Stop Running Flat Out Just To Stand Still
I’m Louise Rolfe, a business coach who helps MDs of £1–3m UK trades and construction companies install simple structure in 12 weeks, so the business runs without you being stuck in the Stress Zone.
A straight talking call to map where the pressure is really coming from and what to change first.
No jargon. No judgement.
If we’re not a fit, I’ll point you to the next best step. No pressure, no sales script.
I have worked with UK trades and construction firms including electrical, AV, groundworks, specialist contractors and more.
You Built A Good Business. Now It Is Burning You Out.
✔ Long days on site then late nights catching up on quotes and paperwork
✔ Money in, money out, but the bank balance never seems to match the work done
✔ Crews waiting for decisions, jobs stuck between "quoted" and "confirmed"
✔ You feel responsible for everything and cannot see a way to step back
✔ You know something has to change, but you are too busy firefighting to fix it
You are not failing. You have simply grown past the point where graft alone works. At £1–3m, you need simple structure, not more hours.
It Is Not A "Staff" Problem.
It Is A Structure Problem.
Many MDs I meet worry they’ve got the wrong people or that they’re not managing them well. In reality, responsibility is fuzzy, jobs are not tracked clearly, and no one can see the full picture. So everything rolls uphill to you.
You see it show up in three places:
No single view of jobs, quotes and lost opportunities
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No simple daily habit to keep cash, jobs and decisions in control
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Payment terms that create cash gaps and constant overdraft pressure
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We keep it simple. One meeting. One bottleneck. One action each week.
Step 1
Cashflow Reality Check
We build a clear spreadsheet that shows: current cash, overdue accounts, and what your bank balance would be if people simply paid what they owe. You see the truth in black and white.
Step 2
Fix The Upstream Systems
We trace problems back to quoting and payment terms. Often the fix is stage payments, clearer scopes, or stopping the wrong kind of work.
Step 3
Daily 10 Minute Cash and Jobs Huddle
We set up a short daily routine to review key accounts and stuck jobs, agree actions, and prevent problems repeating. It becomes a habit, not a drama.
Step 4
Simple Seatboard And One Thing Meeting
We clarify who owns what seat in the business and run a weekly One Thing meeting so everyone focuses on the real constraint, not just staying busy.
What Changes When Structure Clicks In
Fewer "have you got a minute?" interruptions
Jobs move smoothly from enquiry to invoice
Overdue accounts are chased calmly and consistently
You make decisions based on clear numbers, not gut feel
You have thinking time back as the MD
How To Get Started
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Book a 30 minute Stress Zone Diagnostic
We map your current position and identify the biggest pressure point: cashflow, jobs, people or enquiries.
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Agree A 12 Week Focus Plan
If we both think it is a fit, we choose one main outcome for the 12 weeks and the simple habits to support it.
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Weekly Implementation With You And Your Key People
We meet weekly to install the structure, review progress and adjust. You get clear actions each week, not theory.
Who Am I To Help?
Louise Rolfe Business Coaching –
for £1–3m UK trades & construction companies
I specialise in that £1–3m "Stress Zone" stage where the business is too big for you to hold in your head, but not yet big enough to have a full senior team.
I have spent years in the trenches with owners who are great at the trade but were never taught how to run a business. My work is practical, visual and habit based so your team can keep it going long after our 12 weeks together.
Questions MDs Often Ask
1. “Are you saying my team are doing a bad job?” I’m not here to blame your people. In every business I work with, people are trying their best – whether that’s your right‑hand person in the office, your supervisors, or you as the MD In reality, the business is spread across too many places – job software, email, WhatsApp, accounts – and no one is looking at the same simple picture. The system looks busy, but it’s not giving you real control, so everything still rolls uphill to you.
2. “Do you actually understand trades / construction, or is this generic coaching?” I only work with UK trades and construction businesses in the £1–£3m bracket. Most of my clients are in plumbing, electrical, groundworks, specialist contractors and similar. Cash gaps from stage payments, jobs stuck between “quoted” and “confirmed”, engineers waiting on decisions… this is my daily world, not theory.
3. “Will this mean even more meetings for us?” No. You will have fewer, shorter, more focused meetings. We add: One 10‑minute daily huddle on cash and stuck jobs. One weekly One‑Thing meeting to focus everyone on the real bottleneck. And we usually remove a bunch of random “have you got a minute?” chats and crisis meetings that are currently stealing your time.
4. “How much of my time will this take as MD?” For you: typically 60–90 minutes per week on our calls, plus the 10‑minute daily huddle that you may or may not lead long‑term. The aim is not to give you more to do. The aim is to replace firefighting with a small number of simple habits that give you time back within a few weeks.
5. “What if our real problem is not enough enquiries / work?” Good question. In tougher years that can be true. In the first Stress Zone Diagnostic we quickly check where the real constraint is: Enquiries / work Converting quotes Delivering smoothly Leadership / coordination If you genuinely have an enquiries problem, we focus your One‑Thing work on that first, and make sure you are not leaking the work you already get.
6. “How quickly will we see a difference?” Most MDs feel calmer within 2–3 weeks because: Cash position and overdue accounts are clearly laid out. Jobs, quotes and lost opportunities are visible in one place. There is a simple daily/weekly rhythm instead of constant chaos. The deeper changes in how the business runs build over the full 12 weeks and beyond.
7. “What happens if it doesn’t work for us?” In week one we agree a clear, realistic outcome for the 12 weeks. If you show up, do the actions we agree, and you feel it has made no meaningful difference, I do not want you resenting the investment. I’d rather refund or roll unused value into a different form of support than leave you feeling stuck where you started. We will agree the exact terms together before we begin.
Straight‑talking 30‑minute call to find the real pressure point in your business.