What are you working on?

Expansion. Performance. Turnaround. Operating change. New propositions. We work with owners and operators of places people work on defined commercial and operating priorities, alongside their existing teams.

Some work sits outside the day-to-day

It might be a new market, an underperforming site, a change to how the business runs, or a project the existing team does not have the capacity to take on. We work alongside the existing team to define the work and deliver it.

Expansion: new locations, markets and portfolios

We help owners and operators plan and deliver expansion. For operators, that can mean new locations, new markets, acquisitions and partnerships. For owners, extending an operating proposition across a portfolio, deciding where it should be deployed, finding the right partners and getting new locations live. Market assessment, location strategy, rollout planning, operating model, partnerships, mobilisation, launch and early-stage performance. We can stay involved from the initial assessment through to launch and early performance.

Performance: improve what you already have

Work focused on the commercial performance of existing businesses, assets and operations: occupancy, sales performance, conversion, pricing, retention, channel strategy, enterprise sales, margin, leasing velocity and operator performance. For an operator, the focus might be a sales function, a location or a portfolio. For an owner, the income and performance of an operating asset or partner.

Turnaround: underperforming businesses, sites and propositions

We find what is driving underperformance, agree what needs to change and work with the team to put it in place. A single location, a portfolio, an operating business, a commercial function, a proposition or an operator relationship. The work is tied to commercial measures wherever possible: occupancy, revenue, EBITDA, NOI, margin, cost and breakeven.

Operating change: run the business better

How the business operates: the operating model, organisation, processes, systems, data, automation and AI, always in the context of a business outcome. Lower operating cost, less repetitive manual work, more locations without matching headcount growth, faster sales response times, simpler contracting and onboarding, better management information. Where delivery needs systems, integrations, automation or bespoke software, Workstack becomes part of the team.

New propositions: develop and launch something new

Work with owners and operators on new products, services, formats, operating models and business lines. Opportunity assessment, business case, proposition development, commercial model, operating model, customer journey, mobilisation and launch. We stay involved beyond the recommendation and help get the proposition into operation.

How we work: start with the outcome

We do not begin with a predefined consulting package. We start with where the business is today, what needs to change and how success will be measured, then structure the work around achieving it. Define the outcome. Understand the value. Do the work. For larger pieces of work, we can start by establishing the current position, the outcome and its value before agreeing a wider programme. Where there is a clear and measurable commercial outcome, part of our fee can be linked to the result.

Ways of working

Projects: defined work with a clear objective, scope and timeframe. Embedded: working within the existing team where additional senior capacity is needed, fractional, interim or project leadership. Advisory: ongoing support to founders, CEOs, leadership teams and boards. The shape of the relationship follows the work.

Led by Matthew Kennedy

Matthew builds businesses, places and technology, usually where the three overlap. He built and exited Avenue HQ, has repositioned buildings, created and sold hospitality venues, and founded Fluxo, a commerce platform for physical space. Today he works directly with Advisory clients, with the wider Working Ventures team behind the work.

Wider capability when it is needed

Workstack: systems, data, workflows, automation and AI behind the operation. Working Projects: asset strategy, operating models, partnerships and mobilisation. Fluxo: technology for how places are discovered, booked and sold.

What are you working on? If there is something you are trying to improve, launch, fix or change, we would be happy to talk. Talk to Matthew or email advisory@working.ventures.