CASE STUDIES
The majority of our work is confidential, especially as we are involved with clients’ business growth and financial affairs. However, the following clients have been kind enough to share some details of the projects we and our partners have worked on.
The Bell at Sapperton
Location: Sapperton, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Business Type: Award winning, rural, food-led pub
Support provided: Business planning, concept, lease advice, marketing, website design, site developments, menu design and costing, kitchen systems and procedures, chef consultancy, recruitment, competitor analysis, gross profit improvement, utilities management.
When: 2014 – ongoing
Client testimonial:
“We’ve used Peter’s expertise for years, whether it be lease advice, operational issues or cost management and have found his depth of knowledge to be invaluable. Crucially, where Peter stacks up ahead of the others is his real world experience of actually having built and run successful businesses and his willingness to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in! We all know that a hospitality business can’t be run from a laptop, and Peter is a great personality who can inspire and motivate teams in order to achieve set goals. Our business has changed significantly with Peters input, especially helping us get out of the rut we were stuck in. If you’re not sure whether to get him involved or not…..JUST DO IT”
Chris Wright, Operations Manager
The Pheasant at Neenton
Location: Neenton, near Bridgnorth, Shropshire
Business Type: Rural, community owned pub
Support provided: Business planning, concept, community consultation, pub design, marketing, website design, site developments, recruitment, competitor analysis, purchasing, gross profit improvement, utilities management, stocktaking, bookkeeping and VAT, performance reporting.
When: 2012 – ongoing
Client testimonial:
“We have had lots of people and organisations to thank. But most central of all has been Peter Austen. We engaged Peter, who helps people run successful pubs, at the outset and he has been with us through thick and thin. He’s cancelled holidays for us, he’s lost sleep with us, and in every way he has been right at the heart of making this project succeed. He’s opened pubs and made them successful often enough, but the tremendous energy he has sunk into getting this pub not just opened for us, but launching it towards becoming a great success is quite remarkable. I think that 3am and 4am are now the only times of day when I haven’t had e-mails from Peter progressing one aspect of the project or another.
Peter, and his colleagues in Innventive and contacts beyond have been central to every aspect of re-launching the Pheasant business. He has been right at the heart of making this project succeed, from initial concept and shaping the offer, through supplier negotiations and staff recruitment, to marketing and promotion. And after launch he continues to guide us with performance monitoring, action planning and general wise counsel.”
John Pickup, Chairman, Neenton Community Society
Java & Co
Location: Abingdon, Oxfordshire (also previously in Oxford, successfully sold in 2015)
Business Type: Town centre, coffee shop/ cafés
Support provided: Business planning, concept, site developments, site preparation for sale, licensing, recruitment, competitor analysis, purchasing, gross profit improvement, performance reporting.
When: 2014 – ongoing
Client testimonial:
“Peter’s advice was the best we had since starting our business – straight forward and just what we needed. His contacts and guidance have been ‘game changing’. He soon became our ‘third brain’ in the business.”
Andrew and Claire Bowen, Directors