With Jamie Oliver’s restaurant chains closing, along with a load of others (Strada is gone, Zizzi’s have closed restaurants, Pizza Express are struggling and there are many more examples), we wanted to explore the reasons why and draw parallels with our industry.

The high street and chained brands don’t seem to be flourishing currently. Are people getting bored of the same thing? Whilst you have consistency, there is no individuality, no personal touch. Every high street feels the same – the same old restaurant chains, the same shops – you could be anywhere. Independent businesses struggle to thrive – they simply cannot compete with the big brands in terms of brand awareness, marketing, capital backing. However, is the tide about to turn? Are people wanting something different?

Carl and I talked about the parallels with consultancy. Everyone always talks of the “big 4”. They have a huge brand behind them – they are well established, have highly intelligent people working for them. Their clients often claim they won’t get fired for appointing a “big 4”, even if they don’t deliver, but they may get fired if they appoint a relatively unknown consultancy, even if they are better suited. At Simplify Consulting, we don’t want to compete with the big 4 and we never have done. Whilst the big 4 may be likened to the chains, the big brands, we always pride ourselves on being tailored, personal and proportionate. All of our consultants are practitioners in their field in Wealth Management…we have all been there and done it. We have clients in all parts of the value chain – from Advisers, to Tech platforms to Asset Managers and Third Party Administrators. We can pass on the opportunities and challenges that each sector experiences. We care…a lot. We genuinely do – we are tenacious, we want to deliver and we want to make a difference. We really hope the consultancy industry remains open for niche providers to thrive, like we have done.

If you want a personalised, tailored service and you are tired of the chain consultancies, get in touch – no problem is too big or small for us to solve.

kate@simplifyconsulting.co.uk and carl@simplifyconsulting.co.uk

www.simplifyconsulting.co.uk