What we do SERVICES FOR THE SMALLER BUSINESS

Dr Kenneth R Wade provides consultancy, training, mentoring, and support for public and private sector organisations including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and sole-traders.

Whilst our services are available to all public and private sector organisations, we have a special interest in SMEs. Small businesses represent 99 percent of all UK businesses, employ 43 percent of non-government employment, and account for 31 percent of total turnover. They are a significant source of innovation and growth for the economy as a whole, and provide diversity in products and services as well as creating wealth for their owners and employees, and for the communities in which they are based.

Our aim is to provide strategic advice, personal guidance, and practical help to all organisations, including the small-business sector, for start-ups, early stage, and established companies. We provide advice and mentoring directly and through Community & Business Partners (who may be able to assist with funding in some case).

Business start-upsTHINKING OF STARTING A BUSINESS?

You may think you have a great idea that could become a major business or simply be thinking of using your skill as a sole-trader. However modest or ambitious your plans, we can help them become reality - and perhaps save you a great deal of time and money. We can help you to decide whether your idea really is a good one; tell you what you need to do about bank accounts, tax, and VAT; help you to prepare a business-plan and to raise the money you need.

As your business develops, we can provided one-to-one mentoring on a regular basis, and either provide or locate any training needed for you and any employees. We may also be able to provide practical support with, for example, marketing and payment-processing in the early stages.

In businessARE YOU AN ESTABLISHED PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANISATION?

Change is a fact of life for virtually all organisations. The public sector is faced with immense pressure on costs and private sector businesses face considerable economic uncertainty and technological change. We can provide leadership mentoring at the highest level in any organisation, as well as down-to-earth practical advice and even hands-on assistance to deal with short-term issues and strategy. For longer term business issues such as retirement, thinking about going public, takeovers or mergers, and strategic planning we can offer one-to-one mentoring and support. Our involvement can range from a few hours to up to a year or more.

Who we areESTABLISHED IN 1984

Kenneth R Wade, BA, PhD, FInstLM, established a business consultancy in 1984. He had previously been the founder, chairman and CEO of Pactrol Electronics plc, taking it from a start-up in a hen shed to a full stock-market listing within 12 years. The trading company, Pactrol Controls Limited, is now part of the global giant Emerson Electric Company.

Ken Wade went on to become a director of Merseyside Enterprise Board, investment adviser to CLM Unit Trust, a Member of the North West Regional Health Authority, and an enterprise counsellor with the DTI. Ken has provided consultancy services to IMI plc, Harrison Industries plc, Production Steel and Metals Group, The Aughton Group, and numerous smaller companies and sole traders.

After obtaining his PhD in financial economics at Manchester Business School (MBS) in 2001, Ken became a visiting fellow of MBS, conducting research into private equity sponsored by and in association with the international accountancy firm KPMG. In 2004, he was the guest speaker at the Annual Symposium of the Italian Venture Capital Association in Milan, and in 2007 was invited to provide evidence to the Treasury Select Committee on Private Equity. He supports an educational website dealing with personal finance: www.its-your-money.com and has published a corresponding book. More recently, Ken has been awarded Fellowship of the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Costs and Contacts WHAT WE CHARGE AND HOW TO CONTACT US

Businesses in the North West of England may qualify for support under NWDA. Other regions may have similar initiatives. Learn more about the NWDA scheme. To locate a provider, see Business Links. You can also contact our provider, Community & Business Partners.

If your business doesn't qualify for support and you are interested in finding out how we might be able to help, contact us by e-mail or telephone. An initial consultation, normally by telephone, is free of charge (apart from call costs). If we feel that we can help and you decide that you would like take it further, we will discuss and agree with you what the next step will be. If there are any costs involved at that stage, we will agree them with you and confirm by e-mail before we proceed. You will always know in advance how much our work will cost, and we will not proceed to incur costs without your agreement in writing.

Naturally, like any professional services provider, our charges depend on the amount of consultant time involved, plus any significant additional costs such as travel outside our immediate locality and any services we have to sub-contract. Our basic costs include local travel, and office expenses.

As a rough guide, a typical mentoring assignment involves meeting face to face for around two hours or so once a month and several telephone and e-mail discussions in between meetings. This may run for a year (the NWDA scheme is based on a one year duration). If there is no significant travel involved (we can hold meetings at our office if you wish), the cost would be £3,000 for the 12 month contract. However, we would invoice you on a monthly basis, and you can terminate the contract at any time for any reason. If we feel that a project isn't working, we will tell you. Similarly, if you feel you would like to continue after, say, 12 months, then we can agree to run on a month by month basis. If we both feel that the time involved is significantly more or less than we expected, we will agree revised costs with you.

Or telephone: 01257 453213

K R Wade, Eccleston Hall, Lydiate Lane,Eccleston, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 6LY. Tel: 01257 453213, Fax: 0871 433 4091