Who we work with

We work with ambitious businesses from a wide range of sectors and industries, who are approaching a new stage in their development.

Typically, they’re turning over between £1 million and £10 million and are in a period of high growth. Perhaps they are hiring new staff to cope with an influx of business, investing in better equipment or have recently moved to a larger premises.


The thing is, their finance function isn’t evolving with them. They simply don’t have the time, resources or expertise to bring their finance department in line with their growth. They know something has to change and they’re willing to put in the work to make it happen. But they don’t know how to go about it.


Enter Insight Associates. We work with businesses to revolutionise their finance function by providing them with cutting-edge software, in-depth financial expertise and a friendly, straightforward and collaborative approach.

Moving your business from ‘infancy’ to ‘adolescence’

We think about it like this.

Most businesses will fall into one of three stages of development, as follows:

INFANCY

These will often be owner-dependent companies turning over between £1 million and £2 million a year. They exist to provide their owner with an income, and usually the owner will do a lot of the work themselves.

Financially, they are often managed fairly haphazardly, with few robust systems or processes in place. There might be little in the way of planning, budgeting or modern accounting software. Instead, these businesses will often take a bit more of a ‘fly by the seat of their pants’ type approach, which can unfortunately result in confusion and inaccurate numbers.

Smaller businesses who use this approach might be able to muddle through, but once they grow larger it’s not really feasible to continue doing so.

ADOLESCENCE

These companies are generally turning over between £1 million and £10 million, and are usually undergoing a period of change and/or rapid growth. It can be a tricky stage of development, as the company may be growing so fast that its current systems and infrastructure simply can’t keep up. Think of them like teenagers who move out of their parents’ house with only a vague idea of how to work the washing machine or cook anything more advanced than beans on toast – they’re in for a steep learning curve.

At this stage, the business owner will be trying to professionalise the way in which their company is run, building and managing a team that becomes responsible for service delivery. They’ll understand that they need to move on from the old processes that may have served them well in the past, but aren’t fit for the future. As such, they’ll be looking to institute financial systems and processes to help the company run smoothly and support its future growth.

MATURITY

Mature businesses will normally be pulling in £10 million+ per year. At this point, the company’s systems and processes are so well-oiled that they effectively run the business; the owner and staff are simply there to keep the system on track.

At this stage, the owner could choose to withdraw entirely from the business, or decide to focus 100% on strategy.

If this is you – well done, your business is all grown up!

INFANCY

These will often be owner-dependent companies turning over between £1 million and £2 million a year. They exist to provide their owner with an income, and usually the owner will do a lot of the work themselves.

Financially, they are often managed fairly haphazardly, with few robust systems or processes in place. There might be little in the way of planning, budgeting or modern accounting software. Instead, these businesses will often take a bit more of a ‘fly by the seat of their pants’ type approach, which can unfortunately result in confusion and inaccurate numbers.

Smaller businesses who use this approach might be able to muddle through, but once they grow larger it’s not really feasible to continue doing so.

ADOLESCENCE

Think of bookkeeping like the foundations of a house. When you add in good accounting processes, this is like building the house – everything begins to take shape and it becomes easier to track progress and understand what the house will eventually look like. An accountant will take the data provided by the bookkeeper and use it to produce reports that help their clients benchmark performance and track trends in their business finances. Comprehensive and accurate financial reporting will also reveal any discrepancies with the potential to impact your business.

MATURITY

So far, so good. But what we haven’t got from the previous two stages is any kind of strategic input. That’s where your Finance Director comes in. Our specialist team will be on hand to interpret the reports provided by your accountant, using them to provide you with crucial strategic insights to ensure you’re making informed financial decisions from a place of real knowledge and understanding.

Is Insight Associates right for you?

Because of the way we work, and the services we provide, working with Insight Associates may not suit you at your current stage of development.

If your business is still early in its infancy, you may not be ready or have the capital to invest in overhauling your finance function. If you are a very mature, corporate business, you’ll likely already have robust financial systems and processes in place and a Finance Director to provide financial expertise and strategic insights to drive your business forwards.

Our niche, the place where we really excel and can make the biggest difference for businesses, is working with ambitious companies in late infancy and adolescence to help them reach maturity.

Our clients know and accept that their development is being held back by their finance function. They’re willing to adapt their way of thinking and listen to constructive guidance in order to reap the best long-term results. These businesses are ready to put in the work and investment now so that they can reach their full potential in the future. And they want – they need – more than what their bookkeeper or accountant can provide.

So, if you’re forward-thinking, ambitious and determined to do what’s right for your business, we’re absolutely here to help make it happen.

Let’s chat

If our services sound like the right fit for your business, let’s chat. We’ll find out exactly where your business is at, where you’d like it to be, and how we can help you bridge the gap.

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