Strategic Business Consulting
Clarity and Confidence for Business Owners
HD&U works as your trusted advisors and support network, helping you make better business decisions. Our business consultants can identify any problems that may be causing underperformance, and will then help clarify your business direction so you know exactly where your company stands and where you’re headed.
Starting at the Top
The head of a small to medium sized business needs to wear a lot of hats to keep things running smoothly; and some hats may not fit quite as comfortably as others.
With seasoned experts becoming part of your inner circle to deliver guidance and business consulting services, HD&U helps ease the feelings of isolation that can arise when running your own business. This leaves you in a better, healthier, and more confident position from which you can lead your business to success.
Director & owner support services:
- Mentoring & support
- Governance advice
- Growth guidance
Look at the whole picture to get at the root of the problem
When challenges arise, it can often feel overwhelming, particularly when it’s not entirely clear what the issues are or where they’re stemming from. But problems don’t occur in a vacuum, and solutions are rarely found in one either. That’s why HD&U will conduct an in-depth analysis of your entire business, offering valuable insights that improve decision-making while helping you identify and resolve the problems that impede your success.
Review and analysis services:
- Diagnostic & situational reviews, analysis & interpretation
- Decision making support
- HR reviews & assessments
Review and analysis services:
- Diagnostic & situational reviews, analysis & interpretation
- Decision making support
- HR reviews & assessments
Your Roadmap to Success
Having clear direction is vital to long-term business success. Together, we can clarify your strategic direction, establish goals and performance measures, and plan your steps to achieving them. With a defined business plan that targets the specific projects and deliverables that matter, combined with adjustments to how you plan so you’re continuously realigning and prioritising, your company will reap the benefits of having all your teams, resources, and systems in alignment.
With every facet of your business striving for the same goals, you can maximise efficiency while ensuring no time or money goes to waste.
Strategic business planning services:
- Strategic direction setting
- Project, activity & resource planning
- Business planning by function
- 90-day objective setting and planning
Money Matters
Understanding future cash availability, how this will change, and when it will change is critical when leading your business through uncertain times, or when considering strategic changes and plans. Why? Because understanding future cash balances helps you answer questions such as ‘can we afford this?’, ‘is this strategy a good idea?’, or ‘how long can we continue on this path before we’re in trouble?’
HD&U will give you clarity on your future cash balances as well as potential risks and fluctuations to help you get a clear picture of your finances while ensuring you don’t overextend your budget.
Cash flow projection and forecasting services:
- Cash flow modelling and interpretation
- Cash driver analysis
- Financial reviews, audits & analysis (incl. Business case analysis)
Keeping Cool in a Crisis
A crisis can arise for many reasons, and cash flow problems are usually the outcome rather than the cause. With significant expertise in this space, HD&U provide tools and approaches that help, while bringing calm and clarity so you feel more confident when making choices.
Cash flow challenges not only endanger your business, they can also leave your personal assets exposed — a reality that has become all too real for private business directors through ATO changes made in 2022. With a deep understanding of cash flow, operations, and people leadership, and expertise in dealing with lawyers, accountants, employees, bankers, investors, and creditors, HD&U can help you navigate these predicaments to save your personal assets and your business.
We also offer crisis planning and advice, and short-term reviews to ensure that you’ve always got a way out when things don’t go to plan.
Crisis Planning Services:
- Rapid strategic assessments
- Survival planning
- Asset & business protection
- Stakeholder meetings
‘Safe Harbour’ Turnaround Planning
If insolvency is a possibility and your personal assets are at stake, Australia’s ‘Safe Harbour’ laws allow a business owner or director to initiate a ‘Turnaround’ plan to get you back on track while protecting your assets.
To take advantage of these laws, you must consult with a specialist advisor such as HD&U. With rare expertise in whole-of-business turnaround, HD&U is qualified to assess your situation and help you develop a turnaround plan that saves, not just your personal assets, but your business itself. Our business strategy consultants can also aid in turnaround implementation and can monitor your progress to ensure you’re heading in the right direction.
Turnaround and Safe Harbour services:
- Crisis planning and advice
- Short term reviews & planning
Turnaround and Safe Harbour services:
- Crisis planning and advice
- Short term reviews & planning
Financial Modelling Solutions
Financial models are relied upon to support almost all aspects of business from pricing products & services, to analysing performance, determining a business case or ROI, creating a budget or even assessing a KPI. In turn this means small errors can have huge consequences! At HD&U, we can either assess your models to find inconsistencies, fix up glitches, or streamline formulae, or build them for you.
Financial modelling services:
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Financial model review, analysis & improvement
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Forward cash or accounting statement modelling
- Integration into financial systems
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Bespoke models
Buy and Sell with Confidence
Often involving many stakeholders, and potentially exposing owners to significant risk, the disposal or purchase of a business can feel like a daunting task for a business owner. Unfortunately, business brokers are often very expensive, or lack the skills and understanding to assist in the sale of a modern or sophisticated business.
HD&U is dedicated to making the entire process easier and safer for everyone. Supporting vendors prior to and during the sales process, our business consultants can help prepare a business for sale, approach prospective buyers, negotiate, and communicate with stakeholders, employees, and more.
We also help buyers during and after sales by conducting due diligence, negotiating, offering operational leadership, extracting benefits from an acquired entity, and generally ensuring a smooth transition of ownership.
Sales and purchase services:
- Vendor support
- Buyer support
Sales and purchase services:
- Vendor support
- Buyer support
How others have benefitted from our Strategic Business Consulting Services
Stuart has one of the most exceptional minds when it comes to career wellness, governance, M&A and dispute resolution. I know this because he has helped my companies over the years. I hold Stuart in the highest regard for his professionalism and expertise, and have no hesitation recommending him.
HD&U quickly demonstrated the breadth and depth of their corporate experience and resourcefulness, and were able to effectively show us the value of good governance and what we could do to improve the experience and effectiveness of our team.
Stuart quickly establishes a future vision for the business and sets about the deployment of process to achieve that vision. Stuart empowers and creates a motivating stretch goal environment… his leadership skills are complimented by his extensive corporate and financial qualifications.
Stuart has a great ability to make complicated issues seem simple. His knowledge and experience is something I recommend any business leader tap into.
Stuart has the ability to provide fresh perspectives and clear management strategies for dealing with any issue and his experience as a CEO is evident in his approach. It has been my pleasure to work with Stuart.
Stuart has provided me with invaluable insights that have really enhanced my personal leadership skills and brought significant value to the leadership of our organisation. He has also proved to be a highly valued business advisor.
Before Stuart, I was floundering, frustrated, fed up and close to throwing it in and Stuart made mine a business that is now much, much better in every sense. It was challenging and confronting at times but so SO worth it.. I highly recommend Stuart. For me, he was nothing short of business saving. I feel really privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him. It has made all the difference.
I recently workshopped the Environmental Earth Group of companies with Stuart and have a whole new positive outlook for the future, Stuart thinks outside the square and seems to be able find a solution for anything.. I honestly wish I had used his services years earlier
With my hand-on-my-heart, I am honoured to share that with HD&U’s ongoing support, we now enjoy an authentic high-performance culture. Their strategic advice, tools, systems and personnel have driven and implemented a positive and permanent change in my business. Thank you!
HD&U ’s contribution to our team, our culture, our direction and our own personal growth as business owners has been rich and appreciated. And the outcomes we’ve achieved because of this has been extraordinary!
HD&U’s advice, guidance and good counsel have allowed us to reach a significant milestone for the company over the past 18 months, and one we certainly would have struggled to get to without their help. As of today, we now have 22 staff members who own 27.6% of the units in the company along with our Director group. This is transformational.
Working with HD&U has been fantastic. Profound. And it has made a huge difference. Stuart is a confidante who works on our business, not in it, and to have that is gold.
HD&U’s knowledge and understanding of all legislation and its requirements were second to none… and never once have they failed to answer any question I had.
HD&U’s team have been auditing our trust accounts for over 10 years now. During this time we have found a high level of professionalism and expertise. James is familiar with the needs of our organisation and the audits are carried out with a minimum of fuss and disruption to the business. Valuable feedback is provided throughout the process and through the year when needed We would not hesitate in recommending their services to any prospective clients.
The team at HD&U are people of tremendous integrity and industry knowledge. There have been numerous occasions where on top of our yearly audits we have sought advice on a myriad of matters. Some of the topics have included – Business licensing formalities, Section 27 deposit release queries and the purchasing of or merging with other Real Estate companies. Also at different times we have asked for spot audits on our general bank accounts for any irregularities. The reason for seeking counsel… is because we trust them and their advice.
HD&U provided sound advice and assisted with the setting up of our business systems and introduced good business practice… James was terrific to deal with, and his knowledge and understanding of the real estate industry was excellent.