Current Position & Context
Where are you now in terms of revenue, profit, cash flow, client mix, capacity and risk? We build a simple, honest picture to work from.
Related: Profit Is Not a Dirty Word →Is your business busy but growth, profit or direction still feels uncertain? Phil Manhire helps Australian business owners build a practical business growth strategy: choose the right priorities, assess commercial constraints and give the team clear actions, responsibilities and measures for progress.
Business planning and growth strategy is the process of deciding where a business should go, what commercial outcomes matter most, which opportunities deserve investment and what practical actions are required to move from the current position to the desired one.
For established business owners, our consulting service turns those decisions into a practical plan: a focused set of priorities, clear responsibilities, measures of progress and regular checkpoints. The scope is agreed around your business, objectives and capacity to implement.
At Unicorn Consultants, business planning connects growth, profitability, marketing, people, systems, resilience and the owner's longer-term objectives. For the foundations behind this approach, read our guide to seven practical business growth strategies.
Many businesses grow in bursts: a good year, a tough year, some wins and some setbacks. Without a clear strategy and plan, it is easy to confuse activity with progress.
Our role is to help you step back, see the full picture and set a path that is both ambitious and realistic — commercially, operationally and personally.
The aim is not simply to generate more revenue. Sustainable growth needs to consider profitability, cash flow, capacity, customer quality, owner dependence and long-term business value.
A good strategy does not just tell you what to do. It also tells you what to ignore.
The goal is not a prettier plan. The goal is clearer decisions and better execution.This service is designed for owners of established businesses who need to make growth decisions, resolve competing priorities or move beyond an outdated plan. It is especially useful when the team is working hard but profit, cash flow, capacity or direction is not keeping pace.
Every engagement is different, but these six areas provide a practical framework for building a business growth strategy that connects ambition with commercial reality.
Where are you now in terms of revenue, profit, cash flow, client mix, capacity and risk? We build a simple, honest picture to work from.
Related: Profit Is Not a Dirty Word →What does a good result look like for you as an owner — commercially and personally? We translate that into clear strategic aims.
Which levers matter most: pricing, product mix, new markets, marketing, partnerships, acquisitions, customer retention or something else?
Related: Marketing Strategy →What might get in the way — capacity, key-person risk, funding, systems, competition or business continuity — and how should those risks be managed?
Related: Risk & Resilience →A shortlist of initiatives for the next 12–36 months, ranked by impact, effort and strategic relevance so you are not trying to do everything at once.
A practical plan with responsibilities, timelines and simple measures, plus regular checkpoints to keep implementation moving.
The aim is not to overcomplicate your business. It is to simplify the decision-making landscape so that the right work gets done in the right order.
A useful growth strategy should make day-to-day choices easier because owners and leaders know what the business is trying to achieve and which opportunities genuinely support that direction. We agree the planning outputs and level of implementation support before the work begins.
Start with a short outline of your business and the issue, opportunity or decision you want to discuss. You do not need to know the underlying cause before contacting us.
During the conversation, we discuss your current situation, what you want to improve and the constraints or competing priorities affecting progress. The review helps us assess whether business planning and growth strategy support is a sensible fit.
We then consider the next step, if one is warranted. That may be a scoped planning engagement, a useful resource, another specialist or no further action. The review is complimentary and carries no obligation; a detailed growth plan is a separate engagement.
Service: Business planning & growth strategy | Clients: Business owners & family businesses | Horizon: 12–36 months | Format: Workshops & working sessions | Location: Queensland-based, supporting clients Australia-wide.
After an initial review, we agree the scope, planning outputs, fees and pace of work. The engagement can range from a focused planning sprint to a more involved program with implementation support.
Working sessions assess your current position, clarify the commercial goals and identify which opportunities and constraints matter most. We then help turn the priorities into actions, responsibilities and measures. Any ongoing review or implementation support is agreed as part of the scope.
Our role is to bring independent perspective, challenge assumptions where necessary and help convert broad ambitions into clear commercial priorities. If you are wondering what outside advice can add, our article Why Aussie Companies Hire Business Consultants explains the role in more detail.
Ask a Question or Request a CallThe complimentary 30-minute review is an initial conversation about your current business, objectives and concerns. We discuss what may be limiting progress, whether Unicorn Consultants is a suitable fit and what, if anything, should happen next. There is no obligation to proceed. A detailed growth plan is a separate engagement.
A business growth strategy consultant helps owners assess the current business, clarify commercial goals, identify the most useful growth opportunities, recognise constraints and risks, prioritise initiatives and establish a practical plan for implementation and review.
It depends on scope, but many engagements run over several weeks to a few months. We agree the structure and pace upfront so it fits with your capacity and calendar.
Yes. We regularly collaborate with accountants, lawyers and other advisers. Our focus is strategy, planning and implementation rather than competing with specialist professional advisers.
No. We work with a range of businesses, from smaller owner-managed firms through to larger family enterprises. The important factor is usually the complexity of the decisions being made and the owner's willingness to act on the plan.
They overlap, but they are not necessarily the same. A traditional business plan may document the overall business and its financial assumptions. A growth strategy focuses more specifically on where future growth will come from, which opportunities deserve investment, what could constrain progress and how priorities will be implemented.
Fees depend on the depth and duration of the engagement. We outline the available options and indicative fees after an initial conversation so you can decide whether the work makes commercial sense for your business.
Discuss where your business is now, what you want to improve and what may be holding progress back. We will consider whether planning support is useful and what the next step could be. There is no obligation to proceed.
Unicorn Consultants, along with Internet Marketing Service, was founded by Phil Manhire, a business growth facilitator with over four decades of experience advising business owners, family enterprises and high-net-worth families.
Phil’s work spans strategy, growth, exit and succession planning, with a strong focus on practical implementation. He has advised clients in professional services, trade-based businesses, manufacturing, health, agriculture and more.
The common thread? Helping owners build businesses that are both commercially robust and personally rewarding — businesses that support the lifestyle and legacy they want, not the other way around.
Book a Conversation with PhilPractical digital marketing, search visibility and online growth support for service-based businesses that want stronger enquiries and better-quality leads.
Visit Internet Marketing Service →Strategic thinking and education around wealth, business ownership and long-term financial clarity for owners wanting to think beyond day-to-day operations.
Visit Wealth IQ Group →We’d love to hear from you. Reach out to our team or visit us at our Pacific Pines office.