Every board is different, but the way we work is consistent. Whether you need a single non-executive director, a fractional finance lead or a full governance overhaul, our board advisory engagements follow a clear, structured process so you always know what is happening, who is responsible and what you will receive.
This page explains the steps from first conversation to ongoing support, the engagement models you can choose from, what to expect in your first 90 days and how we keep your information confidential.
Our engagement process
We follow six steps. Smaller projects may move through them in a matter of weeks; larger programmes take longer, but the sequence stays the same.
1. Discovery call
Every engagement starts with a free, no-obligation conversation, usually 30 to 45 minutes by video or phone. We want to understand your business, your board as it stands today, what has prompted you to get in touch and what a good outcome would look like. There is no pitch and no obligation. If we are not the right fit, we will say so and, where we can, point you towards someone who is.
2. Diagnostic
If there is a fit, we carry out a short diagnostic. Depending on the brief, this may include reviewing your articles of association, shareholder agreement, recent board papers and minutes, management accounts and any existing policies, alongside conversations with directors and key shareholders. For a governance review we may also ask board members to complete a short questionnaire. Our free governance scorecard is a useful starting point if you want to self-assess first.
3. Proposal
We then send a written proposal setting out our understanding of your situation, the recommended scope, the people who will work with you, a timetable, deliverables and a fixed fee or monthly price. Our proposals are written in plain English and we are happy to adjust the scope to fit your budget or priorities.
4. Onboarding
Once the proposal is agreed, we sign an engagement letter and, where needed, a non-disclosure agreement. We introduce your named lead adviser, agree communication channels and meeting cadence, and set up secure access to any documents we need. If the engagement involves a board portal or virtual data room, we configure user permissions at this stage.
5. Delivery
This is where the work happens: running a director search, placing a fractional executive, drafting policies, facilitating board sessions or implementing new technology. Your lead adviser keeps you updated on progress against the agreed plan, flags issues early and makes sure the board has what it needs to make decisions.
6. Review
At the end of a project, and at regular intervals during ongoing engagements, we review what has been achieved against the objectives we agreed at the outset. We ask for your honest feedback, agree any follow-up actions and recommend what, if anything, should come next.
Engagement models
We offer several ways to work with us, so you can match the level of support to your stage, budget and ambitions.
Project
A defined piece of work with a clear start, end and set of deliverables, usually priced as a fixed fee. Typical projects include a non-executive director search, a governance and compliance review, a board effectiveness evaluation or a virtual data room set-up for a transaction.
Strategic sprint
A short, intensive engagement, often lasting a few weeks, focused on a single pressing question. For example, a founder preparing for a Series A round might use a sprint to get their board structure, reporting and data room ready before speaking to investors.
Retained or fractional
Ongoing, part-time support from an experienced director or adviser, such as a fractional CFO, COO or chief sales officer working a set number of days each month, or a non-executive director who attends board meetings and provides challenge between them. You can estimate the cost of fractional support with our fractional cost calculator.
Subscription plans
For businesses that want continuous access to board-level support at a predictable monthly cost, we offer three plans. Full details are on our pricing page.
- Starter (£500 per month): for early-stage businesses that want access to governance guidance and practical templates as they set up their first board.
- Growth (£1,500 per month): for scaling businesses that need regular advisory input, board meeting support and help preparing for investment.
- Enterprise / Exit (£3,500 per month): for established or investor-backed firms needing more intensive support, including exit and M&A planning, due diligence readiness and senior advisory time.
Prices exclude VAT. Plans can be combined with one-off projects, and you can move between plans as your needs change.
Your first 90 days
The table below shows what a typical retained or subscription engagement looks like in its first three months. Projects follow a similar rhythm, compressed to fit the agreed timetable.
| Period | What happens | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–14 | Onboarding, document review, introductory conversations with directors and key shareholders, secure access set up | Named lead adviser, agreed meeting cadence, confirmed priorities |
| Days 15–30 | Diagnostic completed, quick wins identified, first board or advisory meeting attended | Diagnostic summary and prioritised action plan |
| Days 31–60 | Priority actions under way, such as policy drafting, board pack redesign, director search or platform configuration | Draft documents, shortlists or configured systems for board review |
| Days 61–90 | Changes embedded, board feedback gathered, next-quarter plan agreed | 90-day review report and forward plan |
Tip: Before your discovery call, gather your articles of association, any shareholder agreement and your last three sets of board minutes. It helps us understand your position quickly and makes the diagnostic more useful.
Confidentiality and NDAs
Board work involves commercially sensitive information, and we take our responsibility for it seriously.
- We are happy to sign your non-disclosure agreement, or provide our own, before any detailed information is shared, including before the diagnostic.
- Confidentiality obligations are written into every engagement letter and into the agreements of everyone who works on client matters, including placed directors and associates.
- Information is shared on a need-to-know basis and held in secure, access-controlled systems with encryption and audit trails.
- Personal data is handled in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
- At the end of an engagement we agree how your documents will be returned, archived or securely deleted.
Where a placed non-executive or fractional director needs to declare potential conflicts of interest, we make sure this happens before appointment and is recorded properly.
Ready to start?
Book a free discovery call to talk through your board, your plans and the support that would make the biggest difference.
How we measure success
We agree success measures with you at the start of every engagement, and we review them openly at the end. The right measures depend on the brief, but they commonly include:
- Delivery against scope: were the agreed deliverables completed to the timetable and budget?
- Board effectiveness: are meetings more focused, are papers clearer and are decisions being made and followed through more consistently?
- Appointment quality: for searches and placements, is the director a good fit and are they contributing as the board hoped?
- Compliance and risk: are policies current, are risks identified and owned, and are statutory obligations being met?
- Readiness: for fundraising or exit work, is the business able to answer investor or buyer questions quickly and with confidence?
- Your feedback: we ask directors directly whether our work has made a difference, and we act on what they tell us.
If something is not working, we would rather hear about it early. Our lead advisers check in regularly so that issues can be addressed before they become problems. To discuss a specific brief, visit our start a project page or get in touch.