Actionable Financial Insights
Understand your financial data to help empower your teams and decision making processes.
Actionable Financial Insights
Understand your financial data to help empower your teams and decision making processes.
Team Development
Enable your entire organisation with actionable financial intelligence to give your the edge.
Team Development
Enable your entire organisation with actionable financial intelligence to give your the edge.
Coaching & mentoring
The key to the success of any organisation is its people. Provide the right coaching to Thrive.
Coaching & mentoring
The key to the success of any organisation is its people. Provide the right coaching to Thrive.
Sales, Mergers, Acquisitions
Selling a business, acquire a new one, or merge with another, we are here to guide you .
Sales, Mergers, Acquisitions
Selling a business, acquire a new one, or merge with another, we are here to guide you .
Accessible Financial leadership focussed on your business goals.
I’m John Lawes F.C.C.A, founder of Thriving Edge.
My purpose is to help your business thrive.
With three decades of experience working as a finance professional, I’ve had the privilege of overseeing high-profile acquisitions and sales, transforming businesses and their finance teams.
Thriving Edge was conceived with a vision deeply rooted in my experiences as a business leader. I understand that actionable financial insights are the cornerstone of informed decisions, coaching and mentoring empowers individuals and departments to achieve their best, and that mergers and acquisitions can be a catalyst for transformative growth.
My commitment to excellence is inspired by my unwavering belief in the people around me. Through challenging the status quo, envisioning a brighter future, and fostering a culture of collaboration, your business is certain to thrive.
Your partner to get the right actionable financial insights
Actionable Financial Insights
There are many business intelligence tools available that give users data at the touch of a button. My belief is that data in itself is of little use.
How do we use data?
I will turn your data into actionable information, presenting it in a way that is easy to understand, through: –
- Trend analysis, identifying where your business has been and, left unchecked, where the business could expect to find itself in the future.
- Benchmarking your business against competitors’ performance can identify areas of poor performance and business’ strengths. It is as important to continue to do what’s working in your business as it is to change what is not.
- Financial modelling that simulates different business scenarios. These models can help you predict future financial outcomes and test the impact of strategic decisions.
I will transform your data into actionable financial insight to help you make the right decisions and enable your business to thrive.
Case Study
Background
I developed and implemented a forecasting tool for a £160m, 41 branch, Builders Merchants, which streamlined the budgeting process and enabled the finance team to cut and slice data at a product group level to help them understand why margins were on the decline.
By comparing margins across the entire group Managers were able to have useful discussions with their peers about how they were able to achieve better margins. By evoking a sense of positive competition, significant margin improvements were achieved across the group.
The data from the system was converted into actionable information that was understood by the user and acted upon.
Ridgeons
“We really needed something simple for our managers to grasp the margin opportunity for their branch. With over 30,000 SKU’s, John really helped simplify where that potential gain could come from and provided a mechanism for our managers to share best practice. This tool was a game changer in addressing our margin decline.”
Richard Gray - Operation Director - Ridgeons
Unlocking the potential of your Finance Team
Could you benefit from Team Development?
My belief is that for a business to have sustainable success, its teams must be aligned with the company’s mission and values. In my experience, a growing business can carry the risk of this alignment becoming fractured.
I have empowered numerous finance teams to manage finances effectively, and also to serve as true partners in achieving an organisation’s goals.
Enable your team to really understand your business and deliver value add reporting. Turn your credit control team into sales enablers and make your purchase ledger team first choice for suppliers.
Take advantage of my 25 years of transforming finance teams and contact me for a free consultation.
Team Development
By aligning your finance team with your mission and values, you empower them to become catalysts for growth and success.
I've had the pleasure of working with John in numerous capacities but most recently as Director within Huws Gray Ridgeons……. John and I developed our close working relationship through a leadership development programme during which we supported, guided and coached each other in developing a cohesive and collaborative working relationship.
Achieve Business success
through your people
Coaching and Mentoring
We recognise that the strength of your organisation lies not only in your financial team but also in the collective knowledge and expertise of all staff members.
He is a great visionary when it comes to his leadership style, great at engaging with all staff and encouraging open dialogue, for people around him to feel they can be a part of future developments for the company.
John has been my line manager and mentor for several years now and has been an exceptional leader for me to learn from. The coaching I have received from John has really helped me grow and be the best I can be. John continuously challenges colleagues around him to think longer term with solutions and no matter what pressures the job brings John is always calm spending time motivating those around him. As a leader John has easily and deservedly gained the respect of other colleagues.
Which comes first?
Richard Branson was right when he said…“Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
My purpose when I walk into any business is to enable the individuals within that business, to become the best versions of themselves.
Colleagues that thrive, creates a business that thrives.
Talk to me if you want your finance colleagues to grow with the business and be an integral part of your company in the long term.
Making the complex, simple
& understandable
Case Studies
Background
Being the first Pret franchise partner in the UK was a very proud moment. For a business with no franchise experience, I had to ensure that we were not only financially viable, that our plans were sufficiently ambitious, and we were a credible business that would uphold the Pret values as a good custodian for their colleagues and customers.
Pret franchise launch
“John is the best Finance lead I have worked with…..John was integral to the success of our business through Covid and worked closely with me on the Pret A Manager deal, successfully pitching with me to their global board, to win the right to be only one of three franchise launch partners for the UK.”
James Lipscome - CEO and Owner Chesterford Group
Background
Working on the sale of a £160m Builders Merchant, achieving market-leading EBITDA multiples whilst selling the business to a good home, was no mean feat and just the start. 18 months of ensuring synergies were achieved and the two businesses systems and cultures were integrated, without affecting trading was the real achievement.
Ridgeons
“John was by my side every step of the way as we achieved the sale for the shareholders of a 107 year old family business. He was diligent and conscientious in the finance aspect of the transaction and, perhaps more importantly, was a key support in ensuring we delivered on the non-financial aspects of the transaction for the shareholders. As we transitioned into the enlarged Group, John quickly established rapport and credibility with the new owners and led from the the front when it came to the practical and cultural integration of the two businesses.”.
Ian Northen - CEO Ridgeons
Sales, Mergers, Acquisitions & Events
Thriving Edge understand that the strategic sale, acquisition, or merger of a business is a complex and transformative process.
Whether you’re looking to sell a business, acquire a new one, or merge with another entity, we are here to guide you through every step of the journey, ensuring you maximise value and achieve your strategic objectives.
Embark on a journey to unlock growth and value through strategic sales, acquisitions, and mergers with Thriving Edge.
Get in touch with John Lawes today and start your new journey.
Your partner to get successful
financial outcomes
Helping businesses to thrive...
What colleagues and customers say about John
Huws Gray Ridgeons
Working on the sale of a £160m Builders Merchant, achieving market-leading EBITDA multiples whilst selling the business to a good home, was no mean feat and just the start. 18 months of ensuring synergies were achieved and the two businesses systems and cultures were integrated, without affecting trading was the real achievement.
Room to grow
John has been my line manager and mentor for several years now and has been an exceptional leader for me to learn from. The coaching I have received from John has really helped me grow and be the best I can be.
Visionary
He is a great visionary when it comes to his leadership style, great at engaging with all staff and encouraging open dialogue, for people around him to feel they can be a part of future developments for the company.”
Pret a Manger
“John is the best Finance lead I have worked with…..John was integral to the success of our business through Covid and worked closely with me on the Pret A Manager deal, successfully pitching with me to their global board, to win the right to be only one of three franchise launch partners for the UK.”
Motivational Leader
John was my line manager for several years at Ridgeons. He is a motivational leader with an honest and positive approach to life. He promoted the personal development of all his colleagues, giving them the opportunity to develop within themselves and within the organisation. John is a respected leader and I would welcome an opportunity to work with him again in the future.
True Potential
John has been an inspiring leader. During the past 8 years he has been instrumental in helping me to realise my true potential and achieve my goals. John has always created an honest open environment with complete autonomy, but has always been available for support. I would welcome the opportunity to work with John again in the future.
Leadership Development
I've had the pleasure of working with John in numerous capacities but most recently as Director within Huws Gray Ridgeons……. John and I developed our close working relationship through a leadership development programme during which we supported, guided and coached each other in developing a cohesive and collaborative working relationship.
