KM Chartered Accountants
The SME Productivity & Innovation Centre (PIC) at Edge Hill University delivers impact through an intensive fully-funded programme that helps established SMEs, with the vision and potential for growth, build a coherent business model strategy to scale-up.
KM Chartered Accountants case study
Finance and professional services
“The programme, taught us not to be frightened of change. Sometimes you must make difficult decisions and changes for the sake of the business and the continuity of it. The whole programme and the way it was conducted was very well done, and the people we worked with at Edge Hill University were very knowledgeable. From start to finish, it was a great experience.”
Mark Heaton, Managing Director at KM Chartered Accountants
Benefits and impact
Demand
- Developed a new systematic sales process.
- Clarified customer pain-points and developed new marketing messages.
Workforce development
- Developed a new organisational structure and internal key business processes.
Service launch
- Launched a new tiered service offer.
The challenges
Mark Heaton, Managing Director, and his team entered the Innovation Sprint Programme challenged with adapting their current services in line with changes in the accountancy sector to support their own business growth objectives. Internal organisational issues that were prohibiting Mark and his team from achieving their goals were identified. The team knew that some significant decisions and changes were needed within the business to develop a financially viable scale-up strategy.
The opportunities
KM Chartered Accountants needed to expand their existing customer base and move away from transactional to relational approaches. The team identified the opportunity to build upon their existing relationships with the key sectors including the charity sector by reviewing the organisational structure and existing skill sets.
The key changes
The workshops utilised unique innovation tools, data from the business and critical questioning, to help Mark and the team to address KM Chartered Accountants’ barriers to growth, this supported them in identifying and clarifying the actions needed to drive the business forward. Internal processes for onboarding new customers and, a new segmented service model was devised in three key levels to allow them to effectively manage resources and maximise their profitability. A revised internal structure would also optimise their operational efficiency.
The plan and outcomes
KM Chartered Accountants exited the programme with a Growth Action Plan that included a clearly defined and repeatable outbound sales process and well-defined marketing messages. The new organisational structure created a new role, which will underpin the organisation’s goals to develop relational services for their customers. KM Chartered Accountants planned and executed a strategic review and refresh of the company’s website, to include newly developed language and marketing messages that were developed during the Innovation Sprint Programme. This has since led to a significant increase in the number of website visits and enquiries from prospective customers, and a noticeable uplift in the profile and potential commercial value of new business enquiries.
What we offer
”The programme provides you with the opportunity to work on the business and not in it.”
Professor Simon Bolton – Director, SME Productivity & Innovation Centre
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