Insight Biz Strategy started in 2016 when our founder, Marcus Ellwood, left a 14-year career at a Big Four accounting firm. He had spent over a decade advising large corporations, but the work that excited him most was the handful of mid-market clients he managed on the side: companies with £5m to £40m in revenue that needed hands-on help, not 200-page reports.
The first office was a rented room above a café in Old Ferryham. Marcus brought on Helen Tsang, an operations specialist he had worked with on a manufacturing turnaround in Birmingham, and together they took on their first three clients. Two of those clients are still with us today on annual retainers.
By 2019, the team had grown to five consultants. We moved to 338 Station Street, where we still operate. The office is modest on purpose. We would rather spend money on experienced people than on a flashy reception area.
Over the past nine years, we have completed more than 140 engagements across manufacturing, professional services, retail, and technology. Our client list includes a Midlands packaging company that doubled its export revenue, a London-based SaaS firm that reduced churn by 30%, and a family-owned retail chain that restructured its management layer to prepare for a successful sale.
Four principles that shape every engagement we take on.
We tell you what we see, even when the findings are uncomfortable. A consultant who only confirms what you already believe is not worth the fee. Our diagnostic reports include the problems we find, ranked by severity, with no softening language.
We quote a fixed fee for each phase of work before anything starts. If the project runs over because of something on our end, we absorb the extra cost. You will never receive a surprise invoice from us.
We do not assign junior analysts to your account and have a partner check in once a month. The consultant leading your project has at least ten years of industry experience. You talk directly to the person doing the analysis.
Every engagement starts with specific, numbered targets. At the end, we measure actual results against those targets and present them transparently. If we fall short, we explain why and what we recommend doing about it.
Six consultants, each with deep experience in a specific area.
Founder and managing director
Former Big Four senior manager with 14 years in corporate advisory. Marcus leads client relationships and specialises in revenue strategy for companies between £5m and £45m turnover. He has personally led over 80 consulting engagements since founding the firm.
Operations director
Helen spent 11 years in supply chain management at two FTSE 250 manufacturers before joining Insight Biz Strategy in 2016. She runs all operational restructuring projects and has a particular strength in reducing order fulfilment times for distribution businesses.
Senior consultant
David joined in 2020 after eight years in management consulting at a mid-tier London firm. His focus areas are pricing strategy and customer acquisition cost analysis. He led the engagement that helped a SaaS client reduce monthly churn from 4.2% to 2.9% over six months.
Completed engagements since 2016
Client retention rate (return for a second project)
Years in operation
Consultants, each with 10+ years of experience