I find what's broken
in your business.
Then I fix it.
I'm not a consultant who'll hand you a report and disappear. I come in, look at how your business actually works, and tell you plainly what's holding it back.
Then we build a practical plan to fix it. No jargon. No open-ended engagements. Just clear findings and a path forward.
40 years inside a single privately-owned business — the last 19 as Managing Director. I know what these problems look like from the inside.
40
Years inside
a privately-owned
business
⚠
You can't step away
You're the first one in and the last one out. Every decision, every problem, every interruption ends up on your desk. The business runs — but only because you're always there.
→ That's an owner dependency problem. I fix those.
⚠
The numbers don't add up
The business looks profitable on paper. But there's never quite enough cash, you're not sure what you can safely take home, and the financials feel more confusing than useful.
→ That's a profit and cash clarity problem. I fix those too.
⚠
Growth keeps stalling
You've pushed hard and got the business to where it is. But something's holding it back — and you're not sure if it's the people, the structure, or something you can't quite see yet.
→ Usually it's the structure. And that's fixable.
⚠
You want out — eventually
Whether it's selling, stepping back, or just having the option — you know the business isn't ready yet. Too dependent on you, which will kill the value when the time comes.
→ I've been through a business sale. I know exactly what needs fixing first.
I'm not an advisor who studied businesses like yours.
I ran one for 40 years.
When the business I led became dangerously dependent on me, I had to fix that from the inside. I restructured the management, rebuilt the accountability, cleaned up the financials — and eventually led the sale.
That's what I now help other owners do. Not from theory. From experience.
More about Mark →
40
Years inside a privately-owned business
19
Years as Managing Director
1
Business sold — from the inside out
4
Core problems I've seen in every business
Not sure which problem fits?
It's usually more than one.
A 15-minute call costs nothing and tells us both whether it's worth going further.
Most business problems
aren't complicated.
They're just hard to see from the inside.
After 40 years inside a privately-owned business, I've seen the same patterns repeat. Here's what I typically find — and what changes when we fix it.
Owner dependency
You can't step away from the business
The business works — but only because you're always there. Decisions wait for you. Problems escalate to you. Staff are capable, but the accountability stops and starts with you.
This isn't a people problem. It's a structure problem. When roles aren't clear, when accountability isn't built in, and when there's no system for decisions to be made without you — everything defaults back to the owner. Every time.
The result: you can't take a proper holiday, you can't think strategically, and the business is worth significantly less than it should be — because it can't run without you.
What changes
Clear roles and accountability structures. A decision-making framework that doesn't require your sign-off on everything. A business that keeps moving when you step back — because it's built to.
Profit & cash clarity
The numbers don't reflect the effort
The business looks profitable. But cash is always tighter than it should be, you're not sure what you can safely take home each month, and the financials feel more like a report card than a decision-making tool.
Most owners in this situation aren't spending too much — they just don't have visibility. They don't know which parts of the business are actually making money, where cash is disappearing, or what a sustainable owner distribution actually looks like.
Flying blind on cash and profit is one of the most common reasons businesses stall — or owners burn out.
What changes
A clear picture of where profit is made and lost. A simple system for knowing what you can take home each month without harming the business. Financial visibility that informs decisions — not just records history.
Operational structure
Growth keeps hitting a ceiling
You've done the hard work of building the business to where it is. But somewhere along the way, growth started to feel harder — more effort for less return. New hires don't seem to shift the load. Busyness has replaced progress.
Usually this isn't a market problem or a sales problem. It's that the way the business is structured internally hasn't kept pace with its size. What worked at five people doesn't work at fifteen.
The business needs to be redesigned for where it's going — not patched up from where it's been.
What changes
An operational structure built for the next stage of the business, not the last one. Clearer priorities. Less friction. A team that executes without constant direction from the top.
Exit preparation
You want to exit — but the business isn't ready
Whether you're thinking about selling in two years or ten, you probably already know the honest answer: the business isn't ready. It's too dependent on you, the financials aren't clean enough, and a buyer would price that risk in — heavily.
The good news is that the things that make a business hard to exit are the same things that make it hard to run. Fix the structure, the accountability, and the profit clarity — and you improve both your day-to-day and your eventual sale price.
I led the sale of my own business in 2025. I know exactly what acquirers look for — and what kills deals before they start.
What changes
A business that can demonstrate it runs without the owner. Clean financials. Governance and documentation that survives due diligence. A much stronger position when the time comes.
How the work gets done
The Deep Dive — one engagement, one clear outcome
Every engagement starts the same way: I come in and look at how your business actually operates — not how it's supposed to work on paper, but how decisions really get made, where work really breaks down, and where performance is really being lost.
01
Look
I get inside the business and understand how it really works — not the org chart version.
02
Find
I identify what's holding performance back, where it comes from, and why it persists.
03
Fix
You get a clear, prioritised plan — practical, specific to your business, and ready to act on.
Book a free 15-minute call
Here's exactly what happens
when you reach out.
No surprises. No ambiguity. Here's the process from first contact to finished roadmap — and what you can expect at each step.
A free 15-minute call
No pitch. No obligation.
We have a short conversation about what's going on in your business. I ask a few questions; you ask whatever you want. By the end we'll both have a sense of whether it's worth going further.
If it's not the right fit, I'll tell you that too. I'd rather you talk to someone better suited than start an engagement that isn't right for either of us.
A scoped proposal
Fixed scope. Fixed fee. No surprises.
If we decide to proceed, I'll put together a short proposal that outlines exactly what the engagement covers, how long it will take, and what it costs. You'll know the full fee before we start — there are no open-ended billing arrangements here.
You review it, ask any questions, and decide. No pressure.
The Deep Dive
The core engagement.
I come into the business and look at how it actually operates. I talk to you, observe how work flows, review the financials, and ask the questions that don't usually get asked.
This isn't a checklist exercise. I'm looking for the specific patterns and gaps that are holding your business back — and I've seen enough businesses to know where to look.
Your roadmap
Clear findings. Practical next steps.
You receive a written roadmap — plain language, no jargon — that tells you exactly what I found, what it means, and what to do about it. Prioritised, practical, and specific to your business.
Not a generic framework. Not a 60-page report nobody reads. A clear document you can act on.
Optional follow-through
If you want ongoing support.
Some owners want to implement the roadmap themselves. Others want a sounding board as they work through it. Either is fine.
If you'd like ongoing advisory support after the Deep Dive, we can discuss what that looks like. It's always optional — the roadmap is designed to be self-contained.
A note on how I charge
I work on fixed fees — not day rates, not open-ended retainers. You know the cost before we start, and it doesn't move. I find this removes a lot of the anxiety that comes with bringing in outside help.
- ✓Fixed scope and fixed fee agreed before we start
- ✓Direct access to me throughout — not a junior associate
- ✓No surprise invoices, no scope creep charges
- ✓Pricing details on the Pricing page
Book a free 15-minute call
Fixed fees. No surprises.
Scoped to your business.
I don't publish a standard price because no two businesses are the same. What I can tell you is how I charge — and why I charge that way.
🔒
Fixed fee, agreed upfront
Every engagement has a fixed fee agreed before we start. You know the full cost on day one — it doesn't change based on how many conversations we have or how complex things turn out to be. No day rates. No open-ended billing.
📐
Scoped to what your business actually needs
The fee is set based on the size and complexity of your business and the scope of the engagement. A smaller business with one core problem costs less than a larger one with several interconnected issues. The proposal will explain exactly what's included and why.
👤
You work directly with me
There's no team behind me billing hours in the background. When you engage Mark Pickering Advisory, you get me — 40 years of experience, direct access, and someone who's actually run a business rather than just studied them.
How to find out what it would cost you
The fastest way to get a clear number is a short conversation.
- 1.We have a free 15-minute call — you tell me about the business, I ask a few questions
- 2.If it's a good fit, I put together a short scoped proposal with a fixed fee
- 3.You review it, ask anything you like, and decide — no pressure either way
Book a free 15-minute call
The call is free and there's no obligation. If it's not the right fit, I'll tell you — and if I know someone better suited, I'll point you in their direction.
Common questions
Is the Deep Dive a one-off cost or an ongoing commitment?
It's a one-off, fixed-fee engagement. There's no ongoing commitment built in. If you'd like advisory support after the Deep Dive, we can discuss that separately — but it's always optional.
What size businesses do you typically work with?
Typically owner-operated businesses with between 5 and 50 staff — though the fit is more about the owner's situation than the headcount. If you're the bottleneck in your own business and you're ready to change that, we're probably a good fit.
Do you work with businesses outside South Australia?
Yes. Some of the Deep Dive work is done in person, but a significant portion can be done remotely. If you're interstate, get in touch and we'll work out the right approach.
How long does the Deep Dive take?
It depends on the complexity of the business, but most engagements run over two to four weeks. The proposal will include a clear timeline so you know what to expect.
Mark Pickering
Business advisor. Former Managing Director. Someone who's actually been where you are.
I spent 40 years inside a privately-owned business — the last 19 as Managing Director. I know what it feels like to be the person every decision routes through, to watch a business grow in ways that make it harder to manage, and to lie awake wondering whether the numbers actually add up.
When the business I led became dangerously dependent on me, I had to fix that from the inside. I restructured the management team, rebuilt accountability, cleaned up the financials, and put the systems in place that let the business run without me at the centre of everything. Then I led its sale in 2025.
That experience — not a methodology, not a framework — is what I bring to the business owners I work with now. I'm not an academic. I'm not a generalist consultant. I'm someone who has lived every problem I help you fix.
I'm based in Adelaide, South Australia, and work with businesses nationally.
Book a free 15-minute call
For boards, private equity & acquirers
Sometimes a business needs an experienced hand at the wheel.
This is a different conversation from the advisory work I do with SME owners — so I've kept it separate. If you're evaluating an interim executive for a transitional role, you're in the right place.
Interim Executive
Stepping in to lead through a transition
There are moments in a business when it needs experienced executive leadership — quickly, and without the time or risk of a permanent appointment. A sudden departure, a period of significant change, a business that needs stabilising before a sale or restructure.
I step into those situations. I can operate at CEO or MD level, take accountability for the business day-to-day, and lead it through the transition — while helping the board or ownership group navigate what comes next.
Leadership gap
A sudden or planned departure at the top that leaves the business without experienced executive leadership.
Pre-sale stabilisation
A business that needs to be operationally sound before going to market — reducing risk and protecting value.
Post-acquisition integration
A newly acquired business that needs hands-on leadership while the new ownership structure is established.
Operational turnaround
A business underperforming against its potential that needs clear diagnosis and direct leadership to get back on track.
Why Mark
- ✓19 years as Managing Director of a privately-owned business — accountable for performance, people, and strategy
- ✓Led the business through significant operational change and eventual sale in 2025
- ✓Deep experience in building management structures that operate independently of the owner
- ✓Comfortable operating at board level and with investor or acquirer stakeholders
- ✓South Australia based — available nationally for the right engagement
Also available
M&A and Transaction Advisory
Having led my own business through sale, I understand the process from the inside — the preparation, the due diligence, the negotiations, and the transition. If you're advising on or managing a transaction involving a privately-owned business and need someone with that perspective, I'm available in a supporting advisory capacity.
Book a free
15-minute call
No pitch. No obligation. Just a short conversation to see whether it makes sense to go further.
