Clarity over complexity
We write recommendations in plain language. If a client cannot explain the plan to their team without our help, we have not done our job. Every deliverable passes a readability check before it leaves our office.
How we got started
In early 2016 Gareth Maddox left a regional operations director role at a food-distribution company and started advising two former suppliers on their growth plans. The work was informal at first: a kitchen table, a shared spreadsheet and a lot of honest conversation about what was actually going wrong.
Within a year those two clients had referred four more. Gareth brought in Helen Pascoe, a finance specialist he had worked with at a logistics firm, and they formalised the practice under the name Reliable Consulting Hub.
The early years taught us something important. Owner-managers do not need a 200-page strategy document. They need someone who can look at the numbers, spot the three or four things that matter most and help them act on those things before the quarter is over. That principle still shapes every engagement we take on.
2016
Founded in St. Colewick, Wales. Two founding consultants, two clients.
2018
Expanded to five consultants. Completed our 40th engagement. Opened a second meeting space in Cardiff.
2021
Launched remote-delivery capability during the pandemic. Served clients across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the first time.
2024
Passed 140 completed engagements. Team of eight consultants and two support staff. Average client retention across multi-phase projects: 22 months.
Mission and values
Our mission is straightforward: help UK businesses between £500k and £25m in turnover make better decisions faster. We do this by combining hands-on operational experience with structured analytical methods, then staying involved until the changes produce measurable results.
Fixed fees, no surprises
We scope every project before it starts and quote a fixed price. If the scope changes, we agree the new cost in writing before any extra work begins. Clients have told us this is the single thing that made them comfortable hiring a consultant for the first time.
Practical experience
Every consultant on our team has held a line-management or director-level role in industry. We have managed budgets, hired and fired, dealt with difficult suppliers and navigated recessions. That background means we test every recommendation against the realities of running a business.
Accountability
We set measurable targets at the start of each engagement and review progress at agreed intervals. If something is not working, we say so and adjust the approach. We would rather flag a problem early than pretend everything is on track.
Meet the team
Eight consultants, two support staff. Here are the people you are most likely to work with.
Gareth Maddox
Founding director. 18 years in food distribution and logistics before starting the firm. Leads strategy and operational engagements.
Helen Pascoe
Finance director. ACMA qualified. Previously group financial controller at a £40m logistics company. Runs all financial advisory and cash-flow modelling work.
David Okonkwo
Senior consultant. Background in retail operations and supply-chain management. Specialises in process mapping, warehouse design and procurement savings.
The rest of the team includes specialists in HR structuring, technology selection, marketing analytics and commercial negotiation. On larger projects we assemble a two- or three-person team so that different skill sets are available without the client paying for a large firm's overhead.
Results from recent engagements
We do not publish client names without permission, but here are three anonymised examples that give a fair picture of what we do and what it produces.
Regional building-supplies distributor (£8m turnover)
The owner wanted to open a second depot but was not sure the cash flow could support it. We built a 24-month financial model, identified £220k of annual savings in their existing operation and structured a phased depot launch that started generating revenue within five months of opening.
SaaS company (£1.2m ARR)
Churn was running at 6% per month. We interviewed 30 churned customers, mapped the onboarding process and redesigned the first-90-days experience. Monthly churn dropped to 2.8% over four months. The founder later secured a Series A round partly on the strength of the improved retention metrics.
Family-owned manufacturing firm (£14m turnover)
The second generation was taking over and needed a governance structure. We set up a formal board, defined role boundaries between family members and non-family managers, and introduced quarterly board packs. The transition completed over 12 months with no senior staff departures.