FocusFive: providing SMART business advice

FocusFive exists to help business owners run successful and profitable businesses. To tackle issues and solve them. To grasp opportunities and develop them.

I’m Martin Pattinson. I work with businesses in Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and further afield, partnering with you to provide independent, practical business advice and business support to move you forward in the direction you want.

You know your business better than anyone else. Day-to-day, it runs like clockwork. Well, most of the time…

But, every so often, a problem or an opportunity crops up that you need to spend some time considering, away from the day-to-day distractions. The problem could be poor customer satisfaction, a sales decline or a lack of a clear long-term business plan. The opportunity might be taking advantage of a gap in the market, integrating a new client or establishing an enlarged team. Whichever it is, how do you find the time and expertise to tackle this kind of issue? To move it from ‘on your mind’ to ‘we’re dealing with this’?

That’s where I can help. I provide the benefit of an independent pair of eyes, combined with 35 years of business experience, to bolster your in-house expertise. I start by getting to know you and your business. Then I set to work, focussing on SMART metrics – so everything I recommend is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. With an agreed SMART plan, I help you implement it, providing you with a stronger business, with a clear path for the future.

If you think I could be a useful addition to your business, let’s have a chat.

There are a number of different ways in which I can help business owners. These broadly break down into five areas: Philosophy, Process, People, Product and Price.

Whichever we tackle together, I start by getting to know you and your business, your market, competitors and any particular dynamics or features that are relavant. I then get to work, conducting research, analysing data, speaking to the relevant people on the ground – whatever I need to do to devise a plan for you to move forward. I always develop a SMART plan – with recommendations that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. So the recommendations you receive are clear, robust and actionable – no waffle, no jargon, just sound business advice with measurable outcomes which we can implement together to grow your business.

Where appropriate, I partner with specialists in Legal, Accounting, Marketing, IT, HR, Finance or other fields to ensure you get the best possible advice to give you the best possible result. Whether you’re based in Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, or further afield, I can bring my network together to deliver for your business.

Understanding your vision and goals to develop a robust plan for you and your business.

You know where you want to take your business but do you have a clear business plan to help you get there? Or are you finding it tricky to decide between two alternate directions to take the business? Can some of the risks in the business be mitigated? You might even want to plan for an exit at a future date. I can help you by providing advice and hands-on support to develop a step-by-step plan so you reach your end-goal. With a business audit, we can identify opportunities to deliver business growth, increasing revenues and profits. And we can adapt the plan to meet your needs, as and when circumstances change.

Ensuring all your colleagues and systems are working together seamlessly to help you achieve your plan.

You know where you are going, but do you feel you’d get there faster if your colleagues and systems worked together more effectively? As a business coach, or business adviser, I can partner with you to review these dynamics and identify where improvements can be made. I can help you ensure all aspects of your business work together seamlessly to achieve your goals.

Engaging with your team, your customers and your local community to improve their experience and the sustainability of your business.

Do your team need help to understand your vision and the direction you’re taking the business? Engaging with you and your colleagues, I can help you improve staff engagement to enhance employee retention, motivation and self-improvement. Or have recent customer reviews not been as positive as you would like? I can help you to overcome this challenge, by carrying out client satisfaction surveys to identify and address the problems, which could include training to develop your staff. This will improve the customer experience, service delivery, revenues and profits. Additionally communicating with the broader community can bring about positive engagement and benefits for all parties.

Identifying and communicating the differentiating features and benefits of your product or service.

Does your product or service still meet the needs of your customers? Has a new competitor entered the market, making you question the viability or differentiating factors of your product or service? If you feel you need to improve your marketing exposure or increase sales, I can work with you to review what is in place and develop a revitalised growth plan. By developing practical marketing strategies and sales strategies, we can ensure you win with your prospective customers against your competitors.

Competitively positioning your product or service so that you achieve sustainable revenues and maximise your profit potential.

Do you feel comfortable diving into the data to address some of the key business issues that you face? Are you questioning whether you are pricing your products or services appropriately? Have disrupters in the market changed the way customers value your products or services? Are your revenues at risk? By analysing the data and understanding your market, I can help you get to the root of any pricing concerns, uncovering opportunities to deliver sustainable revenue streams and improve the profitability of your business.

So who am I? Am I a business coach? A business adviser? A business consultant? What I know is that I have a wealth of business experience which I can offer to help business owners succeed.

As for my career, I’ve had five careers over 35 years, including working in Property, Banking and Asset Management. I’ve worked across the globe, in the UK, North America, Japan, Europe and the Middle East. I’ve held Board and senior executive level positions. I’ve been responsible for Strategy, Client Management, Marketing, People Engagement, Change Programmes and Business Development. I’ve collaborated across all company functions, including Finance, Compliance and Operations and engaged with all categories of stakeholders – employees, clients, shareholders and society. I’ve built, mentored and managed numerous successful teams. I’ve achieved new business contracts worth £15 million per annum aggregated income.

But I still don’t feel I’ve answered that initial question. Who am I? I am a problem solver. I’m practical, hands-on, a ‘do-er’. I am a glass half-full kind of a guy. When I work with a business owner, I’m all-in – fully committed to delivering a successful outcome. I am straight-talking, upfront and honest – if I don’t think I’m the right person for the job, I will tell you. I’m someone who loves what I do and is confident that I am good at what I do. I take a problem, or question, or challenge, and through some hard work and hard thinking, get to a great solution.

I set up FocusFive in 2019 to put my experience to good use – to develop and implement SMART plans for small to medium-sized business owners and professional service companies across Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and further afield, to significantly strengthen their businesses and help them grow and become more profitable. I’m enjoying partnering with owners and seeing tangible results. I price my work at a level that is affordable to smaller businesses, to ensure my advice is accessible to all. And I am always happy to discuss flexible pricing, including performance-related fees based on successful outcomes.

Overall, I offer a friendly ear to listen to the challenges you’re facing and a vast experience to deliver the outcome you need.

Optimum

I believe the depth of knowledge Martin holds will enable him to provide high quality, value for money support to businesses looking for assistance with managing growth and change.

-- Richard Mathews

Chartered Financial Planner

My business has grown significantly over the last couple of years. Consequently I have felt now is an appropriate time to work with FocusFive to help me in reviewing and implementing our marketing and business development strategies for the next stage in our development.

-- Nathan Harris

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