We highly recommend Mark and Suzanne of Business Step Up services’ to anybody wishing to grow their business. They have added much expertise, knowledge and value from their Corporate World with identifying new opportunities for growth to our UK market and globally with our International operations.The Orbit planning process was enlightening and helped us to plan the route ahead. The singe plan page is brilliant in keeping us focused and on track with the business growth and exactly what’s needed in order to get there. The way they demonstrate clear understanding and solutions is exactly what we needed and monthly meetings are always structured, strategically and tactically to insure we are kept on track to achieve our goals and targets.
Andrew East – MD, SkyHawk Global
I have booked Mark and Suzanne for two separate sessions. One for the Business Step-up Business workshop and another for the QuickBooks masterclass. On both occasions they have been nothing but; warm and welcoming whilst, at the same time, creating a professional and calm atmosphere to get such an enormous amount of quality work done, it was truly astounding. I am not easily tamed into such work but, with their ability to break things down into simple forms and keep the subject interesting, even I could grasp the concepts and achieve goals I thought I never would. When I normally leave a room with a head crammed full of information I can already feel it leaving but, with Business Step-up and Mark and Suzanne, I feel confident I am now a master in the subject.
I cannot recommend them enough.
Joe Granville – Founder, Rogue Welsh Cakes.
Mark and Suzanne have been a major strategic and tactical partner to the IRG organisation and senior management team for many years with offering expert advice, guidance, strategy workshops, leadership self-analysis, behaviours and 360 feedback, that has proven time and time again to be accurate and faultless. Since 2020 and following our successful internal MBO – Directors Management buy-out, Mark and Suzanne have worked closely with us with organising business workshops for our 12 Crash Repair Centre’s – General Managers with offering workable and profitable management tools and financials, VDA management tool to simplify their daily work with process and system to capture all repair work first time. Main Board Directors, we completed our 3-year business growth plan and 12-month one page planner that has given us meaningful structure, direction, goals, vision and timing, from which we have benefited tenfold and workshop to Delivering Operational Excellence. We can’t thank Mark and Suzanne enough and are privileged to have both on board for the next exciting journey of our growth and expansion programme
Joe Moore – Operations Director, IRG
As an independent company, we feel it is important to consider specialist external assistance with the development of our business and we really see the value that this can bring to any organisation that are looking to grow. We had a number of sessions with Mark and Suzanne, in which they showed us tools that would support our business growth and enable us to focus our strategic planning, which we found extremely beneficial. Mark and Suzanne are very professional and a very skilled team, who would be an asset to any business small or large who are looking to take their service/organisation to the next level.
Gareth Cole – Managing Director, Coles Funeral Director
Mark and Suzanne have been working with us to increase Sales through 121 and team Sales Training Workshops, Installed accountancy software to ensure we maximise on our cashflow and with Legal’s, reviewed a contract that was causing us major issues. They took control and successfully had the contract terminated that would have cost us over £5,000. Mark and Suzanne have been totally inspirational and we look forward to our continued journey together, can’t wait!
Sarah White – Managing Director, Golden Oaks Services
When I approached Business Step Up with an in-house director level problem they set about and designed a Strategy workshop for myself and my Board of Directors to motivate and inspire, a thoroughly enjoyable effective process that has generated real tangible results and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to any business committed to growth such as ourselves. We look forward to working with Mark and Suzanne on our next project.
Alan Brayley – Managing Director, AB Glass
Mark, after yesterday’s mentoring meeting, I am actually buzzing with ideas. I really appreciate the time we had and absolutely cannot believe the background that we share. I am now finishing work for the day, yep 0100 but this is because of you. I have actually not stopped talking about it to the other shareholders since our meeting and already looking forward to our next meeting together.
Matthew Davies – Titanserv Control Ltd
We started our business 5 years ago; however, we had become a bit stagnant with no real direction. We started working with Mark and Suzanne over 12 months ago. The Orbit process really made us focus on our businesses giving us clear goals and enabling us to work through exactly what is needed to achieve these goals. The tasks set have helped us slimline our business processes and have given us clear direction on how to further grow our business. Since engaging in the orbit process with the support of Suzanne and Mark our turnover and profit has increased. Our sessions with Suzanne and Mark are enjoyable and challenging and we would recommend any business who is looking to grow to engage their services.
Amanda and Faye – A2Z Food Safety
After an initial consultation, we booked a meeting with Business Step Up to complete our 3 year Orbit. We were keen to complete it in preparation for our next Financial Year and Mark & Suzanne willingly accommodated us.
At first glance a 3 year plan can appear daunting but Mark and Suzanne’s expertise split the process down into manageable and realistic chunks which then brought everything together perfectly. In fact we soon discovered that when all the elements of the Orbit were brought together we were understating realistic target areas i.e turnover, profit, headcount. Together we re-evaluated key areas to have a final and accurate representation of our growth plan and targets and how we would achieve them.
Business Step Up did exactly what they say they would do and more. We would have no hesitation in recommending Business Step Up to anyone who did not have a 3 year business plan in place or were not seeing the benefit of their existing business plan.
Emily Steer – Steer IT
St John Cymru – Wales are extremely grateful to Mark and Suzanne who have clearly demonstrated their business expertise and professionalism to us and we are very pleased to have engaged their services. They listened to us, our core values and issues then provide inspirational ‘Bespoke’ Strategic, Marketing, Sales, Process workshops for senior management and Sales staff, which has greatly assisted the future direction of the business. Each business workshop was inspirational, directive and fun. Their ability to focus on the core issues of each project, collect and collate supporting information and steer us in the right direction has been invaluable. It is also vitally important that we have faith and trust in sharing sensitive and confidential information with them.
Mark and Suzanne have both our respect and trust and we would have no hesitation in recommending their services to others.
Jon Philips (Director of Training)
Mark has been mentoring Paul and myself for over four years now which has been invaluable. the value in what he does is fantastic. He is our sounding board for running by new ideas, any problems that we have, new strategies and always challenges us to make us accountable and make sure we put things into practise.
Tracey Smolinski (Director)
After winning the Cardiff Voom Pitch 2017, where I won £5k and brunch with Sir Richard Branson, I had the pleasure of meeting with Mark from Business Step Up. The time I spent with Mark was probably one of the most valuable and educational 90 minutes I’ve ever had. Absolutely superb advice and guidance, he knew exactly what approach I should take and the mind set I should have. A truly fantastic guy, easy going, remarkably skilled, and great teacher. I look forward to working with Mark in the future.
Daniel Swygart (Founder at TrekinHerd Ltd)
Having used Business Step Up for our Orbit, I can highly recommend their services it has and continues to support us as an organisation to focus and plan on the next 5 years. We are now 18 months in from writing the Orbit and we are on track to achieving our goals. This has certainly helped us to remain focused on our future and on times keeps us in line. We have also shared the Orbit with our staff to communicate our strategies and they are very excited on where the company is heading.
Kim and Chris Churcher – Owners, MVRRS and Wales England Care
“UK Launch of new products, having greatly and successfully increased our Branding, Image, Profiling & volume Sales”
Group Marketing Manager
Mark has been an excellent coach for the BDE senior management. He has helped shaped and guide us along our journey, providing a voice of reason and a highly knowledgeable sounding board when everyone else is telling us how we should run our business. We trust Mark entirely and he has never steered us wrong. We would recommend him to anyone, no matter what stage they are at in their business journey. Mark’s knowledge, understanding, advice and willingness to help businesses succeed is unquestionable. I look forward to a continued relationship with him.
Matt Dodson (Operations Director)
Language School
“Marks Sales training covered many topics & their uses, with much Practical involvement for my 14 sales team who were all from foreign origins around the world” Ania – Group Sales & Marketing Director – Language School
European Sales Training
“Participants were able to freely express themselves & feel completely comfortable” Dmitry Babichev, Senior Sales – Tellus Group
Veterinary Group
“Excellent, having added volume growth business through Mark’s expertise with assistance of many new sales & marketing solutions to our business growth” (MD) – Veterinary Group
Security
“Had developed a concise proposal of current funding options and sourcing opportunities for new premises with existing sites, Greenfield, Brownfield options” S Weston (MD) OBEand P Hartshorn operations Director – Security Company
Manufacturing UK and Europe
“Have restructured our manufacturing operations with introducing new product lines and developed our Sales & Marketing operations. Introduced a UK direct marketing campaign for sales growth with existing & new customers” (MD) – Manufacturer, Supplier and Retailer
Sport and Leisure
“Mark has been involved for many seasons firstly, Rugby coaching the colt’s then Rugby development with Independent schools and producing a Rugby Academy blueprint. Much needed business was developed for the club which has been very much appreciated” Dr G Stirling CBE and G Dawe (Ex England and International Rugby player) Plymouth Albion RFU Club – National Championship League
“Since Mark has been coaching and managing, my Rugby knowledge and match play fitness has increased 10 fold since being part of his WRU exiles Rugby squad
“Mark joined us as first IV Rugby coach U17/U18 colts, within a short time, we have now won every match through having a clearer understanding of what to do and increased fitness levels have helped us also to becoming winners” – Folkestone Rugby Club
Construction
“Construction Operations: Mark’s expertise in Fast Growth Business management and enthusiasm, energy, experience and guidance have greatly assisted our business growth and achieving future business opportunities” (MD) Tennisson Construction
Agricultural
“Mark’s presentation skills and appetite to understand, listen and practical approach assisted with delivering us the perfect Sales & Marketing tools. Producing a ‘bespoke’ business plan was superb, brilliant and of great benefit to us and for use with financial funders and accountant. Mark completely over delivered to our organisation, true value in every sense MD) Agricultural Organisation
Banking
“The partnership with us and our clients has been very successful” Key account managers – Lloyds Bank