INDUSTRY / NEWS signlink signlink signlinkmagazine 10 Issue 252 - April / May 2024 www.signlink.co.uk Storm Arrow Consulting business consultancy launches Alan Gunter has combined his 30-plus years of industry experience to form Arrow Storm Consulting, a signage business consultancy. Drawing on Gunter’s extensive experience, Arrow Storm Consulting went live on December 1st, 2023, and offers mentoring, on-site assessments, and bespoke strategy support. Gunter also offers a department-based service including estimating, procurement, scheduling, or production support. Having started out in the industry with an apprenticeship in traffic management in 1992, Gunter says he formed a firm understanding of the rules and structure of signage and fonts. After a number of years in this field, he moved into the world of commercial signs which included elements of design with traditional sign-making. It was at this stage that Gunter was introduced to CNC routing, digital printing, letter making, sales/estimating, and production and operations management. During this time, Gunter was part of the team that developed an estimating tool called Signtiffic, later known as Clarity. Having been made redundant in September 2023, Gunter decided to utilise his years of experience to help other businesses in the industry. “The biggest mistake I find is that businesses throw labour and resources at problems rather than fix the issues,” he explains. “With a little organisation and streamlining, more time is created in the business for people to make better-informed decisions. “Also, inter-department processes don’t always gel as usually and understandably people do things that best suit them rather than seeing the bigger picture. Procurement is also a double-edged sword as building relationships is vital but also finding the most cost-effective supplier can make the difference between getting a job or losing it to a competitor.” So, what is involved in accessing Storm Arrow Consulting’s services? Gunter explains that depending on the requirement of the individual business, he will conduct a three-day on-site assessment of all processes and procedures which will be used to form a ‘battle plan’. Gunter will then sit down with all stakeholders and work out a strategy to execute this plan. “This is totally bespoke to the needs of the business and can range from one day a month to two or three days a week,” Gunter says. “There are full non-disclosure agreements signed and a fixed length contract is supplied.” Not having enough time is a common pain point that Gunter says crops up regularly and he says these services can enable businesses to increase turnover by creating time for sales and marketing departments to focus on their own tasks more efficiently. “I will put in place systems and processes that will increase gross profit, reduce labour costs, and reduce waste,” he explains. “Through analytics, together we can then identify KPI (Key Performance Indicators) and structure the business to target the areas that give the best results. This will create more profit for the stakeholders and better rewards for a more loyal and productive workforce.” To find out more about how Storm Arrow Consulting could help your business, visit www. arrowstormconsulting.co.uk or contact Alan Gunter on alan@ arrowstormconsulting.co.uk. Alan Gunter, founder of Arrow Storm Consulting, has amassed over 30 years of industry experience A signage business consultancy been launched by Alan Gunter which offers mentoring, on-site assessments, and bespoke strategy support
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