Nava Consulting
Helping independent coffee shops thrive.
Why choose me?
I have spent most of my career running businesses.
I have held full P&L responsibility for a £12m turnover business with over 40 employees. I have conducted 1000's of interviews, hired in the hundreds, fired more than I would have liked, and crucially I've seen what can be done by building a solid team and knowing my numbers.
I have been responsible for stock in excess of £5m, driving costs down and embedding cultures of continuous improvement.
Most importantly though, I've made mistakes, countless mistakes, and learned from them.
Blood, sweat and tears
In 2019 I decided I needed a break from my career of 30 years and set up my own coffee business. Driven by a love of coffee and conversation, I set out looking for an empty high street premises.
Feeling a little out of my depth and completely overwhelmed, I negotiated a lease and project managed a complete refit with a vision well beyond my budget and a stubborn determination to see my dream become reality.
6 years later, with my mental health relatively in tact, the business had survived the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, and became profitable, turning over £250,000 annually with a team of 10 amazing people.
We won business excellence awards from the local council , became a plastic free champion with Surfers Against Sewage and were doing collaborations with big brand names such as Sweaty Betty and Anytime Fitness.
My Consulting Philosophy
Empathy Through Experience
I don't consult from an ivory tower.
I've been there, parked on double yellows outside the shop, frantically unloading my Costco shopping at 6am, before unblocking the toilet for the 3rd time that month and wondering why I started all this.
I understand the weight of the decisions you make because I have made them myself.
Financial Discipline
Hospitality often runs on passion at the expense of profit. I provide the financial rigour needed to ensure your business is sustainable, focusing on P&L clarity and margin protection, while you focus on the coffee.
I have developed a keen eye for unnecessary costs, opportunities to reduce waste and duplicated effort.
Direct Collaboration
No fluff, no generic templates, no book to sell you. I work peer-to-peer with independent owners to solve specific, real-world problems through honest conversation and actionable guidance.
If it can be fixed, we will fix it together.