A few weeks ago, I finally had lunch with Nick Cramp — a sharp business consultant I’ve known online for over seven years, but had never met in person.
Within ten minutes, we were deep into a conversation about something that trips up so many £1m+ businesses: lack of clarity both in vision and in execution.
Nick had been reading No Bullsh*t Strategy by Alex Smith. “It’s short, punchy and brutally honest,” he said.
Three days later, a copy landed on my doorstep.
Smith doesn’t hold back. He argues that most business strategies sound great in theory — but in practice, they gather dust and change nothing. They’re too vague and too generic to be useful and to drive growth.
A useful strategy, he argues, is rooted in what makes your business genuinely different. The most successful companies have a different angle.
Take Southwest Airlines in the US. For years, they played the same game as every other airline: better seats, better perks, better service. But they were still just another airline.
Their breakthrough came when they stopped trying to beat other airlines… and decided to compete with the railway.
They repositioned themselves as the low-cost, no-frills alternative to long-distance train and bus travel — and stripped everything back to serve that mission.
EasyJet has done something similar here in the UK. Just recently, our Associate Director Shirley Hoy was deciding whether to fly to Edinburgh or take the train. She wasn’t choosing between airlines — she was choosing between EasyJet and rail.
So, what about your business?
As we approach the second half of the year, it’s worth asking: What’s your unique angle? What sets you apart — not just in theory, but in your operations, your decisions, and the way you show up for your clients every day?
At Insight Associates, this question sits at the core of everything we do.
We could have chosen to be a traditional accountancy firm — focused on compliance, year-end reporting and taxes. You’d hear from us once a year, your books would be closed, and that would be that.
But we do things differently.
We act as your outsourced finance department — a strategic partner helping you use your financial data to make better decisions for the future of your business. That means:
- Installing strong financial systems that produce accurate, timely financial data that is actually useful for you as owner or CEO
- Producing forward-looking reports like monthly management accounts and cashflow forecasts, so you have a good view of what’s coming down the line financially and no longer operate in the dark
- Working closely with you and your team to spot opportunities and avoid problems before they hit, and to help you weigh the financial implications of all your big decisions.
We’re not just “your accountants.” We’re in regular contact — often daily — acting as a financial sounding board and an extension of your senior team.
If that sounds like the kind of partnership you’ve been looking for, let’s talk. Call the office on 01279 647 447 or simply email garry@insightassociates.co.uk to set up a no-obligation consultation.
We’ll explore how we might work together to make your business stronger, leaner and more profitable — with total financial clarity.
Warmly,
Garry
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