FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The questions owner-managers ask us most often, answered plainly. If yours is not here, send it over and we will reply within one working day.
Getting started
Before we begin
What size of business do you work with?
Most of our clients have between two and fifty people and an owner who is still involved in the day-to-day running of the business. Below that size the work is usually too small to justify a consulting fee; above it, the pace and structures we work with tend to be different. If you are outside that range we will say so on the first call.
How do we start?
With a free thirty-minute discovery call and a short questionnaire about your business. If the work looks like a fit, you receive a written proposal setting out the scope, the fee and the dates. Nothing is invoiced and no work begins until you have accepted that proposal in writing.
Do you work with businesses outside your listed industries?
Yes, where the problem fits the work we do. Our six listed sectors are where most engagements sit, not a restriction. The test is whether the business is owner-managed and small enough that operating problems sit close to the owner.
Can you work with more than one part of the business at once?
We can, but we usually advise against starting several areas together. One area at a time gives your team a chance to absorb the change. Where areas are closely linked — planning and operations, for example — we will handle them as a single piece of work.
Fees
What it costs and how it is charged
How is your fee calculated?
By the piece of work rather than by the hour. After the discovery call you receive a fixed fee based on the number of areas involved, the number of people we need to speak to and how much support you want during delivery. Expenses are agreed separately and itemised.
Are there any costs beyond the fee?
Only where we agree them in advance: travel for on-site sessions, and any third-party licence or subscription you decide to buy after a recommendation. We do not receive commission from software suppliers, and we will tell you if we already hold a licence for a tool we recommend.
What happens if we cancel?
Charges are limited to the work completed up to the date of cancellation, plus any committed third-party costs. The cancellation and refund position is set out in section 2 of our terms of service.
Working together
How the engagement runs
Can you work with us remotely?
Yes — most of our work is delivered remotely, and we are set up to run diagnosis sessions and reviews by video. Keeping travel out of the fee is one reason our bands are the size they are. Where a session is better done in person, we agree it in advance.
How long before we see a difference?
We do not promise a timescale, because it depends on how quickly decisions can be made inside your business and how much of the plan your team can take on. What we do commit to is a first written deliverable at the end of the diagnosis stage, and review points that are already in the diary.
Do you put everything in writing?
Yes. Scope, findings, plans and review notes are all written documents. Meetings are summarised in a short note afterwards. That is deliberate: decisions should not depend on who remembered the conversation.
How is confidentiality handled?
We treat everything you share as confidential and will sign your own non-disclosure agreement where you prefer one. We do not publish client names or case studies without written permission. Our Privacy Policy explains how personal data is handled.
What happens after the engagement ends?
You keep every document produced, along with access to the shared folder. Some clients return later for a review of a different area; others run the process themselves for a year or more before asking us back. There is no requirement to continue.
Will you work with our accountant or bookkeeper?
Happily, where you want a second view on the numbers, and with your permission. We do not replace your existing advisers, and we do not provide regulated tax, audit or legal services ourselves.
Can you promise particular results?
No. We are accountable for the quality of our analysis, the plan we produce and the support we give you. We cannot control the decisions, market conditions or effort inside your business, and we will not claim otherwise. Section 3 of our terms of service covers this in full.
Still unsure?
Ask a direct question
If your question is not answered above, send it to support@ambitionsfirst.co.uk or call +44 7533 334055 during office hours. We answer honestly, including when the answer is that you do not need us.
Next step
Thirty minutes, no charge, no obligation
Bring the problem you keep coming back to. We will tell you what a piece of work would look like, what it would cost, and whether it is worth doing at all.