Success Stories From Our Clients
At Business By Design, we believe the true measure of our success lies in the success of our clients. We're incredibly proud of the transformations and breakthroughs we've helped achieve and nothing speaks louder than the words of those we've worked with. Read on to discover how our strategic guidance and dedicated support have made a real difference for businesses just like yours.
“Working with Cliff over the past few months has been nothing short of transformative for both me and my business. As a solo leader, having someone like Cliff in my corner has been invaluable. His deep understanding of business strategy, combined with a tailored approach to coaching, has given me clear, actionable insights that are already yielding results.
Each session with Cliff brings a new breakthrough—whether it's refining our service strategy, improving operational efficiency (big up the cashflow forecasting!), or simply gaining the clarity and confidence needed to navigate some hefty business challenges.
What truly sets Cliff apart is his ability to push you just enough to step out of your comfort zone while providing unwavering support. His calm considered manner and sharp business acumen have helped me see the bigger picture without losing sight of the important details.
If you're looking for a coach who is not only strategic but genuinely invested in your success, I can’t recommend Cliff highly enough. He’s a game changer!”
Putting People First - #PeopleOverProfit - By Providing People Services in the Tech World
“I had the pleasure of working with Cliff when he joined me and Nick Looby on our Chatbox Breakfast show, and he was an exceptional guest. Cliff brought a wealth of knowledge and experience, sharing valuable insights with our audience in an engaging and articulate way. His ability to break down complex ideas into relatable, actionable advice is a testament to his deep expertise and communication skills.
Cliff’s professionalism and enthusiasm made our collaboration both productive and enjoyable. He’s not only a great speaker but also someone who genuinely cares about delivering value to others. I highly recommend Cliff to anyone looking to work with a knowledgeable and dedicated professional.”
Trusted Technology & Business Advisor ▪️Technology Expert ▪️ Keynote Speaker ▪️ Chat Show Host ▪️ CMgr FCMI / FCIM / FIOEE / FRSA
“I was first introduced to Cliff Spolander of Business by Design late last year through a recommendation from my accountant. From our very first conversation, Cliff offered valuable insights and practical guidance on how to improve and restructure my cleaning company.
At the time, I was feeling increasingly frustrated and uncertain about the direction of the business, especially with the financial instability caused by the new Labour government's first budget. That short call with Cliff left me feeling reassured and confident. I could see that with his support, I would be able to develop a clear, sustainable plan for the future of the company – along with a renewed sense of motivation and belief in what was possible.
Cliff is a rare find. Not only does he bring a wealth of experience and strategic knowledge, but he genuinely cares about helping business owners succeed. While he may run a business, it’s clear this is more than just a job for him – it's a vocation. His work truly comes from the heart.
Thank you, Cliff.”
Deborah Tracey
Polished Home Cleaning Services Limited
“As a Chartered Financial Planner, I understand the importance of having an accurate business valuation, proven growth strategies tailored to build your business the way you want and eventually, a successful exit.
Often, business owners aren’t clear on the value of their business, how to grow it or what to do next in their lives once they move on.
The challenge arises when a business owner relies on their business's value to achieve financial goals, as many do, but isn’t sure of its worth. This uncertainty can create a significant gap in their financial plan.
That’s why what Cliff does is so vital. With his unique tools and extensive expertise, he helps business owners gain clarity on both the financial and transferable value of their business, now and in the future.
Cliff is a great guy—knowledgeable, committed to supporting business owners and an excellent communicator.
If you’re seeking more clarity in your business, I’d highly recommend having a conversation with Cliff.”
Chartered Financial Planner ► Business owner ► Kindness Advocate ► Values driven
“Cliff is very knowledgeable and an expert in his field . He is easy to work with which is a big bonus.”
Paul Miller FCA
“I recommend Cliff to any business looking to unlock its full potential and achieve significant growth. He has a remarkable ability to understand the nuances of a business, its challenges, and its aspirations. Cliff excels at crafting and implementing strategies that align with each client's unique journey and drive meaningful progress.
What distinguishes Cliff is his commitment to fostering genuine partnerships. He invests time in understanding his clients' vision and works collaboratively to help them realise it.
I've had the pleasure of working with Cliff in previous roles, and I've consistently been impressed by his strategic thinking, his dedication, and his ability to deliver exceptional results. He's a true partner for any organisation.”
Experienced Technology Professional
“I very much enjoy working with Cliff. He has some very all worked out approaches to doing a business exit. He is collaborative, looking for ways to work together and generous with his time and referrals. I don't have any hesitation referring any of my contacts to him.”
Executive Ikigai Expert
“Cliff provides considered, thoughtful coaching, asking insightful questions that stop you in your tracks and give you a chance to see the world from a different perspective.
He has a wealth of practical experience in business and it is this practicality that I really benefited from. It is so important to have a completely confidential, experienced and objective sounding board when running a company and this is Cliff in a nutshell.
He is also not afraid to get his hands dirty, working the problem alongside you, finding resources, creating answers.
He is very organised in his approach, always comes prepared to sessions, demonstrating a respect for other people's time and enabling everyone to focus on the issues immediately.
If you need a new perspective or you want to put some structure and organisation around how you work, or you want an objective sounding board to review or develop your growth strategy then Cliff is an excellent partner.”
Founder at Change Capability Community
“I've known Cliff for a few years now. He has an incredible ability to very quickly identify key constraints within any business, even when just observing a single Board meeting. His no nonsense and pragmatic approach to business operations, and more importantly exit planning, means that he is quickly and readily able to develop a robust and well-considered plan tailored to each client. As a practicing financial planner with business owning clients, and as a business advisor, I recognise the immense value of his work to his clients. The only issue I've ever had to see him grapple with is a business owners’ readiness to accept the reality they're being shown, but if they do, a smooth and profitable business exit in the best possible timeframe is their reward!”
All about the 'how'. How will you deliver your vision? How will you lead your team or business? How will you provide the life you want to for your family? How can you be your best?
“Cliff is a business scaling expert. I'm happy to recommend him.”
MBA ACII Dip PFS Helping Financial Services business attract and retain top talent with our proven recruitment process that guarantees the right candidate
“Having worked with Cliff on a number of projects I can easily and readily recommend him for his business knowledge and acumen, ability to problem solve and provide clear and compelling recommendations to clients. On top of all that he is a thoroughly decent person who is always quick to provide advice and support when required! No hesitation at all in recommending Cliff to future clients!”
Technology Investing | Venture Capital | Mergers & Acquisitions | Exit Planning | SME Growth
“I highly recommend Cliff to Business Owners and their Advisors. Every owner will leave their business someday. Will they be Exit Ready? Cliff consistently delivers practical and actionable insights into how to prepare for the inevitable exit regardless of when it happens. Reading his book, talking to him and watching his videos has helped me to be a better resource to owners.”
Helping owners understand the value of their business and how to protect it
“I have known Cliff for some time- his advice on business planning - from start up to exit (and all the stages in between) is, in my experience, second to none. He is always practical and I have been able to implement the advice he gives. In addition, he has always been extremely helpful and offered advice to help me in my fledging business and as a friend and supporter, which I have been very grateful for- I have recommended Cliff and introduced him to many people as a result of the sage advice I received and will continue to do so.”
Solicitor & Risk Management Expert, Preventing Claims against Professionals, Practical Solutions to Embed Risk Management into Workplace Culture, Expertise in Engagement Letters, Founder of the Riskbites Club
“After 10 sessions with Cliff through the Help to Grow program, I was able to understand my cash flow system much better. Cliff’s insights and tailored advice were instrumental in helping me identify key areas for improvement and implement strategies that made a real difference. His practical approach and deep understanding of business finances allowed me to take control of my cash flow more effectively, making smarter decisions for growth. I highly recommend Cliff for any business owner looking to optimise their financial management and gain greater clarity on their financial path forward. Also his book the Cashflow code is excellent.”
Founder, CEO at Booyah Vitality. Registered Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist, Go with your gut feeling!
“Cliffs approach to building a business designed for exit opened my eyes to opportunities that I never thought possible. With his teachings and insights I was able to scale and sell my business in under a year. I didn’t even think my business was worth anything when we first met but armed with the knowledge and support I got from Cliff I was able to sell and exit quicker than I ever dreamed possible.”
Changing the Lives of Bookkeepers and Their Families | Best-Selling Author & Podcast Co-Host | On a Mission to Positively Impact 1,000,000 Children in Poverty.
“Cliff skilfully anticipates the issues entrepreneurs will face when the entire business relies on the efforts of a single person. He has a grounded view on business. His philosophy focuses on preparing for the future, in fact the inevitable. Cliff made me realize I wasn't ready for "the end" at all. I now know the steps I need to take, not only to reinforce the life of my business, which is what having an exit plan sympathetically addresses, but also to give it a smooth landing at its eventual end, leaving me making money as opposed to losing all of the worth I've put into my business.”
Proofreader | Editor | Writing Friend
“Cliff is my go-to person for advice and guidance on exit planning for my business advisory clients. He is knowledgeable and practical and eminently approachable. His saleability test and exit scorecard have been a huge help in demonstrating to clients how ready (or not) they are for exit and how much still needs to be done before they can even consider putting their business up for sale. I would highly recommend a chat with him if you're a business owner thinking of exiting or an advisor looking to help your clients to exit.”
Helping ambitious entrepreneurs survive, thrive, scale and exit successfully
“Cliff provided some excellent advice for me with regard to my SME. He demystified the process, helped me identify the key issues, asked some very insightful questions both at a strategic and very practical level. I highly recommend Cliff to anyone else who is looking at the option of selling a business or starting up a new one. Pleasure working with you Cliff - thank you.”
Charity consultant, freelance fundraiser and leader. Experienced fundraiser with senior management experience including Director of Fundraising.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Cliff at the start up of my business. I have been able to contact him to seek his advice on marketing, branding, market research, strategy and many other skills required in setting up a business.
His extensive experience has meant he has been able to advise me with first-hand knowledge and he is consistently right. He is always very supportive, positive and encouraging.”
Owner of WOAPA: West Oxfordshire Academy of Performing Arts, a Children's Theatre School in Witney, Oxfordshire
“Cliff promoted aerospace and defence avionics products in parts of Europe for us. He worked effectively and diligently in maintaining good relationships with existing customers and searching out and securing new customers. He successfully managed both direct and indirect sales channels and could be relied upon to proactively close opportunities.”
Business Consultant
“The key benefits are, for me, additional knowledge: you don't know what you don't know, so it's filling in those gaps. Specifically, for me some knowledge around the practicalities because it's not just technical knowledge it's the practicalities too. It's superb.”
Helping owners of accounting firms scale
“Cliff is the number one person to talk to about creating an exit strategy. He has been there, he has done it, done it himself – it is what he does for a living. He is also a lovely guy to talk to, who has helped me see, within a few sessions I’ve had with Cliff, and coming from zero knowledge of most of the stuff that he was talking about at the start, he has given me so much confidence to go and talk to people about things it is unbelievable, it really is. The nuts and bolts, the ins and outs and he makes it so simple.”
Senior Consultant
“It provides a systemised basis for working with clients to maximise the value of their business and prepare it for sale. As I understand it the Business By Design platform will provide a method of selling it as well.”
Business Growth Adviser & Mentor | Finance & Operations | Startups | Exit Strategy | Facilitator | Business Pilot | Helping Businesses navigate towards where they want to be in the future | 3rd Sector & Charities |
“I'm already a business advisor so the key benefit for me is to have a system available to me that fast tracks the business valuation process and gives me certain levers to help business owners to get to the valuation in a timely fashion.”
Business Advisor & Finance Specialist in succession planning for SMEs in all sectors; Previously MD of Succession Advisory Services
“It differentiates itself from any other program that professes to deliver the same benefit. It's different in the level of detail that they go into for understanding what makes a company saleable and how to increase the value of a company.
They have very clearly defined steps to get that company into a sale-ready position, based on factual information and not the usual guesswork that is applied by most people. Any advisor or accountant who thinks that they see a business opportunity, be it helping people find a company they need to value or selling a company and want to justify the selling price - without a doubt the Business By Design methodology will give them factual, and accurate, information to allow everyone to understand the value.
The communication with Business By Design has been first rate; we have a conversation, a very clear dialogue, and it's then always backed up by an email saying, "This is what we understand form the last conversation, this is what has to be done, this is who will be doing what, and when we're going to reconvene with another zoom call".
I would have no trouble at all recommending this to senior accountants and I know they would say that it was worth getting involved. They're on the ball and every statement they back up with detail and information.”
John Greene
Business Hub NI, AMBIT ASSIST
“Can I just say as someone who has experienced first-hand the frustration, barriers and brick walls encountered in the Business Sale/Transfer marketplace how refreshing it is to find a Company committed to doing the job professionally and efficiently.
The sector is currently flooded with company’s unprepared for sale, lacking in current critical financial information and misled by agents over true company valuation and as a consequence languishing on agent’s books.
A new business that offers a slick procedure, run by competent, honest professionals who address and encompasses every element of the major event of selling a business, from start to finish and beyond, is well overdue and destined to disrupt the market very quickly.”
UKBA - Growth Strategy Consultant - delivering double digit growth. NIAGroup - Acquisitions Director - Looking to acquire profitable North West based, manufacturing businesses.
“The key benefits are knowledge and understanding of selling a business and helping business owners to prepare their business for sale so that they can maximise the amount of money that they're able to sell the business for. It benefits my business because that's part of our purpose; to grow businesses and pre-prepare the business owner for the sale of the business when they're ready to do so.”
Business Growth & Value Creation Advisor + Exit Specialist | Advisory Board Member
“Cliff’s knowledge of business development, finance and systems facilitates growth and productivity.
His friendly yet frank approach is welcome and refreshing.
He has a wealth of knowledge and experience from running his own companies, which means he understands what it is like to be a business owner and can empathise with the pain that can be part and parcel of running a business.”
Alder Security
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Cliff several times over the last few years. Most recently hiring him as a speaker at a business workshop event earlier this year, where his presentation was extremely well received by the attendees.
In an industry filled with business “experts” and “gurus” it’s a welcomed relief to come across someone with a plethora of experience in building and scaling businesses in a vast array of industries.”
Empowering ambitious mothers + military spouses to build a thriving business & lifestyle 💎1-1 Coaching 🎓The 5K Academy 👩💻Online Courses
“I have worked with Cliff for several years, he has shown knowledge in marketing, customer service/retention, sales and finance – especially in maximising cash flow. He is reliable and always happy to help. He will be an asset to any business.”
Delivering strip out and demolition solutions to commercial and domestic clients successfully and safely since 2004
Want to understand how we can help you to prepare for the future?
Book a free 1:1 call with our Founder Cliff.