Growing a business isn’t just about chasing bigger numbers, it’s about building a foundation that allows growth to be sensible, sustainable, and profitable.
Growth often brings both promise and pressure. For Brighter Blinds, a planned move to larger premises represented a turning point: the chance to expand capacity and efficiency, but also the challenge of making sound financial and operational decisions.
This was the moment to embrace sensible, strategic growth... and that’s where the GM Business Growth Hub stepped in. Through a series of one-to-one business analysis and advice sessions, Manufacturing Advisor Tom Howarth worked closely with Brighter Blinds to understand their unique challenges and design practical solutions in five key areas.
Aligning Leadership Around a Shared Vision
Growth stalls when leadership teams pull in different directions. Brighter Blinds, a family-run company in Bury with over 50 years of experience looked to reinforce its foundations.
Through mentoring sessions, Tom helped the senior team clarify roles, align objectives, and develop a shared sense of direction. This gave them confidence to make bold decisions, like relocating to larger premises, without losing focus.
How you can do it:
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Hold regular strategy sessions with your leadership team.
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Define clear responsibilities and decision-making processes.
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Create a shared roadmap for growth that everyone buys into.
Building a Strategic Sales and Marketing Plan
Without a clear plan, sales and marketing efforts can be scattered and inefficient. A structured approach ensures you target the right markets with the right message.
Tom’s deep understanding of manufacturing markets helped Brighter Blinds’ directors design a structured sales and marketing strategy. This clarified target markets, refined messaging, and set long-term priorities.
How you can do it:
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Identify your most profitable customer segments.
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Craft messaging that speaks directly to their needs.
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Balance efforts between attracting new clients and nurturing existing ones.
Planning Financially for Change
Growth often requires investment! Whether in new premises, equipment, or staff. Financial planning ensures decisions are sustainable and risks are managed.
Ahead of their factory move, Tom supported Brighter Blinds in modelling different scenarios, costing out the relocation and assessing financial impacts. This gave the leadership team confidence to make informed choices that aligned with their growth goals.
How you can do it:
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Model different scenarios for major investments.
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Assess both short-term costs and long-term returns.
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Ground decisions in robust financial data, not gut instinct.
Optimising Operations for Efficiency
Sustainable growth isn’t just about selling more - efficient operations reduce waste, improve workflow, and increase profitability.
Leveraging lean manufacturing principles, GM Business Growth Hub advised on factory layout planning, helping the team design a space that supported smoother workflows and reduced bottlenecks. These operational improvements contributed directly to profitability gains.
How you can do it:
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Review your current processes for bottlenecks or inefficiencies.
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Redesign workflows to minimise waste and maximise output.
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Consider lean manufacturing or process improvement techniques.
Measuring Results and Staying Focused
Growth strategies need to be tracked and adjusted. Measuring results ensures you know what’s working and what needs refining.
By combining strategic planning, financial clarity, and operational improvements, Brighter Blinds achieved a 5% increase in profitability. More importantly, they built confidence in decision-making and a renewed sense of purpose.
How you can do it:
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Set measurable goals for profitability, efficiency, and sales.
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Review progress regularly with your leadership team.
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Celebrate wins but keep refining your approach.
Brighter Blinds’ journey shows that sustainable growth comes from clarity, alignment, and efficiency. By focusing on leadership, strategy, financial planning, and operational improvements they didn’t just grow, they grew wisely.
Client Testimonial
“The support from GM Business Growth Hub came at exactly the right time for us. The advice and guidance from Tom Haworth helped us plan our factory move with confidence, strengthen our sales approach, and bring real focus to our leadership team. We’re now operating more efficiently, making better decisions, and seeing a tangible improvement in profitability. Tom’s support has been invaluable, and we’re grateful for the partnership we’ve built with the Hub.” Rob Ashton, MD of Brighter Blinds
Discover tailored support for your next growth step - get in touch now.