Tresswell Consulting Group
HomeOur expertise
Our expertise

Commercial questions.
A practical way forward.

Support for the decisions that shape a small business: how it earns, where it grows, how it operates and which digital investments it makes.

Find your starting point
From question to deliverable
  1. 01

    Define the decision

    Start with the business issue and the information you have.

  2. 02

    Examine the evidence

    Make assumptions, options and limitations visible.

  3. 03

    Put the work to use

    Review a defined deliverable and agree the handover.

Explore our expertiseCapabilities Industries AI & digital change Research & intelligence
Choose a starting point

What needs a closer look?

Explore the issue, the work involved and what you could receive. Each engagement starts with an agreed scope.

01

Commercial Performance

Understand costs, margins and the work behind the numbers.

Costs & margins02

Market & Growth Strategy

Build a clearer view of customers, competition and routes to market.

Customers & growth03

Operations & Productivity

Find where time, capacity and handovers need attention.

Processes & capacity04

Digital & Data

Connect reports, websites and systems to a business need.

Digital & data
01 / Our expertise

Commercial Performance

Understand costs, margins and the work behind the numbers.

When you might need it

Sales are changing, delivery costs are rising or pricing no longer reflects the work involved.

The question we examine

Which products, services or delivery decisions deserve a closer commercial review?

What the work can include
  • Review revenue, direct costs and delivery effort.
  • Compare pricing assumptions and commercial scenarios.
  • Identify the information needed for a more consistent performance review.
Prepare a commercial brief
Illustrative work extract
CONTRIBUTION REVIEW
What sits behind
the sales figure?
Revenue£10,000
Direct costs£6,000
Contribution£4,000

Before overheads, tax and financing.
Fictional figures. Not net profit.

What you could receive

  1. 01Cost and margin analysis
  2. 02Pricing scenario comparison
  3. 03Prioritised review actions

The specific deliverables, inputs and boundaries are agreed for each engagement.

Related perspectiveRevenue is growing. Why is cash still tight?Healthcare operations case study
02 / Our expertise

Market & Growth Strategy

Build a clearer view of customers, competition and routes to market.

When you might need it

You are assessing a new offer, customer segment or market and need to test the commercial assumptions.

The question we examine

Where is the opportunity, who would buy and what evidence would justify the next investment?

What the work can include
  • Define customer segments and research questions.
  • Assess competing offers, buying considerations and routes to market.
  • Translate findings into a business plan or a bounded market test.
  • Scope market research, commercial due diligence or competitive intelligence around a defined decision.
Prepare a growth brief
Illustrative work extract
MARKET OPPORTUNITY BRIEF
Separate evidence
from assumptions.
Review lensWhat to examineCustomerThe need and buying decisionAlternativesCompeting offers and workaroundsAccessA route to the decision maker

An illustrative research structure.
Not completed market research.

What you could receive

  1. 01Customer and competitor assessment
  2. 02Market opportunity brief
  3. 03Business plan or test roadmap

The specific deliverables, inputs and boundaries are agreed for each engagement.

Related perspectiveWhat to research before entering a new marketAgriculture & public sector case study
Market & Growth Strategy / Research capabilities

Know the market.
Examine the opportunity.

Three complementary ways to turn a commercial question into evidence. Start with the decision, then agree the research depth and deliverables.

01 / Understand demand

Market research

For a new market, proposition or customer segment, establish what is known about demand and where further validation is needed.

Questions we examine

  • Who is the customer, and what influences the buying decision?
  • Which segments and routes to market merit attention?
  • What supports the market-size and demand assumptions?
What you could receive

A market opportunity brief, customer-segment assessment and sourced market-sizing model with explicit assumptions.

How we approach the work

Define the relevant market, review traceable industry and customer evidence, and compare segments. Interviews or surveys can be agreed where recruitment and access are available.

Discuss a market question
02 / Test the growth case

Commercial due diligence

Before an acquisition, partnership or significant expansion, examine the commercial assumptions behind the opportunity.

Questions we examine

  • Does market and customer evidence support the growth plan?
  • How exposed is revenue to particular customers or channels?
  • What competitive pressures could change the commercial case?
What you could receive

A commercial assessment, assumptions and risks register, and scenario comparison showing the evidence still required.

How we approach the work

Agree the decision and information access, review supplied commercial data, test market assumptions and identify unresolved questions. This is a scoped commercial review; legal, tax, financial audit and regulatory diligence require separate specialists.

Scope a commercial review
03 / Understand alternatives

Competitive intelligence

Build a current view of competing offers and customer alternatives to inform positioning, pricing and product priorities.

Questions we examine

  • Which direct competitors and substitutes matter to customers?
  • How do offers, pricing and routes to market compare?
  • Where are the gaps, and which changes deserve monitoring?
What you could receive

A dated competitor comparison, positioning map and monitoring priorities, with sources and evidence gaps.

How we approach the work

Use public and permissioned sources to compare like-for-like offers. Record the date, context and limitations of each observation, and distinguish verified facts from interpretation.

Define a competitor brief

Outputs depend on the agreed scope and available evidence. Recommendations identify options and uncertainties; they do not guarantee commercial results.

See the industry applications
03 / Our expertise

Operations & Productivity

Find where time, capacity and handovers need attention.

When you might need it

Repeated work, unclear responsibilities or difficult handovers are putting pressure on the team.

The question we examine

What is slowing delivery, and which process changes are worth testing first?

What the work can include
  • Map the current workflow, inputs and handovers.
  • Examine capacity pressures, repeated tasks and exceptions.
  • Define improvement priorities, ownership and a manageable trial.
Prepare a process brief
Illustrative work extract
CURRENT-STATE PROCESS MAP
See how work
moves between people.
  1. 01Request receivedClarify the inputs
  2. 02Work reviewedIdentify the owner
  3. 03Delivery agreedConfirm the handover

An illustrative workflow.
Each business needs its own process review.

What you could receive

  1. 01Current-state process map
  2. 02Workflow and capacity review
  3. 03Improvement plan with owners

The specific deliverables, inputs and boundaries are agreed for each engagement.

Related perspectiveWhich workflows are worth automating?Practical resourceUse the business review worksheet
04 / Our expertise

Digital & Data

Connect reports, websites and systems to a business need.

When you might need it

Your reports are hard to use, your website leaves visitors unsure or manual tasks need a better workflow.

The question we examine

What should the information or digital experience help someone understand or do?

What the work can include
  • Define reporting requirements, measures and data ownership.
  • Develop dashboards, websites or interface prototypes.
  • Assess tools and scope automation with a practical handover.
Prepare a digital brief
Illustrative work extract
REPORTING DESIGN NOTE
A useful report starts
with a decision.
DecisionWhat needs attention?
MeasureHow will we assess it?
SourceWhere does the data come from?
OwnerWho reviews and acts?

An illustrative requirements extract.
Not a connected reporting system.

What you could receive

  1. 01Management report or dashboard
  2. 02Website or digital prototype
  3. 03Requirements and handover notes

The specific deliverables, inputs and boundaries are agreed for each engagement.

Related perspectiveA useful dashboard starts with a decisionLife sciences strategy case study
A clear agreement

Know what you are commissioning.

The service descriptions show the types of work we can discuss. Your engagement will set out the deliverables, review points, timing, responsibilities and fees in writing.

How we approach the work
Have something in mind?

What would you like to work through?

A few lines about the situation, what you’d like to achieve and when you need it are enough to start a brief.

Prepare a project brief