The company was founded in 1988 by Duncan Collins following a plc career in corporate new venturing,
where he developed expertise in simplifying the tricks of big business to accelerate the performance of
the small businesses that he was starting, acquiring and developing. 25 years later, most of these are
now £multimillion enterprises proving the methodology as highly effective. The very same as used by HGL today.
Duncan has used these methods to great effect in building the Hambleden Group (HGL) which, in the last 21 years,
has worked extensively with governments to develop grant-supported programmes and organisations to assist Small
Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to become more competitive. These include:
- Business Growth Training (BGT) that helped 17,000 SMEs
- Investors in People (IiP) that has helped 45,000 organisations
- Training & Enterprise Councils (TECs) that helped over 1,000,000 SMEs
HGL went on to market and deliver these and other government supported SME programmes all over the UK for delivery agencies including:
- Further Education Colleges
- Business Link
- Training & Enterprise Councils
- The Learning & Skills Council
- Regional Development Agencies
- Sector Skills Councils
All of which has involved visiting over 10000 small businesses, diagnosing the business needs of over 100,000 others
and training around 1000 consultants.
As government funding has diminished in recent years, HGL has developed a business model that is more focused on getting
straightforward business results and less on satisfying grant conditions. Partnership arrangements have been forged with
the new Sector Skills Councils and one of these has resulted in 1000 small construction firms undergoing the HGL Business
Improvement Programme to successfully raise their commercial performance.
HGL works from an office in London’s Maida Vale with a team of 25 staff and 100 Implementers located around the UK.
- Most staff are in the Front Office and are focused on telephone
and web based diagnosis of SME business needs. Where this results in a commitment to do business together,
the local Implementer visits the new client to plan and implement the agreed programme.
- Implementers are experienced and qualified business people who are specially
trained by HGL and nationally accredited in small business consultancy and training.
- A team of regionally based Field Operations Managers supervises all Implementer work with clients.
- Client programmes are controlled and monitored by HGL’s Mid Office, staffed by
Project Analysts who assess progress and job quality.
- The Back Office provides advanced ICT that enables high level remote working and use of the Internet,
with HR providing recruitment, training and ongoing development for staff and Implementers, both vital functions as
HGL expands its operations to all parts of the UK.
The HGL service to small businesses has stood the test of time and still consists of finding out what the owner
really needs to achieve for himself and for the business, then finding out discreetly what the market and
other stakeholders think about him and the business. Armed with this unique 360° view, the Implementer then builds,
hands-on, a business plan with the Owner, based on:
- Developing the flow of new customers needed
- Retaining more existing customers through raising service levels
- Increasing profits and cashflow
- Maximising efficiency through technology innovation
- Raising productivity through developing people management skills
The next step is to install simple performance management systems which enable the owner to run the business and
its people effectively, based on implementing and achieving the agreed Plan.
1. Firstly the focus is on quick results such as:
- Finding more customers
- Stopping errors and waste
- Reversing negative cashflow
- Arresting losses
- Remotivating employees
2. Then the focus moves to deeper implementation for long term commercial results such as:
- Exiting the business with a capital sum
- Recovering fully from a setback, like Recession, or market loss
- Growing to a greater size
- Lifestyle Improvement for the Owner, to free him from 24/7 working
- Efficiency improvement, to build up company asset value
- Diversifying into new markets or products.
To learn more about what HGL’s service could do for your company, try out our
free Business Diagnosis, or see