan and
implement the agreed programme.
- Partners are experienced and qualified business people who are specially
trained and nationally accredited.
- No work is subcontracted, it is all carried out by Partners and Associates.
- Client programmes are controlled and monitored by the Mid Office, which assesses progress and job quality.
- The Back Office provides advanced ICT that enables high level remote working and use of the Internet,
with HR providing recruitment, training and ongoing development for staff and Associates, both vital functions as
Hawick Group plans to expand its operations to all parts of the UK.
The Hawick service to businesses has stood the test of time and consists of finding out what the owner
really needs to achieve for himself and for the business, then finding out discreetly what the market and
other stakeholders think about him and the business. Armed with this unique 360° view, the Partner then builds,
hands-on, a business plan with the Owner, based on:
- Developing the flow of new customers needed
- Retaining more existing customers through raising service levels
- Increasing profits and cashflow
- Maximising efficiency through technology innovation
- Raising productivity through developing people management skills
The next step is to install simple performance management systems which enable the owner to run the business and
its people effectively, based on implementing and achieving the agreed Plan.
1. Firstly the focus is on quick results such as:
- Finding more customers
- Stopping errors and waste
- Reversing negative cashflow
- Arresting losses
- Remotivating employees
2. Then the focus moves to deeper implementation for long term commercial results such as:
- Exiting the business with a capital sum
- Recovering fully from a setback, like Recession, or market loss
- Growing to a greater size
- Lifestyle Improvement for the Owner, to free him from 24/7 working
- Efficiency improvement, to build up company asset value
- Diversifying into new markets or products.
To learn more about what Hawick’s services could do for your company, try out our
free Business Diagnosis, or see
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