Starting a business
Most businesses don't fail because of a bad idea.
They fail because the right questions were never asked at the start. Are you asking yours?
The gap between a great idea and a great business
Every week I speak to people who have taken the leap, registered a company, built a website, maybe even taken on their first client. And yet something feels uncertain. The numbers don't quite add up. The plan exists only in their head. The funding they need is further away than they thought.
Starting a business is one of the most exciting things you can do. It is also one of the most consequential. The decisions you make in the first six months shape everything that follows. The question is not whether you have what it takes. The question is whether you have asked yourself the right things.
The questions worth sitting with
Before you launch, can you answer these?
These are not trick questions. They are the ones that separate businesses that survive from those that do not.
What are your goals, really?
Not the vague version. The specific one. How much do you want to earn? What does your working week look like? What does success feel like in three years? The structure of your business should be built around your answers, not the other way around.
Sole trader or limited company?
This is not just a tax question. It affects your personal liability, how seriously certain clients take you, your ability to raise funding, and what you can and cannot claim. Most people pick one without understanding what they are choosing.
Do you know how much you need to start and to keep going?
The start-up cost is only half the picture. The money you need to run the business month to month, before revenue becomes reliable, is where most people get caught out. Do you know both numbers?
Are your volumes realistic, and what do they actually make you?
At your prices, how many clients, sales or hours do you need each month to cover your costs? To pay yourself? To grow? Most founders have never done this calculation. The ones who have are rarely surprised.
Do you understand the difference between cash flow and profit?
You can be profitable on paper and unable to pay your bills. Cash flow is about timing. When does money actually land in your account versus when do your costs go out? This gap is where businesses quietly fail.
What funding are you eligible for, and have you explored it?
Government Start-Up Loans, grants, flexible credit lines and equipment finance exist for exactly this stage. Most founders either do not know what is available or do not know how to access it on the right terms.
What most people overlook
The things that catch founders off guard
Your accountant
Not just for tax returns. A good accountant shapes how you structure the business, what you can claim, and how you pay yourself efficiently. Getting this right from day one costs far less than unpicking it later.
A business bank account
Mixing personal and business finances is one of the most common early mistakes. A dedicated business account makes your numbers cleaner, your tax simpler, and your business more credible to lenders and clients alike.
How you take payments
Card readers, online invoicing, payment links, point of sale systems. How your customers pay you affects your cash flow, your admin, and how professional you appear. It is worth thinking through before your first sale.
Your online presence
A website and a Google Business Profile are not optional extras. They are how people decide whether to trust you before they ever make contact. What does yours say about you right now?
Your marketing approach
Word of mouth only goes so far. Social media, local advertising, email, partnerships. Which channels actually reach your customers? Most founders try everything and measure nothing. A focused approach beats a scattered one every time.
The support around you
Mentors, advisors, networks, communities. The founders who grow fastest are rarely the ones who figure it out alone. Who is in your corner, and are they the right people for where you want to go?
Why this matters to me
I have seen what happens when these questions go unanswered.
After 15 years working inside some of the UK's most complex financial institutions, Citi Group, Lloyds Banking Group, Allica Bank, I have seen the difference between businesses that are built on solid foundations and those that are not.
I started JCWT Consulting because I wanted to give early-stage founders access to the kind of rigorous financial thinking that was previously only available to large organisations. Not to overwhelm you with complexity, but to give you clarity.
The questions on this page are the ones I ask every new client. The answers shape everything we do together.
Ready to get the answers?
You do not have to figure this out alone.
A single conversation can bring more clarity than months of reading and guessing. Let us work through your specific situation together.