FOR BUSINESSES AT A TURNING POINT
One big call. Someone who has made one like it, in the room with you.
You built this business. Nobody warned you it would also mean carrying it alone: the decisions too big to get wrong, the parts still running on memory and goodwill. Nellum Partners is the senior partner you don’t currently have: someone who can see the blind spots, professionalise what needs it, and bring an unconflicted outside view when what you actually need isn’t fixing, just someone else in the room.
NOT READY TO TALK YET?
See where you stand in ten minutes.
The Business Health Check is 18 short questions on the four things that quietly make or break an owner-led business. You get a personal read of where you are strong and where there is a gap worth a closer look.
HOW WE WORK
We start with four questions
Every engagement runs on the same four questions. They are simple to ask and hard to answer from the inside.
01
Where does the money actually go?
So that you see which parts of the business make money and which quietly don’t.
02
What only works because you’re in the room?
So that you know what would stop if you took two weeks off.
03
What’s still running on a handshake?
So that the agreements your business depends on are written down before they are tested.
04
What decision is coming that the business isn’t ready for?
So that the next big call is made with an honest, outside view.
WHEN OWNERS REACH OUT
Three moments when an outside view changes things
A decision is coming, and it’s too big to make alone.
An acquisition, an exit, a raise, a restructure, a succession question. You need someone who has carried a call like it, with nothing to gain from your answer.
The business has outgrown how it runs.
It works, but everything still comes back to you. You can feel that what got you here won’t get you to the next stage.
Something has been wrong for a while.
The numbers don’t quite add up, or a part of the business everyone avoids talking about. You want someone steady, in confidence.
AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP
An ongoing relationship, not a one-off report
1
A conversation.
You tell us what is going on. We tell you plainly whether we can help.
2
The Diagnostic.
Two to four weeks. A clear, prioritised read of your business, and a session together to go through it.
3
Working alongside you.
If it’s the right next step, we work with you in the business as it changes, so what is fixed stays fixed.
WHY US
Built it from scratch. Now we help you run yours.
Our key business advisor, Anita Menzies, has built, run and legally structured businesses herself, not just advised on them from the outside. We work with a small number of businesses at a time, so the first conversation is about whether it is the right fit.
What that means for you
Someone who has sat in the owner’s chair.
An unconflicted view with nothing to sell you.
Anita and a small team who work as part of your team.
Confidential from the first conversation.
FREE RESOURCES
Start with the work, free
Business plan template
A plan that tests your business, not just describes it. Built on the four questions.
How to write a business plan
A step by step guide for owners who already trade and need a plan that works.
Cash flow planning
See the next 13 weeks before they arrive, and what to do when the gap opens.
Questions owners ask
What does a business advisor actually do?
We work with owner-led businesses to see what is really going on, then build the reporting, delegation and decision rights that let the business run without everything depending on the owner. We work alongside you, inside the business, rather than handing over a report and leaving.
Who is this for?
Owners of established businesses in one of three situations: the business is struggling, it is healthy and ready for the next stage, or a big decision is coming and a confidential second opinion would help.
What is the Diagnostic?
Two to four weeks to see exactly what is going on, built on four questions: where does the money actually go, what only works because you are in the room, what is still running on a handshake, and what decision is coming that the business is not ready for.
Do you work with one type of business?
No. We work by situation, not by sector. What matters is where your business is and what you are facing.
What does it cost?
The Diagnostic is a fixed fee, agreed in writing before it starts. We will give you the figure in your first conversation, so there are no surprises.
Is it confidential?
Yes. What you share is used only for the work you have asked for.
Where do you work?
We are based in Auckland and work with owners in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
LET’S TALK