Back in the late summer of 2014, when I first explored setting up on my own, I did what many business owners do. I researched the market, spoke to people already operating in the space, and tested whether there was a genuine opportunity.
More than once, I was told there was little real opportunities for consultancy work in Cumbria.
The advice was straightforward, if I wanted to build a sustainable consultancy business, and earn a living, I needed to look to the conurbations of Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham or London.
That, apparently, was where the real opportunities were.
But my own experience tells a different story.
Over the last 11 and a half years, around 90% of my revenue has come from North Cumbrian-based businesses. That challenges the assumption that meaningful advisory work only exists in larger city markets. In my case, the opportunity was much closer to home.
And that is the point of this article.
Not to talk about consultancy for consultancy's sake, but to share a broader lesson.
With market research, a clear Strategic Plan, adaptability and consistent effort, positive things can happen, even in a marketplace that can be cautious, traditional and slow to change.
Start with the market, not the assumption
Cumbria is not London, Manchester or even Newcastle.
It is a more rural market, dominated by smaller businesses, practical decision-making and relationship-led trading. That can make it harder to gain momentum, particularly if what you offer feels unfamiliar, non-essential or just a "nice to have."
But hard is not the same as impossible.
There are more than 24,000 registered businesses in Cumbria, and while the vast majority are micro-businesses, that still creates a significant business base. For me, the question was never whether opportunity existed. It was whether I could position myself clearly enough, build trusted relationships and solve the right problems.
That is what business owners in any sector need to think about.
- Too often, people dismiss a market too quickly.
- Sometimes the issue is not the market itself.
- Sometimes it is the proposition, the positioning or the route to market.
Build with focus
Early on, I adopted a simple rule of thumb, I generally did not want to travel more than 1 hour 15 minutes to a client.
That was not fixed in every case, but it helped keep the business efficient, disciplined and focused on where I could add the most value.
When I review my sales and location spread, that instinct proved sound. A large proportion of my work has come from North Cumbria, with Carlisle, Penrith, Whitehaven, Cockermouth, Workington and the surrounding area featuring strongly.
So, while I have taken on occasional assignments further afield, and recently I've done a little more work in Newcastle too, I have never needed to rely on the major city markets to sustain my business.
That is an important lesson in itself
- Opportunity is not always where other people tell you it is. Often, it is much closer than you think.
Growth is never a straight line
Like most businesses, mine has not grown in a neat, straight upward line.
Over the last decade or so, trading conditions have been shaped by repeated shocks to confidence and economic activity.
In December 2015, Storm Desmond had a major impact across Cumbria. Then came changes in PMs, Elections and the Brexit vote, followed by years of uncertainty that subdued confidence and delayed decision-making for many SMEs.
Then in March 2020, Covid halted projects overnight. At that point, having recently rebranded from Business Doctors Cumbria into my own name, I had around 10 weeks where I billed nothing at all, because all my live projects stopped.
That was a sharp reminder of how quickly markets can turn.
Like many people, I had to pause, keep perspective and wait for activity to return. Thankfully, I made good use of the time and spent a wonderful spell in the garden, landscaping and installing a greenhouse.
Since then, trading conditions have continued to move up and down, shaped by inflation, rising costs, weaker sentiment, political uncertainty at home and wider geopolitical instability.
Which brings me to one of the biggest lessons I have learned:
- Success in business is rarely about perfect conditions. It is about resilience, adaptability and staying close to the market.
Resilience is commercial, not just emotional
For me, resilience is not simply about getting through quieter periods.
It is about:
- watching the market closely
- understanding how confidence affects buying decisions
- adapting your message as conditions change
- staying visible and relevant
- keeping in touch with current and past clients
I make a point of following UK and international business and financial news every day, because context matters. When confidence is high, businesses tend to move faster. When confidence is weaker, decisions slow down. And when uncertainty rises, trusted relationships matter even more.
That has been a key part of sustaining the business over time.
Not standing still. Not panicking. Not disappearing. But staying connected and adapting to what the market needs.
Long-term engagement matters more than volume
One of the clearest lessons from my own trading history is that this is not a volume game.
Yes, I have worked with around 80 clients (independent business entities I've billed directly) over time. But a much smaller number of strong, trusted relationships have generated the greatest value, for both the client and for me, myself.
I have around five core clients, and had these for a number of years, which tells its own story.
The best work tends to happen when you help clients at the right time, in the right way, with a clear commercial outcome in mind.
That might mean support around:-
- Strategic direction
- Business growth planning
- Commercial focus
- Leadership support
- Business development
- Market repositioning
- Acting as an external sounding board
That is where real value is created.
This is also where my own service repositioning has become clearer.
I do not see myself simply as a "consultant." The role I add most value in is as a strategic adviser, commercial sounding board and practical support to owners, directors and leadership teams working through growth, change or uncertainty.
This framing is more accurate, and reflects what many clients actually need, it's not theory, route maps and plans, but clarity, structure, challenge and momentum.
Does the 80:20 rule apply?
Broadly, yes. Looking at my sales data over the last 11.5 years, a relatively small proportion of customers generated the majority of my fee income.
My analysis shows that:-
- the top 4 customers accounted for just over 41% of my total revenue in the last 11.5 years
- the top 20 customers (25%) contributed around 80% of total revenue
That is useful commercially, but the more important point is this:
- Sustainable long term Business security is not about the number of customers you trade or sell to, but the quality and longevity of the relationship with your core customers.
Chasing new work every day and week for the sake of it is not a strategy. It's just churn and adds no value to either party.
However, sustained customer engagement, where trust is built and value continues to be added, is far more powerful.
Knowing when to step back matters too
Another thing experience teaches you is that not every engagement should continue indefinitely.
- Not every piece of work needs another phase.
- Not every client needs another proposal.
- And not every relationship should be stretched into further paid support.
If I do not believe I can continue to add meaningful value, the honest thing to do is say so.
That is part of being a responsible adviser.
In the long term, this approach ethically builds far more trust and credibility than trying to keep work alive after it has reached its natural conclusion.
Breadth has been a strength
My work has not come from one narrow niche either, nor only from my previous 28 years in the commercial vehicle sector.
Over time, it has spanned a range of sectors, with strong representation in:
- Engineering Services
- Renewables Sector
- Health and Education
- Professional Services
- B2B Product and Service Sectors
This breadth has been valuable. It has helped me transfer ideas across sectors, spot patterns more quickly, and support business owners on both commercial and strategic issues.
What has this taught me
Financially, my business has averaged circa £60k per annum in billable revenue, excluding the direct contracted, PAYE employed-basis contracted roles I have also undertaken over the years. (For context, I have 1.2 FTE employees, me and my wife does my books and admin and we both draw a wage)
For a professional services business model that I was once told would struggle to find enough consultancy work in Cumbria, I think that those returns say quite a lot. I wasn't doing this to get rich, just to support business owners where I can, be home every night, and live comfortably. If it was money I was after I would have gone to UAE (I had the opportunity) or stayed in my corporate role.
More importantly, my experience shared above reinforces a wider message for business owners and leadership teams:-
- Do your market research properly
- Build a clear High-level Strategic Plan
- Stay close to your customers
- Adapt as conditions change
- Focus on trust and long-term relevance
- and, do not assume opportunity only exists somewhere else
I was told I needed to go to the cities - My own experience suggests otherwise.
If you are leading a North of England-based business (an hour and 15 mins drive at most from Carlisle), and would value an experienced strategic adviser, commercial sounding board or facilitator to help with growth, change, strategic direction or commercial performance, please get in touch.
Peter Fleming
15th May 2026
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M: 07966 686112