A senior director for Warwickshire and West Midlands businesses. Without the full-time hire.
I step in part-time to fix what's stuck, lead the project, build the team. Then I step back out, and the business runs better without me.
Book a Fractional fit call 20 minutes. Find out if a part-time director is right for you.25 years in hospitality, travel, tourism and transport. Based near Stratford-upon-Avon. Working on-site across Warwickshire, the West Midlands, Worcestershire and north Oxfordshire.
You need a director. Not a full-time one.
Most growing businesses hit the same wall. Too much for the owner. Not enough to justify a £85K hire.
Right now
- Every decision still lands on you
- A key project keeps stalling
- One part of the business isn't pulling its weight
- Margins are slipping and you can't see why
- Change is needed. Nobody's leading it.
With a fractional director
- Senior help, on the days you need it
- The project has an owner and a finish date
- A team that runs its own patch
- Sharper pricing, better supplier deals
- Change that sticks after I've gone
Five ways I work.
Each one has a clear goal, a set number of days and an end point. No open-ended retainers.
Fix a problem
I find what's really going wrong and fix it with you. People, process or numbers.
When something's broken and you're too close to see it.
Lead a project
A new product, a new site, a new system. I own it from plan to delivery, so you don't have to.
When it matters but keeps slipping down the list.
Build a function and its team
Operations, sales, product. I set it up properly and coach the people who'll run it.
When you need a department, not just a person.
Lead change
Restructures, new ways of working, growth or a reset. I lead it, and I bring your people with you.
When the business has outgrown how it's run.
Commercial oversight
Pricing, margins, products and supplier deals. A commercial head on your side of the table.
When you're busy and the money side needs a second pair of hands.
AI, used properly
I use AI every day for analysis, reporting and planning. Where it saves your team time, I'll build it in and show them how.
Part of the job, not a sales pitch.
Simple to start. Simple to stop.
I work with no more than two businesses at a time. So you get proper attention.
- Based on 5 days a month
- Minimum 3 months
- Fixed fee, agreed up front
- Formal board role available for 12-month+ agreements
- Salary, NI, pension, car, bonus
- Months to recruit
- Notice periods both ways
- Paid whether there's a project or not
Clarity first. Or you don't pay.
If the first week of work doesn't give you a clear, practical plan you believe in, tell me. You won't pay for it. No forms. No awkward conversation.
I've sat in the director's chair. In good times and bad.
25 years across retail travel, airlines, tour operating and hospitality. I've built businesses, exited them and started one from scratch.
On 4 July 2001 I signed the deal that brought Quest Travel out of administration and saved 35+ jobs. You learn a lot about people, cash and negotiation that week.
Built and exited businesses
Is this for you?
Two clients at a time means I'm picky. That's good for both of us.
Yes, if you…
- Own and run a business turning over £500K–£5M+
- Have a clear job that needs a senior head
- Are ready to hand over real responsibility
- Want it done, not just advised on
Probably not, if you…
- Want a report to file and forget
- Plan to keep every decision yourself
- Need someone full-time
What owners say.
"Working with SquareTen has been a revelation in terms of getting control back of my business and focusing in the right direction."
Jan DenningThe Hospitality Partnership"If you are looking for business support or need honest, unbiased mentoring to help with business decision making, I would highly recommend you give Russ a call."
Steve Dixonthe do club"With his, and the SquareTen team's support, we are now implementing new product development plans that were not achievable until now."
Roger LeeKey Support ServicesFair questions.
What is a fractional director?
A senior director who works for you part-time. A set number of days a month, for as long as the job needs. You get the experience without the salary, the recruitment or the notice period.
How is that different from a consultant or a coach?
A consultant tells you what to do. A coach helps you work it out. I do the work alongside you, and I'm accountable for the result. Coaching your team is part of it, not the whole of it.
What does it cost?
From £2,250 a month, based on 5 days a month, for a minimum of 3 months. More days cost more. You'll get a fixed fee, agreed before anything starts. The fit call and scoping session are free.
Will you join our board?
Yes, for agreements of 12 months or more. For shorter pieces of work I sit alongside the board as an advisory director.
Do you only work in hospitality and travel?
That's where I've spent most of my career, so it's where I'm strongest. But people, product, deals and structure work the same way in most owner-managed businesses. If I'm not the right fit, I'll tell you on the call.
Where do you work?
I'm based near Stratford-upon-Avon and work on-site across Warwickshire, the West Midlands (Coventry, Solihull and Birmingham), Worcestershire and north Oxfordshire. Further afield is fine when the work needs it, and some sessions can be online.
What happens when the work ends?
You keep the plan, the processes and a team that knows how to run them. That's the point. I build the exit in from day one.
20 minutes. A straight answer.
Is a part-time director right for your business? Worst case, you leave knowing what to fix first. Best case, we fix it together.
Book a Fractional fit callNo more than two clients at a time
