I set up this consultancy business to respond to the growing need for: Organisational Change, Performance Improvement and Project management within the social economy. I’ve secured and undertaken consultancy assignments within this period for organisations such as: Islington Council, Presentation Housing, Olmec, Connections for Development, Business Link, Exemplas, London Rebuilding Society, Enterprise Enfied, Enfield VAC, Hackney VAC, Lewisham VAC, MM Foundation (formerly Fullemploy) and Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

Responsibility for all of the Trust’s activities including: Raising and managing funds, negotiating with stakeholders, formulating strategies, managing staff, directing programmes, and overseeing monitoring, review and evaluation.

Responsibility for the coordination and delivery of the following key services:
 Provision of intensive, practical hands-on organisational development support for targeted voluntary and community organisations across the UK
 Production of capacity building CD-rom - a learning tool for small to medium-sized voluntary organisations
 Leadership programme for senior managers and board members
 Enabling organisations to create and develop networks/partnerships
 Business planning and Project Management advice and training
 Management/Financial Audits and reviews.

These initiatives have yielded positive outcomes on a range of issues for ethnic minority communities across the UK including the creation of infrastructure support organisations such as: BECON in Newcastle, MIS and HANVO in London. Another positive outcome of my work was to secure and deliver Business Link for London’s Access to Finance Programme that raised substantial income for Fullemploy. I also led the organisation towards the achievement of: Customer First, IIP, and PQASSO Quality Standards.

Responsibility for the planning and delivery of the following:

 International Marketing Strategy
 Planning and Control
 Analysis and Decision.

A highly intensive programme with demanding outcomes, I was able to organise and motivate the students to acquire among other outcomes, in-depth understanding of:

 The changing nature of international trading environment, and the appropriate marketing strategies and operational implications
 The approaches to the preparation of effective marketing plans and control systems
 Case studies using a wide variety of marketing techniques, concepts and models and an understanding of contemporary marketing issues.


BTEC – HNC (Higher National Certificate)

I was also responsible for the delivery of the BTEC – HNC (Higher National Certificate) that aimed at investigating the principles that underpin the marketing process and how they apply in business. Key outcomes achieved during this period include a thorough explanation of: the marketing process; target marketing; analysis of the components of the marketing mix; the application of the marketing mix to different marketing segments.

The two programmes ended very successfully achieving a 100% pass rate for the first time in the history of the College’s marketing programme.

Reporting to the Director, I had overall responsibility for empowering targeted BME voluntary and community organisations through outreach, training, business counselling, and network coordination. I developed the BTEG London Network that aimed at encouraging Black and Minority groups to share ideas and establish collaborative working relationships.

Key achievements in my time with BTEG include:

• Personally organising and delivering training in business planning, project development/management, trustee/management committee development, and fundraising strategies to over 200 groups

• Setting up and developing 20 active borough based networks of local groups from scratch with a very limited budget. These networks overall constitute a wider network of over 200 groups known as the BTEG London Network.

• Coordinating a cross-sector partnership towards the delivery of ESF Objective 3 Priority 4 capacity building project

• Designing and developing best practice guides for accessing ESF Objective 3, New Deal, and Community Fund. These boosted the funding base (on average by over 60%) of many funded and unfunded organisations

• Creating awareness of local regeneration programmes and other opportunities among groups and developing working links with LSCs, CVSs, L As and Regeneration Partnerships.

The main areas of my work were the delivery of business counselling, research, training and consultancy services to various organisations in the voluntary, private and public sector.

Key tasks undertaken include:
 Diagnostic/health checks
 Fundraising
 Business planning and feasibility studies
 Survival counselling
 Market research & planning
 General business counselling and training.

Key achievements include the successful coordination of the Brixton Small Business Grant initiative – a Brixton Challenge grant aid for small businesses.

Complete responsibility for research and analysis of market trends in this £30m company. Worked closely with the Marketing Manager in the design, development, and implementation of marketing plans.

Reporting to a senior consultant:
• Consulted with clients to carefully define problems and agree research objectives.
• Developed and tested questionnaires and designed sampling plans.

• Provided administrative support within the Finance Department
• Seconded to the World Bank to provide advice and assistance in respect of restructuring the cocoa industry in Ghana.