Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few of the questions we get asked regularly. Just click on the question to see our answers. Of course, if you have further questions please contact us by phone, fax, or e-mail and we will be delighted to answer them for you.

Why do businesses use consultants?

Businesses use consultants for a huge range of activities and advice (too many to list here). However, some of the most common include:

  • Act as trouble shooters
  • Coaching, mentoring and general business advice
  • Act as a 'sounding board' for business owners and directors
  • Help develop business plans and strategies
  • Help management develop or implement new systems
  • Provide an 'independent' professional view from outside the organisation
  • Implement change - in any form
  • Assist in financial planning, including fundraising
  • Develop an exit strategy
  • Assist in developing marketing and sales strategies
  • Create organisation leadership and incentive programmes
  • Specialist advice such as Health & Safety, COSHH, ISO9000-2000 etc.

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Aren't consultants expensive?

A good consultant should not be expensive to your business overall. The cost of engaging a Business Adviser is relative to the benefits derived from it, and a good Business Adviser will always be able to add value to your business. 

We firmly believe that money invested in our type of business advice is a true investment, which will pay for itself many times over.

We work on a three to one ratio - that is we can guarantee that for every pound you are invoiced, your business will realise savings and efficiencies worth at least three times the amount you pay for our professional services.

At 2012 Logistics UK - Business Solutions we always look to demonstrate excellent value for money and return on your investment in the work that we do - through better efficiency, direct cost savings, increased profits, or some other measure depending on the project.

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How do you charge for your services?

Every assignment is different, so we have to assess our client's needs carefully depending on the type of work, the length of project, the amount of supporting resource that can be used from your business etc.

Longer term projects, and some individual assignments can be delivered under the IIB's popular Business Support Programme. This keeps the costs down using a reduced rate compared to normal consultancy rates and can be spread on a fixed monthly retainer basis.   

We can tailor a charging structure to your needs.. We can charge by; the hour, day or week.. Fixed fee for an assignment.. Or, a proportion of our fees could be incentive related.. We will be as flexible as appropriate.

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I have a very limited monthly budget. How can I keep track of consultancy costs?

All businesses have budgetary constraints and adding any level of cost, on consulting or otherwise, is always a big decision.

The Business Support Programme has been designed to offer a full range of consulting services at a very competitive reduced rate, which can be spread on a fixed monthly fee. Therefore, the cost is known and can be planned in the same way as your payroll costs. Indeed, we are happy to time the monthly payment to coincide with your normal payroll date if this helps your cash flow planning.

You may of course, find that you use our services for a number of projects which will incur costs over and above the base number of hours allocated under the Business Support Programme. We will always discuss our time with you and will bring any potential overspend to your attention before it occurs so you remain in full control of the cost. In the event that we do agree a project outside of the base number of hours allocated under the Business Support Programme, we can very often secure such additional work at the same reduced rate.

All time that we do spend will be accurately recorded and made available to you. Therefore, our fee structure will be transparent and will reflect the reasonable amount of hours we have spent working with you.

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I like what I hear, can I find out more without committing myself?

Of course. The best way to find out in more detail if and how we can help you is to book an appointment for us to come and talk to you in person. We could even go through our full free Business Health Check at a meeting with you.

As well as giving you the chance to meet us face to face, we can take you through a structured exploratory meeting during which we can quickly get an overview of most aspects of your business, and we can discuss problems and issues that you may be facing. During the meeting we should be able to highlight key areas that need to be addressed in your business. Some issues you may already be aware of, but don't know how (or don't have the time) to resolve them. Others might be more of a surprise!

For this meeting you need to allow about two hours. It is completely free of charge and with no obligation.

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What geographical area do you cover?

We are based in London and therefore, can easily reach customers throughout the Southeast.  Our primary coverage in this area is:

  • London
  • Surrey
  • Kent
  • Essex
  • Herts

However, due to 2012 London Logistics - Business Solutions association with the Institute for Independent Business (IIB) www.iib.ws, we can refer an accredited Executive Associate of the IIB throughout the UK and many Countries worldwide. Call or email us and we can discuss your individual needs.

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My company is a small to medium sized business but is a subsidiary of a larger group. Can you add value to my business?

Yes we can. The service we offer might be a little different. For instance, you might have access to a good management team with a lot of the skills you require and you may have very clearly defined plans and budgets laid down by your parent company. 

However, we can still add a great deal of value in specific projects, initiatives, and etc.   We would be delighted to discuss your requirements with you.

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I would like to arrange a meeting but can't easily do anything during normal office hours. Can we meet at other times?

Yes we can. Just let us know when you need to meet, be it early morning, later in the evening, or even over a weekend and we will do our utmost to meet you at a time to suit you.

Having said that, it is often very valuable at our meeting to see where you work, and see the business at work. It helps us get a feeling for the business at an early stage. However, we do recognise that this might be impossible due to time commitments or the need to meet confidentiality.  

For more information please feel free to contact us.

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