CASE STUDIES

Client Name: Oliver’s Cupboard

Business “Startup” Strategy for a first-time entrepreneur.
- Vision, Mission and Ambition workshop - including full P&L trajectory, financial reporting including cash flow projections, also share targets and investor options.
- Situational Analysis - including market research and analysis, competitor analysis and review, target market research, SWOT.
- Insights into Portfolio Strategy - including product innovation pipeline plan and product and packaging approval from kitchen to launch.
- Key Opportunities and Objectives - including segmentation and sizing, target persona, routes to market.
- Category approach and Strategic Brand Plan - including identification of opportunities and barriers to the category, and how to position the brand and product range for success.
- Manufacturing review and proposal - including international supply agreement and post-Brexit logistics specification.
- Technical input - making the product range safe and legal including infant food specific product and packaging compliance and UK Halal and Organic registration.
- Business plan and investor pitch - including SEIS funding and financial management.
- Sales presentation ready for the sales team to do their magic!
- Overall good governance from concept to launch.
Oliver’s Cupboard was the brand idea that came to a British born Muslim mum, just after her son Oliver was born. She began her journey into business as she discovered a real gap in the market for infant food which was inclusive of the many diverse cultures that make Britain great, and where every community can nurture their family in a way that works for them!
An initial range of 6 weaning meals were developed for launch, all designed from recipes often made by our mum at home for her family.
To review the wider opportunity for the problem which exists to bring a better inclusivity through food to a diverse marketplace of new generation families and investigate the options to bring resolutions to the defined market through several business models offering information, convenience, as well as a service offering to reach more people, more often and with a depth of offer relevant to their lifestyles.
The birth rate in the UK has been in decline for many years, yet Muslim families are bucking this trend with younger family groups growing in the country and bringing the need for a more varied food range to suit lifestyle needs.
Timing is such that with the momentum building behind the desire for more plant based foods, and meals with culturally relevant ingredients with widening appeal, the idea to launch a Halal friendly and vegetable based menu for babies was the aim, and to a market with some very successful and well trusted brands already dominating this space.
A three-pronged approach was defined, with the initial brief to establish the optimum way to brand and commercialise the first kitchen samples into products fit for purpose and ready to scale to the target as well as mass market, and an entry into the UK geography with the second and thirds steps as international sales and future range extension.
Our tactics were to establish the startup brand as a D2C as well as a B2C credible offering, attracting the interest of the major supermarkets as well as online e-tailers to work alongside an e-commerce operation.
Once our objectives and deliverables were clear, the first phase required building the unique people capabilities required to approach this challenging product category, recruiting experienced resources from our professional network to complement the founder’s personal drive.
In this case our strategy work was designed to be inclusive, combined with good governance to take the whole project team on the journey to deliver the founders vision for a new and differentiated brand in a crowded category. Our desktop analysis combined with bespoke market research provided insight to develop the brand and category plan whilst the SWOT was driven by the desire to increase the potential for success by learning from category experts.
The project required us to develop and manage the relationship with European suppliers to the point, leading product and packaging development to deliver appealing products that were safe and legal in a technically complex regulatory environment.
Beyond the initial launch, our team continued to provide commercial and financial support to successfully deliver first UK listings.
Full value chain review and proposal, leading to a definitive UK business plan including investor pack gaining sufficient financial support for market entry.
Robust customer and shopper research to gain valuable insights to refine the proposition ready to build the category approach and strategic brand plan, initiating a full category story and brand proposition supporting the ability to secure top retailer listings in both Ocado and Asda within the first year.
Supplier relationship management from concept to launch.
Delivery of a safe and legal initial product range within a complex regulatory environment.
Transitional resourcing of key business functions until handover.

Client Name: The Vegilantes

UK Market Entry Strategy – start up
- Category and shopper marketing strategic approach
The Vegilantes is the brainchild of a serial entrepreneur, who knew there to be a gap in the market for a range of chef inspired, handmade, protein packed, plant based frozen foods which would be developed with taste and flavour top of mind, producing “restaurant quality” meals suitable to be served to the family at home. The aim is to stand for independence and being part of shaking up the future of the food industry for good.
Yet this was also to be about building a social community of like-minded people, who had a determination through their own values to join as a collective “force for good” and become part of a food revolution - looking after each other in a crazy world and acting like a “rebel with a cause”; a modern-day food hero with a transparent mask on a good food crusade!
Making protein good, by making good protein. To satisfy the clear need and market opportunity to be part of helping to transform the nations diet towards a planet and people friendly position - by focusing upon a range of healthy products which offer the right protein intake levels by rebalancing the mix and including more plant proteins to add a real benefit by reducing animal protein in our food choices no matter if you an omnivore, vegetarian or vegan. This is not just about protein though, as the aim is to pack the range with less fat, and more fibre and elements such as iron – using the best ingredients and staying 100% natural by adding nothing artificial.
With the national target set to become net zero by 2050 (if not by 2030), and with food a critical element in this ambition, The Vegilantes dream is to continue to reset the bar in tasty plant-based foods, and reach their target market of growing health conscious, sustainably minded citizens, with a keen eye and taste palette which is uncompromising when it comes to food. Their aim was to be “Protein provocateurs”, and start a taste revolution.

As the UK food market is dominated by a few “Goliaths”, The Vegilantes wanted to approach it by winning hearts, minds, and ultimately the overall battle! With growth coming from premiumisation, plus a renewed focus upon ethical and “free from” sectors, being a challenger brand was going to be about knowing and talking to your customers in the right places.
With category expansion possible from all age groups adopting a flexitarian diet, the task was to support gaining traction across the right distribution channels by helping to build the brand story and the category approach within frozen; as part of the brand activation to support with the build a website, and gain followers across social media to support the awareness and traction to purchase through a meaningful campaign.
With a simple operating model keeping the approach lean, agile, scalable yet profitable, the aim was to build a category story which would take shelf space from the larger corporations, and introduce the range of meat, chicken and dairy alternatives to a cross section of retailers.

The main platform targets for the social campaign were Facebook, and Instagram, where we targeted key influencers who were known supporters of plant-based foods. The brand launched just 2 months ahead of what became a national lockdown in response to the global outbreak of Covid, offering its own challenges to many businesses. The brand launch campaign reflected this into an opportunity centered around “National Food Heroes”
A full category marketing plan for the branded range with key highlights around category growth opportunities through a targeted marketing activation calendar to attract prospects utilising the POEM approach – incorporating a comprehensive PR and consumer activation plan primed around specific social media and retailer media portfolio options.

Gained exclusive national listings within Morrisons and Dunnes.

Client Name: BV Dairy (First Milk)

Provided expert fact-finding, analytical and decision-support services for a “Make or Buy” decision for a significant new investment.
Our approach used a balance of People, Planet and Profit considerations to find the best outcome for all stakeholders.
In 2024, BV Dairy became a part of First Milk, a regenerative farmer-owned dairy cooperative and a Certified B Corp.
BV Dairy manufactures a range of added value dairy products including cheese, creams and yogurts all made using milk sourced from farms within 30 miles of the dairy in Shaftesbury.
BV Dairy supplies premium dairy products to food manufacturers, food service chains and contract caterers as well as providing contract manufacturing services helping its brand partners to bring exciting new products to the retail market.
To complement existing on- and off-site resources and to bring our skills, knowledge and experience to accelerate the decision-making on a complex investment case, considering criteria broader than traditional capital project financial metrics.
Developing a high utilisation, complex packing operation to best meet the needs of brand-holder and retail customers without sacrificing the people, planet and profit impact on other stakeholders.
The project itself had many unknowns and inter-relationships.
First understand the market context working from the shelf-back, identify interdependencies and competing priorities
Then use project management tools and techniques to establish a clear project brief and agree measures of success for time, quality and cost.
Complete a comprehensive risk assessment of the project incorporating people, planet and profit considerations to identify potential controls and residual risks.
Work with potential equipment suppliers to develop a prospective capital solution and consider its feasibility as part of a physical master plan for the packing operation. Quantify the total costs of change for the capital project, including the investment and operating impacts.
Identify an alternative solution using service providers to meet the same project deliverables and evaluate the consequences of the alternative on the project outcome.
Communicate, engage and foster collaboration between multiple stakeholders to reach a shared decision on a preferred approach from the options available and then progress the project to factory acceptance trial.
In this case, the non-capital solution provided a quicker and less-disruptive way to deliver innovation to the shelf whilst still retaining the option for a future capital solution should conditions change.

Portrait of business founder Liam Childs

Client Name: Local’s Own

Business “Startup” Sales & Marketing Plan for the launch of an entrepreneur’s new concept
- Situational Analysis (including supplier & customer analysis, competitor review, target value chain, SWOT)
- Collaborative development of Eco-Social Business Plan canvas
- Grant funding for New Business launch
- Design of Marketing MIx
- Sales & Marketing Plan for first ninety days
- Informal coaching support for duration of the plan
Liam Childs is the entrepreneur behind Locals Own. He has lived in Dorset all his life and in the last few years he has seen how some of his friends working in the hospitality sector had been badly affected during the pandemic. With his own small service business and as someone who likes to support the local economy, he wanted to help local producers keen to sell their wares.

“I aim to become the one stop shop for local regional brands. I could see that all the venues are stuck with big brands supplying your normal kind of beverages so that you get the same drinks everywhere you go. To be different a venue would have to seek out local drinks themselves while the brand would have to do a lot of work to reach potential customers.”
Liam’s vision was to build a Dorset-based business sourcing locally produced alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and supplying to hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars in the South West.
To launch a new business to capitalise on the post-pandemic goodwill towards eating and drinking locally.
How to provide value to suppliers and customers alike in a way that differentiates Locals Own from other distributors.
Deliver a start-up business plan for the first ninety days of the business launch covering all aspects of the marketing mix.
The project kicked off with bid-writing support to access local grant funding to support launch the business. We ran a series of collaborative sessions with Liam to develop a business plan canvas that highlighted the main pains and gains in the value chain and how Local’s Own could use these to build a unique value proposition.
Together we established a target marketing mix and a ninety-day activity plan to quickly establish critical mass. As part of our involvement, we went on to provide informal virtual and IRL coaching support for the duration of the plan.
Locals Own offers 15 South West alcoholic and non-alcoholic brands to HORECA customers around Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole including drinks from Dorset names such as BH1 Gin, Bride Valley, Dorset Ginger, Dorset Nectar and Piddle Brewery. To raise awareness, Locals Own was present at local festivals and featured in the press.

A greetings card on kraft board overlapping a kraft envelope. teh inside of teh envelope is multi-coloured vertical stripes and the front of the card is a rainbow with the words "Thank You!"

Client Name: Tache Crafts

Growth Strategy (as a Service)
- Good Governance (including social and ethical trade route map)
- Business Planning (including funding deck)
- Operations Strategy (including make or buy evaluations for sourcing and fulfilment activities)
- Organisation Development Plan (including review of existing and required capabilities)
Tache Crafts is a ten-year old greetings card business founded by two young creatives, starting on their kitchen table and growing to a mainstay of retailers like John Lewis and T K Maxx.
Since then Tache has branched out into gifts and stationery, and licensing always keeping its design heritage and style, and the owners have ambitious plans for international growth.
The owners want to put in place the building blocks for future growth and to balance working on the business strategy at the same time as working in the heart of the creative process.
Add your skills, knowledge and experience to our enthusiasm to steer us towards the next phase for Tache and help us gather the resources that we need to succeed.
Whilst the first question posed was recruitment, that ended up being the final deliverable. In between, our Strategy as a Service approach had to navigate short term funding needs and the practicalities of international sourcing before turning to a coherent business plan and funding deck with shareholder buy-in to new fit for the future organisation structure.
Measured leadership interventions to progress change at the same time as practical hands-on executional support to fill resource gaps.
Structured decision-making for some thorny business issues.
Clarity of direction enabling communication of strategy to future funders.
A step forward in ethical and social performance.

Two people at work in a design studio creating new products

Client Name: Heart & Soul Studio

Growth Strategy
● Situational Analysis (including internal analysis, market review and research, SWOT)
● Key Opportunities and Objectives (including segmentation and sizing, routes to market)
● Category Approach
● Organisation Development Plan (including review of existing and required capabilities)
Heart and Soul are a family business with its roots in Celebration Crackers, a business with a forty-year heritage making Christmas Crackers.
The business has a reputation for quality and service and offers a bespoke design service for its premium customers. However, the core business is strongly seasonal with finite demand and pressure on margins as retailers open direct supply chains from the Far East.
The owners wanted to move beyond their core and needed clarity through a robust strategy to steer the right team to success
Whilst the pandemic had prompted the business to swap to working from home, it was also an opportunity to move to new premises ready for a return to office working.
The brief was to help with a post-pandemic reset that would grow the business and reduce reliance on its historic core.
Together the Maia team facilitated the owners in a strategic review of their business that led to a three month action plan across all business functions:
● Restructured the leadership team and recruited new members
● Established a year-round innovation and creative process with new resource
● Put in place business continuity plan and navigated the “Suez” container crisis
● Started to build a year-round business based on sales category knowledge
● Managed the transition from Working from Home to a new hybrid solution
● Extended year-round product range into stationery & gifting
● Reshored artisan production to Dorset
● Prepped to regain JLP Waitrose from 2023

Two people holding hands featuring a self defence spray in a trouser pcoket

Client Name: Plegium

Market Entry Strategy
- Situational Analysis - including market research and analysis, competitor review, target market research, SWOT.
- Key Opportunities and Objectives - including segmentation and sizing, target persona, route to market.
- Category Approach and role of brand and range - focusing upon opportunities and barriers to entry, key brand priorities and the story for innovation.
- Strategic Brand Plan - including “where to play” and “how to win” and brand tactics into delivery.
Plegium is a Swedish Tech startup founded by two innovative fathers Carl Lungi and Henrik Frisk, who were looking into how to offer their children greater personal protection as they reached teenage years and became more independent. As they searched the market for options, it became obvious there was a true gap, with nothing suitable to meet todays’ lifestyle needs.

Now one of Europe’s fastest growing smart personal safety companies, they have developed a range of unique personal safety devices consisting of six products with varying features and price points, and a choice of colours. The principal product has five key features which essentially differentiates it from the known competition, and places it in the premium end of the marketplace. The product has good reviews and achieves higher ratings from purchasers/users, recognising the quality standards of Swedish technology and engineering.
The Plegium team has been rapidly scaling the business in their homeland through physical and online stores, as well as geographically expanding their footprint into Europe (primarily Germany and Italy) and America.
Having established a strong foothold in parts of Europe and the U.S. market for their product portfolio, Plegium have their sights set towards other regions across the globe as potential territories to introduce the principal range.
Whilst sales have tentatively started through online platforms in the British market - initially Amazon.com, and soon after adding Amazon.co.uk - the founders wanted to understand the opportunity in the U.K. for their brand and products, and how they might best approach a phased market entry considering the well-developed retail market and our traditional approach to policing by consent
To draft a UK business plan and commercial approach centred around defining a new category and brand story to establish and grow Plegium’s share of the UK market for Personal Safety/Protection devices both on and offline, working alongside the momentum already in motion through Amazon.
From Insights available, build a foundation strategy which will guide on “size of prize” and to guide upon “where to play” and “how to win”. Using the strategic approach, to lay out a high-level brand (sales and marketing) plan, to enable a successful UK launch - offering a category selling story, and a brand positioning to gain a firm footing in this territory as well as establish the brand and ensure it becomes well known for all the right reasons.
Self-protection is of utmost importance to people in the UK; however, it tends to be a reactive consideration when something tragic occurs. The market for “looking after yourself” primarily out of home remains untapped in Britain.

The time is right for someone to lead this and create value in the sector and market by educating and empowering people to look after themselves and their families by equipping them with knowledge and the right products.

There is a real opportunity to make this a proactive considered purchase through the development of a new category, giving visibility, awareness and access to a range of product choices to a wide audience who have a need around safety and security.
The Plegium innovation through technology has been driven by today’s customer needs, and the product features need to be defined as true benefits to get the pull through from end users, and shoppers. The U.K. looks a great opportunity for the brand (67m population), with product designs aligning to the UK legislation around self-protection.
Once our objectives and deliverables were clear, the initial discovery phase entailed combining strong inputs through desktop data searches and analysis, whilst completing a bespoke piece of market research which produced insights to discover the opportunities and barriers which would need to be overcome by the business as we structured the early stages of the strategic plan. The SWOT was extensive, yet key themes really began to stand out to drive focus behind the key growth strategies, and a really clear segmentation strategy emerged for laser targeting.

Through the market development review and value chain analysis the key question centred around the best way to invest resources to get the right margin results to build the optimum routes to market across the classic 4P matrix, and more importantly the sequence in which to roll this out for the organisation in a completely new marketplace.
A clear online and digital commercial plan emerged for the first phase, including both B2B and B2C opportunities including strong partnership options to reach the ultimate shopper and consumer.
Repositioning of the product online for e-commerce opportunities, driven by insights
Supporting the extension of distribution to attract more sales across range.
Building capability to recruit first sales colleague for UK market.

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Client Name: Not disclosed

Mentoring and coaching to facilitate a change of ownership in a family run small business
This established business-to-business distributor has exclusive distribution rights for leading international brands and is a well known name in its market. However after twenty years, and with retirement in sight, it felt like time for the founder to move on.
An entertainment business with a reputation based on premium products and great customer service.
Explore the possibility of a change in ownership between generations, and facilitate the smooth transition in leadership, whilst keeping the business on track.
Navigating the real life tensions of a family business to find a mutually agreeable outcome at the very same time that the business was knocked off course by an unexpected side-swipe from a big supplier.
A successful management buy out welcomed by suppliers, employees and customers at the same time as 10% year on year growth in branded sales.
“this transaction could not have happened at the speed it did without keeping focus on the goal and flexing style to get a good outcome for two quite different stakeholders”

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