Nikki Gatenby: Managing Director - Gatenby Consulting Ltd
“Serena brings a wonderful combination of searing insight and utter honesty in her approach. It’s refreshing..”
Working together with Serena you not only enjoy years of her commercial experience, strong in the knowledge that the numbers you are looking at are robust, you also enjoy knowing that no stone will be left unturned in the pursuit of clarity.
I’ve watched Serena call out the elephant in the room and help founders make brave decisions with confidence. She creates a competitive edge, right there.
Fall over yourself to work with her!
Matt Ward: Managing Director - Clickthrough Marketing Ltd
Serena has been a game-changer for our business over the past three years.
Her objective, insightful approach has provided invaluable clarity, allowing us to focus on what truly matters and proactively address challenges before they arise. Her strategic financial guidance has been instrumental in navigating a complex market, ensuring we stay ahead of potential risks while optimising opportunities. As Managing Director, I’ve particularly valued her supportive yet challenging coaching style, which has kept me accountable and helped me grow into a stronger leader.
If you’re looking for someone who will drive real impact and challenge your thinking for the better, you need her in your corner!
Phil Gripton: Partner - Waypoint Partners
“What I appreciate most about Serena is her passion and commitment to doing whatever it takes to get the job done. This kind of dedication is rare and valuable. Serena is a straight-talking, highly experienced trusted advisor”
I am delighted to share my positive experience working with Serena Humphrey and I can attest to the exceptional work she has done working alongside me within my clients.
Serena has a breadth of commercial skills and a deep understanding of finance and has a wealth of experience working with businesses of all sizes. This means that she can provide insightful advice on a wide range of issues, from strategic planning to day-to-day operations.
Serena is a straight-talking, highly experienced trusted advisor. She has a talent for cutting through complexity and getting straight to the heart of the matter. This makes her an invaluable asset to any business owner or manager who needs clear and actionable advice.
What I appreciate most about Serena is her passion and commitment to doing whatever it takes to get the job done. She is never satisfied with “good enough” and always goes the extra mile to ensure that her clients are happy with the work she delivers. Serena also has strong financial planning skills, helping businesses create and execute financial plans that support their strategic objectives.
Overall, working with Serena has been a pleasure. Her expertise and commitment have been invaluable to my clients, and I highly recommend her. Serena has the skills and experience you need to succeed. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a skilled financial advisor and partner.
Natasha Magon: Receptional Ltd
“I just wanted to say I absolutely love working with you. You really are an inspiration to me, and you’ve just made everything so much clearer”
I just wanted to say I absolutely love working with you. You really are an inspiration to me, and you’ve just made everything so much clearer for me when I was feeling very overwhelmed.
I didn’t know whether I would be able to do what I wanted, but seeing you has made everything so much clearer and manageable, and I feel a lot more confident as well. I know where to start now and I know what’s important.
I cannot honestly thank you enough!
Jake Third: Managing Director - Hallam Internet Ltd
“The guidance that Serena has given us has been absolutely priceless. She’s there by our side in our hardest times giving us practical advice, but she’s also there proactively in the best of times.”
As the MD it’s absolutely vital to me that I have fast, accurate financial information, along with the financial system Serena has put in place. We’ve grown from 8 people to 55 people over the last few years and our financial systems, processes and information has had to scale with that, and I’m certain that wouldn’t have happened without Serena’s support.
The final thing I’d say, and I know this is felt by the whole leadership team at Hallam, is that Serena adds value well above and beyond the financials; she’s part of our senior leadership team and board where she adds executive level value across our operations, client experience, and our commercial modelling. She really acts in partnership with our business.
I couldn’t be happier with her support and I’d have absolutely no doubt in recommending Serena.
Kate Rostance; Director- Fat Free Media Ltd
“Serena has given us much more than financial coaching – she has changed the way we get out of bed in the morning.”
After years of reading her articles and following her work, we approached Serena for some tailored coaching to level-up our skills in finance and strategy. Working with her allowed us to unlock a level of clarity that we never imagined possible.
Serena has given us much more than financial coaching – she has changed the way we get out of bed in the morning, how we decide to spend our day and how we make decisions around our business. Our stress levels have gone down dramatically because we aren’t worrying about something just beyond the horizon that we didn’t know about. Here are some of the ways she’s changed Fat Free Media for the better:
Our financial skills have improved dramatically. We know what needs to be looked at and when, and understand when to bring in the expert accountants, or get external support
We have a clear view of our financial goals, and have a practical strategy to get there
We’ve also never had a better work life balance and job satisfaction. We’re hugely excited about the next financial year ahead and about what we’ll be able to achieve in the future
Andrew Mills: Managing Director - T Allen Engineering
“I was totally staggered by the sheer scale of your drive, energy and commitment during our day yesterday.”
Firstly many thanks for a very productive day yesterday
Quite honestly it is the best day I have ever spent with an external consultant.
I was totally staggered by the sheer scale of your drive, energy and commitment during our day yesterday. I have worked with many professional people previously, the vast majority of them (in particular accountants) will go through the motions, I am frequently sat at the other end of the table feeling I have to wind them up to get a response. This was categorically not the case with you.
I would like to thank you for the passion you showed in trying to help me and our business, considering this was the first time you have visited the progress already made is very encouraging.
Nickie Elinor: MD of Your HR Lawyer
“Serena’s advice has truly changed my life as a business owner. Her advice is invaluable. She is fiercely passionate about helping small businesses..”
Serena’s advice has truly changed my life as a business owner. After 10 years running my own firm, I can now say with confidence that I know exactly what’s happening with my cashflow and plan properly for growth. Her advice is invaluable. She is fiercely passionate about helping small businesses get a handle on their finances – and is your critical friend if there is something that you need to stop doing for the good of your business!
Polly Holmes: Managing Director - Pollit & Partners Ltd
“I can say without hesitation that Serena is an invaluable asset to our business. Her specialised knowledge, commercial focus, and commitment have made a tangible difference to our bottom line.”
Serena’s specialised knowledge of the agency enabled her to provide insightful and strategic guidance that has helped us to make informed decisions about where to invest our resources and how to optimise our operations for maximum profitability.
Her commercial acumen is impressive; she has a keen eye for identifying opportunities to increase revenue and margins while minimising costs. This has been instrumental in helping us to achieve our financial goals and drive growth for the business.
Equally important has been Serena’s focus on nailing the basics of financial control and reporting. She has implemented rigorous processes and controls to ensure that our financial data is accurate and reliable, and provided clear and concise reporting that enables us to easily track our performance and make informed decisions about how to move forward.
As the MD of the business, this has made my life much easier. I have full confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial data, which allows me to focus on other important aspects of running the business. I also appreciate the way Serena is always available to answer questions and provide guidance, whether it’s a routine matter or a more complex issue that requires her expertise.
Overall, I can say without hesitation that Serena is an invaluable asset to our business. Her specialised knowledge, commercial focus, and commitment to nailing the basics of financial control and reporting have made a tangible difference to our bottom line.
Claire Hodson: We Love Creative
“You’ve really helped us to look at our business in a completely different way in such a short amount of time. It’s quite astonishing really – is it a Jedi mind trick? Ha!
Seriously, thank you, we’re very grateful and lucky that our paths crossed as they did..”
Tom Perry: Managing Director - Sherpa Marketing Ltd
“Serena has and continues to help us on that growth journey – getting a better financial grip on your business is 100% possible and we thoroughly recommend working with Serena..”
We’ve been working with Serena since 2018 on improving everything financial about our business.
We realised the basic information we were getting from our accountants didn’t allow us to make quick commercial decisions, with a real time view on the health of our business. Serena has been absolutely instrumental in implementing robust controls, systems and reporting,
We now have automated end to end financial system. As a really ambitious business owners focussed on growth it’s imperative we have accurate commercial information at hand to make those big investment decisions that will impact the future of our business. Serena has and continues to help us on that growth journey – getting a better financial grip on your business is 100% possible and we thoroughly recommend working with Serena.
Susan Hallam: Founder of Hallam Internet Ltd
“I would recommend Serena without hesitation; she has played a very important part in Hallam’s growth trajectory.”
I founded the company in 1999 and we recently undertook a successful MBO.
We were advised by Serena who has been working with us since 2017, and she’s helped us in so many different ways. As the business grew she introduced financial processes and systems that allowed us to keep financial control, and that gave us a really robust financial understanding of our company. Serena then helped with our growth planning and work out what we wanted to achieve, and then most importantly she helped us with our succession planning so as we were looking for me as the founder to sell out of the company, preparing robust financial information that allowed us to get a sound valuation which helped us to get a successful MBO.
I would recommend Serena without hesitation; she has played a very important part in Hallam’s growth trajectory and if you’d like any more information please feel free to get in touch with me.
Darren Joint: Managing Director - Viking Signs
“She’s a genuinely nice person who really cares about her impact in the world and her mission to give clients freedom from worry through visibility and control of their own business finances”
Serena’s no-nonsense, practical approach to business finance is a breath of fresh air! In our work together Serena was able to apply her vast experience, whilst openly listening to our perspective to come up with unique solutions. She’s a genuinely nice person who really cares about her impact in the world and her mission to give clients freedom from worry through visibility and control of their own business finances.
Ben Afia: Managing Director - Afia Consulting Ltd
“Serena does a superb job of steering our financial strategy, growth planning, recruitment and more. If we have a tricky issue to solve I give her a call.”
I hired Serena to take our financial management from being a weakness to a business strength. And she’s certainly given me that.
After struggling to get the monthly management and reporting we needed from traditional accountants, Serena gave us a process and helped us organise how we keep a handle on the finances internally. She tops this off with her incisive brand of consultancy. She probes to the heart of the matter, exposing risks and opportunities to help us grow the business.
Serena does a superb job of steering our financial strategy, growth planning, recruitment and more. If we have a tricky issue to solve I give her a call.
Angela Nall: Managing Director - Pathfinders Ltd
“No shocks, no surprises, factual and controlled – just the way that banks like to see things.”
Serena came into the business and after a look at what we do, how we do it and the skill set of my team, she came up with an action plan. The rest, as they say, is history.
I now have week by week, month by month, year on year visibility on what is happening in real time in the business. The business levers are identified which shows me where to pull and push in the business to get the financial effects that I want to achieve.
The finance team have had extensive training and mentoring, putting systems and processes into place; they now report to me on key issues such as income, cash flow, debtors. They understand how the quality of their information helps me to make the decisions that affect the company. They are all proud as peacocks and quite right too.
Business credibility with our external financers has taken a boost and they are impressed by our level of understanding and control of our finances. No shocks, no surprises, factual and controlled – just the way that banks like to see things.
Thank you, Serena
Paul Crick: Paul Crick Ltd
“Serena has a supportive, caring approach to financial strategy that is both tremendously helpful and very reassuring.”
Serena has a supportive, caring approach to financial strategy that is both tremendously helpful and very reassuring. In helping to get my initial business plan (and the financial plan to go with it), Serena offered me pragmatic advice borne out of her deep experience of helping other organisations get themselves in order.
Serena has a sharp, commercial mind and knows exactly how to set your finances on the right track. If you’re looking for someone to help you with your financial management systems then I’d recommend Serena in a heartbeat.
Jim Swetnam: Managing Director - Eyetee Network Services Ltd
“Serena’s advice has been invaluable and her positive attitude is a breath of fresh air, after every meeting with her I always leave feeling incredibly positive and raring to go. I always recommend Serena to business colleagues and will continue to do so”
Cathy Mellor: Find Your Voice
“I just wanted to say a HUGE and MAHOOOOSIVE thank you for all your help today. You were practical, professional and inspirational in every way.
Xina Gooding Broderick: The Inspirational Funeral Director
“She TRULY cares about helping people to reach clarity and clearing the confusion surrounding their business finance. She speaks without jargon and holds your hand throughout the process. She is diligent, client focused and sets the bar very high for business integrity.”
We are most certainly NOT experts in finance – I’ve been confused and frustrated for way too long!
Over the years, I’ve have asked accountants to help with financial understanding, and have consistently drawn a blank. I still couldn’t make sense of my business finances. I was devoting more time to finance and less to serving my clients. Which was very frustrating.
Serena helped us translate our figures into something meaningful that we can use to steer our business forward. She TRULY cares about helping people to reach clarity and clearing the confusion surrounding their business finance. She speaks without jargon and holds your hand throughout the process. She is diligent, client focused and sets the bar very high for business integrity.
If you want to know how your business is performing and move your business forward, financial intelligence is a must. Serena can help you develop an intimate understanding of your business finance and move your business forward
Philip Bray: Investment Sense Ltd
“If you don’t have a ‘Serena’ in your business, it’s about time you did.”
We have worked with Serena for two years and I can categorically say that we wouldn’t be where we are now if it weren’t for the sound advice we receive from Serena.
Our monthly finance meeting gives us the dedicated time we need to monitor the progress of our business, whilst analysing threats and opportunities. We can then get on with the day to day running of our business, working to deliver our plan, secure in the knowledge that our finances are in safe hands. If you don’t have a ‘Serena’ in your business, it’s about time you did.
Katie Young: Forever Young
“Words cannot to describe what you have achieved today. I have loved going through this with you and been blown away how you connect the dots and create a financial plan from my ideas and dreams!
You are truly amazing!”
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
I will keep you posted!!!
Rob Brown: Managing Director - Rob Brown Ltd
“Serena has that rare blend of financial expertise, strategic insight and formidable empathy with people which make her the perfect business partner”
Darrell West: Managing Director - Venture for Life Ltd
“..few people create real value and deliver a lasting legacy as a result of their actions and involvement, Serena is one of that rare breed.”
In the course of running a business it is not unusual to experience all types of advisors and specialists, of the many, few people create real value and deliver a lasting legacy as a result of their actions and involvement, Serena is one of that rare breed.
Mixing a broad range of understanding with specialist proficiencies, she is able to see the end game and still apply empathy and discretion to the myriad of details that have to be addressed in order to attain sustainable success.
It has been a pleasure and privilege working with Serena and I would recommend her services to those with a serious ambition to succeed.
Carl Benfield: Managing Director - Prescient Power Ltd
“Serena uses her considerable expertise to bring not just clarity, but revelation. Uniquely, she does this with empathy and encouragement”
In the world of small business, there is an army of advisors offering pretty much the same tired solutions as everyone else.
Then there is the F-Word.
Serena Humphrey has realised the emperor is naked, and identified that in many boardrooms up and down the country, directors simply do not have a sufficiently robust handle on their numbers.
For those confident enough to admit they are not omniscient, Serena uses her considerable expertise to bring not just clarity, but revelation. Uniquely, she does this with empathy and encouragement.
Serena has been pivotal in helping us claw our way out of a loss-making position, through break-even, and into profit; all this in a highly volatile market with very lumpy cashflow. We are now able to identify meaningful targets and robust measures to identify where we are on the journey to meet them.
Martin Horton: Managing Director - Rivington Accounts
“Serena is a breath of fresh air when it comes to talking about and understanding your accounts and your business.”
She understands that there is far more to a set of accounts than the profit made and tax due. She also knows what you can do now to make sure that you’re running a better, more profitable business.
Thalej Vasishta: Group Chief Executive Officer - Paragon Group
“Working with Serena has certainly increased my financial IQ.”
Working with Serena has certainly increased my financial IQ. As a busy MD together with an important legal caseload that I run personally finances for me has always come down in my list of priorities. As long as everyone was being paid used to be my priority, it still is, but Serena has set up reporting structures for me which allows me to look at all the KPI’s at a glance and be able to make business decisions from a position of being much more informed.
As a consequence costs have been reduced, business planning is a lot more meaningful, banking relationships have improved because of the reports that they receive and as a business in high growth mode we can move ahead more confidentially
