FAQ

The Key Briefing Points relating to the OXNED Independent Professional Non Execs Service Provision

Most commonly, it is the ongoing planning (with you) and implementation (with you) of that which you see as the key strategic and tactical developments in your business as to be forthcoming over the next five to ten year period 

We have actually ‘Been There and Done It’ ie formerly as Managing Directors of Mid-Sized Businesses 

All of our OXNED Non Execs are at one of the two highest levels of membership of the (very proper) Institute of Business Consulting – either MIBC (Full Member) or FIBC (Fellow) 

Usually, it is just quite simply Three Months’ Notice either way for the first twelve months of working together, and then Twelve Months’ Notice either way after that. Having said that, an alternative arrangement can sometimes be agreed and applied, contractually, via our agreeing each year with clients on a fixed term twelve month contract for the following Financial or Calendar Year, and to be committing to be doing so in writing at the half-way point in the preceding Financial or Calendar Year 

Most definitely not! - The accountant’s primary skill sets are all based around accountancy, audit and tax, and just very exactly as they should be. Accountants are, with just the extremely rare exception, not about professional Non Exec input at all, even if on occasion, they purport to be 

The professional Non Exec working with a Mid-Sized Business is much more hands on, and with a notably nuts-and-bolts approach, and is concerned primarily and almost entirely with helping management improve significantly, (and to maximise), business and commercial and financial performance, over the (short and) medium and long term. Also with the planning and implementation of serious strategic and tactical developmental change over the next five to ten year period upcoming. Such Non Execs working with Mid-Sized Businesses are not going to be spending acres of time on corporate governance, political lobbying and HMG regulatory matters for example, which is where the key focus lies with a large company Non Exec

This is absolutely key to all that we do, and we focus massively upon adding value and maximising your return on investment (ROI) on our services at all times whilst we are working with you. We’d normally be looking to be outcome-working with you on the basis of a minimum of ten times Added Value / ROI, and upwards – and often MUCH more – See ROI Cameos on our website

Our practice model is one which is considerably more professional and more ethical than any other similar practices which we have ever come across in the UK, primarily in the sense that we do not allow any of our OXNED Non Execs to pay us sums of money via which to be able to join the team, ie we recruit solely (and massively-rigorously) on the basis of serious inherent merit, and on seriously-relevant professional expertise, a top level professional qualification in Non Exec knowledge and experience and expertise (Full MIBC, or FIBC), and on absolutely nothing else. Also we do not allow our OXNED Non Execs to ever receive (or pay) commissions when professionally-referring Functional Specialist work with clients to such third party professionals

It’s the way that Professional Non Exec service providers normally work with clients, and reflects the absolutely key underlying need, where we at OXNED Non Execs have at all times to be - and to be seen to be - totally and scrupulously (and sometimes pretty painfully) honest, independent objective and detached

Most commonly that time splits approximately 50/50 in to face-to-face, and non-face-to-face time, but this split can and does vary widely. It is rarely x separate full days as such, but often can be some full days and some half days or something similar, and involves working most commonly with you and your team at your place of business, but sometimes working at our base offices, occasionally at third party premises if necessary  

That's entirely up to you, but we work most commonly with clients for three to ten years  

We each maintain a fully documented CPD log as each year progresses, not least because our (very proper) Institute of Business Consulting membership demands just that very thing. We attend annually a minimum of thirty hours per year of such professional updates / briefings. We also use ‘New CPD’ which is based upon our each working closely with one of our professional colleagues with that person acting as our CPD Peer Mentor

Considerable, as you have every right to expect, and we would be content entirely to assist - if you wish – with the appointment of, and supervision of any such Functional Specialists who are appointed, and to overview their work with you, and to act at all times – if you wish - as an Honest Broker between themselves and yourselves 

We are considerably less expensive than lawyers and accountants of a similar senior level and this is because we specifically avoid the massive Fixed Overheads which they tend to generate, ie we do not have huge square footages of expensive city / town centre office space, and we also use virtually zero support staff, and we spend nothing on advertising 

We each carry at least £2m of top quality and specific-to-the-role PII cover 

OXNED Non Execs forbids us from any such financially-benefiting practices, on the grounds of professional integrity, and on pain of sudden and most excruciating death, usually by hanging drawing and quartering! 

It has been proven thousands of times, not least via some very serious research undertaken by Warwick University Business School, which proved that “The single most powerful determinant of success in a Mid-Sized Business (MSB) is having a specifically-professionally-qualified (MIBC or FIBC), (and specifically MSB-orientated) Independent Professional Non-Exec on board” - And, via dozens of professional practices, that having just such a professional Non Exec on board for just two to four days per month enables the Owners and Senior Management of a Mid-Sized Business to achieve safely and securely (and in a hugely cost effective and highly value-adding manner) the effective planning and full implementation of its commercial and financial objectives for the next five to ten years in a far more reliable, safe and speedy manner than would otherwise be the case

• THE STANDARD OXNED NON EXEC SERVICE – This level of service is for an average over the months of approximately two days / four half-days of Face-to-Face, and Non-Face-to-Face, task-based time and expertise being committed per month, at £2500 per month plus VAT

• THE MEDIAN OXNED NON EXEC SERVICE - This level of service is for an average over the months of approx. three days / six half-days of Face-to-Face, and Non-Face-to-Face, task-based time and expertise being committed per month, at £3750 per month plus VAT

• THE IN-DEPTH OXNED NON EXEC SERVICE- This level of service is for an average over the months of approx. four days / eight half days of Face-to-Face, and Non-Face-to-Face, task-based time and expertise being committed per month, at £5000 per month plus VAT

No, not at all, as that decision is entirely up to you. We are at all times quite content to be either formally on the Board or off, at your choice, and not least it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever to the extremely-professional work-role being deployed by the OXNED Non Exec to you and your colleagues 

YOUR NEXT STEP

Please contact us for more information, including you obtaining a copy of our Key Briefing Points document via E-MAIL