Jon Samuel. Business consultant.
Every business slowly forgets how it works.
Jon helps you understand yours again, from costs and processes to marketing and technology. Then he fixes what that reveals, and stays until it works.
Get in touchMost businesses drift.
Ownership changes, people move on, and over time nobody quite remembers why things are done the way they are. Costs settle in. Processes outlive their reasons. The marketing carries on describing a business that has moved on.
None of this is anyone's fault. It is just what happens. But it is worth stopping to look at properly every so often, and that is what Jon does.
You might recognise it.
Getting a straight answer on the numbers takes longer than it should. The website describes a business you have outgrown. There are processes nobody can explain and costs nobody remembers agreeing to. And somehow every decision still ends up with you.
If some of that sounds familiar, it is usually not a people problem. It is an understanding problem, and it is fixable.
A proper look, then the work.
Jon starts by understanding how the business actually runs. Where the money goes. Which processes earn their keep. What the data says. Whether the marketing reflects what the business is genuinely good at.
Then he helps make the changes that follow. Sometimes that is trimming costs. Sometimes it is fixing a process, automating repetitive work, or realigning the marketing and website. He implements alongside you rather than leaving a report behind, and he brings in the right specialists where they are needed.
That includes the technology underneath it all. Jon has deep knowledge of complex IT environments and has helped multiple businesses move from on premise systems to cloud infrastructure, advised on managed service providers and telephony, and overseen bespoke application development where off the shelf software does not fit.
Most consultants look at one part of a business. Jon looks at how the whole thing fits together, which matters, because the real problem is rarely in the department you first thought. And because he has no single specialism to sell, you get an honest answer about where the problem actually is.
What Jon looks at.
The numbers.
Where the money comes from and where it actually goes. Margins, costs, cash, and whether anyone can get a straight answer about them quickly.Processes and operations.
How work really gets done, which steps earn their keep, and what could be simplified or automated so the team you have can do more.Technology.
The systems underneath it all: infrastructure, cloud, telephony and the rest, and whether they are helping or quietly holding things back. Bespoke applications where nothing off the shelf fits.Data.
What the business knows about itself and its customers, including the CRM, and whether that knowledge is actually usable.Marketing and brand.
Whether the story being told still matches the business as it is now, from positioning through to the website.These are not five services. They are five views of the same business, and the review looks through all of them, because the real problem is rarely where it first appears.
How Jon works.
Understand.
It starts with a review. One to two weeks getting to know the business: costs, processes, data, technology and marketing, and the reasons behind how things are done. Jon talks to the people who actually do the work.Plan.
The review ends with a clear written plan: what is going on, what is worth changing, and in what order. It is yours to act on with or without him.Implement.
If the plan makes sense, Jon works hands on inside the business to carry it out, for as long as the work needs, coordinating any specialists along the way.Stay close.
Afterwards, many clients keep Jon involved on an ongoing basis for advice and oversight as things develop.Who Jon works with.
SMEs. Established businesses, often owner led and often product based, that want a clearer picture of how things are running and where to improve.
Startups. Young businesses working out what is actually working, where the money is going, and how to tell their story properly.
Charities. Organisations where every pound matters, looking for sensible cost discipline, better processes and more capacity without adding headcount.
Work so far has spanned contract manufacturing, consumer products, professional services, retail and the charity sector, along with a range of owner led SMEs. Almost all of it has come through word of mouth. Jon is happy to talk through relevant experience and results in conversation.
Ways of working.
Every business is different, and so is the level of work required, so every engagement is shaped to fit. Broadly, work takes one of three forms.
The Review. One to two weeks. A proper look at the business: costs, processes, data, technology and marketing. Ends with a clear written plan. The simplest way to start.
Implementation. Hands on help carrying out the plan, for as long as the work needs.
Ongoing advice. For businesses that want Jon to stay close once the main work is done.
How an engagement is structured is agreed in the first conversation, based on the business and the work involved.
Jonathan Samuel Brown. Jon in person.
Jon is a business consultant based in Southend, Essex. Since 2008 he has worked inside product businesses and charities, working on costs, processes, data, technology and marketing, and staying involved while the changes are made. That includes complex IT environments: moving businesses from on premise systems to the cloud, advising on managed service providers and telephony, and shaping bespoke applications where nothing off the shelf will do.
Start with a conversation.
Tell Jon a little about the business and what is on your mind. No pitch, no obligation. If a review is the right first step, he will say so. If it is not, he will say that too.
Thanks. Jon will reply personally, usually within a day.
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Or email directly: jon@jonsamuel.co.uk