Rob Douglass
Business Mentor · UK Business Mentoring
Book your 60-minute conversation
Business Mentor · Shropshire

Your business shouldn't depend on you this much

Shropshire has two very different business worlds. There is Telford — one of the most significant manufacturing and engineering centres outside the major English cities. And there is the rest of the county — Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Ludlow — market towns with a strong base of owner-managed businesses, professional services firms and long-established family companies.

What most of them have in common is that they were built by someone who stayed close to the detail, made the decisions and carried the business forward through their own involvement. That works well to a point. Past that point, it becomes the thing holding the business back.

I work with established SME owners across Shropshire to put the structure, management discipline and accountability in place so the business runs better — and is worth more — without the owner in the middle of everything.

Book your initial 60-minute conversation No preparation needed. We'll start with how your business is actually running today.

Working with SME owners across Shropshire, including Telford, Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Market Drayton, Ludlow and the wider county.

Rob Douglass – Business Mentor Shropshire
Shropshire businesses

Two business worlds. One common challenge.

Whether a business is in Telford's industrial parks or a market town high street, the challenge for most Shropshire SME owners at a certain stage of growth is the same: the business has become more complex than the management structure around it. Decisions still flow through the owner. Managers manage in name more than in practice. Performance is inconsistent. And the owner, despite all the effort, is not building the kind of business that is genuinely valuable or easy to step back from.

Manufacturing & Engineering
Telford's industrial base includes a significant number of precision engineering, specialist manufacturing and component businesses. Many have grown substantially but without the leadership structure, management cadence or commercial discipline that size demands.
Construction & Building Trades
Trade and specialist contractors operating across the county — strong order books and good reputations, but often weak on job margin visibility, management accountability and the kind of operational structure that makes growth sustainable.
Professional & Business Services
Owner-managed service firms in Shrewsbury and across the county where the founder's expertise and relationships are the business — and where the critical challenge is building something that does not depend on them personally to function.
Family & Established Businesses
Long-standing businesses across Shropshire's market towns and rural areas where the conversation is increasingly about succession, leadership transition and building real commercial value — not just revenue.
Does this sound familiar?

If any of this feels familiar, you're not alone

Most Shropshire SME owners who get in touch have been aware of these issues for a long time. They have managed around them, worked harder to compensate and hoped things would improve as the business grew. They rarely do — not without addressing the underlying structure.

Everything still comes back to you
Your managers were promoted for being good at their job — not for being trained to lead
Decisions get made, then reversed, then forgotten
The business turns over well but margins are under pressure
You have good people but they are not aligned or accountable
You are firefighting when you should be leading
Growth is creating complexity rather than confidence
You cannot see how you would step back, sell or hand over — the business needs you too much

What looks like a people problem is usually a structure and accountability problem.

These are fixable problems. But they do not fix themselves. What is needed is a clear, honest view of what is actually going on — and a focused plan to address the right things in the right order.

What I do

This is hands-on, not theory

I work with business owners to understand how the business is really operating, identify what is holding it back and focus on what needs to change first.

Most businesses don't need more ideas. They need clarity, better decisions and proper execution.

This is not about trying to fix everything at once. It's about identifying the key issues, prioritising properly and focusing on what will make the biggest difference.

Creating clarity around direction and decision-making
Putting structure and accountability in place
Improving commercial discipline and profitability
Defining roles so people actually own outcomes
Addressing behavioural and people challenges directly
Reducing reliance on the owner
How it works

How we work

This is not a programme or a fixed process. Mentoring only works if there is a strong working relationship and a clear understanding of what needs to change.

01

Initial 60-minute conversation

We talk through how your business is actually running.

02

Straight view on the business

Clear, honest view of what is really going on.

03

Right fit both ways

We only move forward if it makes sense for both of us.

04

Ongoing support to implement change

This is a working relationship, not just advice.

Results

The problem is rarely what you think it is

Every business has multiple issues. The starting point is understanding what actually matters, then prioritising what will make the biggest difference.

£5m Turnover

Manufacturing business

Owner involved in everything, leadership team not really leading

  • Introduced structure and accountability
  • Implemented proper meeting rhythm
Result Owner stepped out of day-to-day decisions within 3 months
Created capacity to focus on growth and commercial improvement
£2.5m Turnover

Engineering business

Strong team, but constant friction and lack of accountability

  • Reset leadership expectations
  • Defined responsibilities and behaviours
Result Improved alignment and stability
Created a stronger platform for performance and growth
£1.2m Turnover

Service business

Constant firefighting, poor planning, weak visibility

  • Introduced planning and job control
  • Improved daily structure
Result Reduced firefighting and improved margins
Brought better control and visibility into day-to-day operations
What clients say

Straight feedback from SME owners

★★★★★

"Rob has been invaluable as my business mentor as I've been scaling my electrical business. He has a real knack for breaking down complex business challenges into straightforward steps I can actually implement. What I value most is having him as a sounding board — whenever questions come up about growth, systems, or the next steps for the business, I know I can run things past him and get practical guidance based on his genuine experience of scaling businesses."

Tomos Durnell
Tomos Durnell Electrical
★★★★★

"Working with Rob has been a transformative experience for both myself and my business. His attention to detail and the depth of insight he provided helped me fully understand every aspect of my business. As a result, I now have clear direction, structured plans, and actionable strategies, rather than constantly reacting to challenges as they arise. If you are serious about growing your business and want to work smarter with clear, focused goals, I highly recommend Rob Douglass as a mentor."

Alex Perkins
Shire Web Design
★★★★★

"I have had the privilege of working with Rob previously, and knowing his track record of business success, I was very happy to be given the experience of working with him again, this time as a business mentor for my Tech Recruitment business. Rob has already provided me with valuable tools and plenty of thought-provoking insights. His guidance has given me lots of things to focus on, and I'm genuinely excited about the months and years ahead as we continue working together."

Mary Louise
TrustTech
5.0 · 5 reviews on Google
Get in touch

If your business feels harder to run than it should be, let's fix that

No preparation needed. We'll start with how your business is actually running today. If it makes sense, we'll take it further. If not, you'll still leave with clarity.

I'll respond within one business day.
Phone
07528 275465
Email
rob@robdouglass.co.uk
LinkedIn
Rob Douglass
Area covered
Telford, Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Market Drayton, Ludlow and wider Shropshire
The initial 60-minute conversation is free and carries no obligation. It is simply a conversation about how your business is running.
About
Most SME owners don't have a growth problem. They have a clarity, structure and value problem.

Having been a business owner myself, I understand the reality behind the numbers — the pressure, trade-offs and consequences of decisions made too late or without structure.

Before working with SME owners, I operated at board level within a PE-backed business and later led a business within UL Solutions following acquisition, inside a £2bn+ global organisation.

That experience changes how I look at businesses:

  • Understanding how businesses are assessed commercially
  • Knowing what stands up to scrutiny
  • Balancing operational reality with strategic direction

The goal is always the same: a business that is less dependent on the owner, more commercially robust, and structured for long-term performance and value.

Background
Operations Director
PE-backed SME · scaled to successful trade sale in 2022
Led operations, structure and performance improvement through a period of growth and change
Post-acquisition leadership
Led acquired business within UL Solutions · £2bn+ global organisation
Operated within a highly governed environment, balancing operational delivery with strategic and commercial priorities
Business Mentor
UK Business Mentoring · Shropshire and surrounding area
Working directly with SME owners to improve structure, leadership, performance and commercial discipline
Focus
SME owners · £1m–£10m turnover
Typically working with businesses dealing with owner dependency, lack of clarity, weak accountability and performance pressure

If your business feels harder to run than it should be, let's fix that

Book your initial 60-minute conversation No preparation needed. Start with how things really are today. If it makes sense, we'll take it further. If not, you'll still leave with clarity.