BELMONT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS LIMITED

Business Planning, Trade Development, Investment Promotion

Belmont Management Consultants Limited (BMC) was established in 1997 and provides expertise in:

• Business and strategic planning
• Enterprise and private sector development; privatisation, restructuring and change management
• Human resource development, organisation structure
• Due diligence and investment promotion
• Project management

Consultancy:
BMC brings together the skills and resources of a group of individuals who have known each other and worked together in teams for many years. This group of highly experienced, international consultants collectively provide a powerful capability and track record in business planning, market and trade development, human resource development, organisation audit and investment promotion. All are selected for their hands-on experience of industry in over 100 countries worldwide.

BMC offers a service built on the proven ability to identify the key issues, recommend options and select the most appropriate expertise and resources to implement solutions.

BMC understands the different needs of private and public sector clients and can help to bridge the gap and facilitate the development of partnerships. A phased approach combines quality and results orientated output with realistic budgets and regular and effective communication with all parties. Tasks are divided into manageable stages providing measurable goals, a simplified decision making process and an honest and direct way of working with clients.

BMC is truly independent and total client confidentiality is guaranteed. By making full use of up-to-date technology, clients are offered quality expertise and value for money.

BMC is at the heart of the development process, and ensure sensitivity to the culture of client companies anywhere in the world, particularly understanding the importance of the human resource within well-structured companies and organisations.

BMC promotes efficiency, creates growth, improves morale, reduces staff turnover and increases earnings.

Investment
The Food Development Company Ltd (FDC) is now putting into practice what BMC consultants have been writing about for decades. BMC together with some of the consultants are the major shareholders in FDC which was established in 2009 to create viable micro enterprises by applying commercial market based strategies to achieve social, ethical and environmental objectives. The first operational subsidiary is the Transylvania Food Company Srl which is producing a range of jams, juices, pickles and dairy products.

Award
In 2006, Jim Turnbull was highly commended in the British Expertise International Awards Individual of the Year Category for his work in Agricultural Development and Environmental Protection in Transylvania (ADEPT), and BMC was a finalist in the Small Consultancy Firm of the Year category for the same project.

Jim Turnbull was the founder of Fundatia ADEPT, a charity established in the UK and Romania whose objectives are protection of natural and cultural heritage, linked to economic regeneration of the area, such that each supports the other. Fundatia ADEPT aims to preserve one of Europe’s last medieval landscapes, the Saxon Villages area of South East Transylvania, through an innovative project to create a market-led conservation area working in close cooperation with local communities. He is also a founder of the Farmers Market in Bucharest – the first in Romania and serving small producers nationally.

ACTIVITIES

Business Planning
• Strategy
Helping start up businesses or businesses making a strategic change of direction to identify the critical issues, remove emotion from the decision-making process, define the mission and establish the basic building blocks that make up the company.

• Marketing & Sales
Identifying real opportunities and customers, be they domestic, regional or international, and includes product / market diversification.
Market and social research including the research and development function for small companies.

• Finance
Preparation of statements that incorporate the basic building blocks of the company into a simple financial model bringing together the balance sheet, profit & loss and cash flow combined with a sensitivity analysis.

• Human Resources
Review of the organisation structure in relation to the mission to ensure that adequate skills are available to fulfil the corporate mission, that appraisal schemes motivate and personal development plans are in place.

• Biodiversity Conservation
Understanding the local landscape and culture, helping local people benefit from conservation by participating in sustainable economic development and enhancing company performance by combining conservation, sustainable use of resources and equitable sharing of the benefits.


Process Design and Management
Bringing together process, mechanical, electrical and civil engineers to offer a complete project management package that includes feasibility, design, supervision of construction, commissioning and training.

Private Sector Development
Change management, pre-acquisition due diligence and the provision of commercial project management.

Corporate Social Responsibility
Helping companies and their employees integrate the issues of the workplace, human rights, the community and the marketplace into core business strategies.

Tourism
Delivery of basic skills training, linking landscape and culture and creation of demand for products and services through increased rural tourism.

Poverty Reduction
Establishing a route to market for micro-enterprise and SME development. With a route to market, rural communities can then benefit from improved research and extension, demonstration farms, nucleus estates, out-growers, large scale farming, input supply, credit delivery and primary marketing. Market pull rather than production push then provides the basis for sustainable economic development.

TYPICAL PROJECTS:
OVERSEAS

Kenya: Strategic options for joint venture in construction sector;
Kenya: Disposal of Trussed Rafter Development Unit and provision of commercial training;
Kenya: Preparation of business plan to privatise the timber trussed rafter unit;
Kenya: Business diagnostic and strategic planning for construction and building materials company;
Kenya: Evaluation of timber trussed rafter unit and recommendations for commercialisation;
Kenya: Fresh produce packaging study and establishment of post harvest code of practice;
Kenya: Firm level assistance to improve exports - cut flowers, fruit and vegetables, speciality teas;

Laos: Business support for the establishment of robusta coffee growing enterprise;

Malawi: Restructuring of the agricultural marketing board and introducing the concept of warehouse receipts;
Malawi: External audit of the national grain reserve;
Malawi: Privatisation of a textile factory by international tender;
Malawi: Assessment of viability to add value to locally produced latex rubber;
Malawi: Support to the Textile & Garment Association to access American markets under AGOA;
Malawi: Engineering and market review of options to privatise a textile factory;
Malawi: Recommendations for the commercialisation of grain marketing;

Moldova: Assessment of opportunities to stimulate micro enterprises in food and tourism sectors;

Mozambique: Pre-investment study for oilseed processing, refining and marketing;

Romania: Indonesian government officials visit to see how local people can benefit from tourism development;
Romania: Facilitating trade for international horticulture group from Australia;
Romania: Business plan for village development involving tourism, horticulture and food processing;
Romania: Monitoring & Evaluation of World Bank forestry development project;
Romania: ADEPT Foundation, charity promoting micro-enterprise development linked to conservation;
Romania: Agricultural Development and Environmental Protection in Transylvania (ADEPT) Project;
Romania: Raised seed capital for organic food production and processing company;
Romania: Business plan for soybean solvent extraction plant, storage and ship unloading;

Rwanda: Honey production and marketing to improve exports;
Rwanda: Livestock production, food processing, rural credit and marketing;

Serbia: Engineering and financial assessment of two sugar factories in preparation for privatisation;

Sierra Leone: Environmental impact assessment for reprocessing of mine tailings;
Sierra Leone: Preliminary environmental impact assessment and ideas for agricultural development;

Slovenia: Preparation of market strategy for timber products company;
Slovenia: Preparation of a marketing strategy for a toy manufacturer;

Syria: Improvements in production engineering efficiency for a textile manufacturer;
Syria: Advice on improving management and quality control for a garment manufacturer;

Tajikistan: Feasibility study of Farmer Ownership Model Pilot Project for Cotton Farmers;

Tanzania: Cotton sector specialist on warehouse receipt project;
Tanzania: Participation in a workshop promoting fresh produce exports and EUREP-GAP;
Tanzania: Preparation of equipment tenders for two cotton research stations;
Tanzania: Agronomist for preparation of a Cotton Sector Strategy;

Turkmenistan: Provision of cotton ginning engineer to review operations;

Uganda: Coffee sector and business planning specialists on warehouse receipt project;
Uganda: Financial input to business plan for the rehabilitation of sugar estate and factory;
Uganda: Recruitment of the team leader for a forest sector policy & strategy project;
Uganda: Due diligence for acquisition of two cotton ginneries;

Ukraine: Advice to investment fund for farming, machinery leasing and food processing;

UAE: Conceptual design of multi-product food processing complex in Port Zayed, Abu Dhabi;

Uzbekistan: Integrated pest management component of cotton sub-sector improvement project;

World-wide: Route map answering frequently asked questions for LDC exporters of fresh produce;
Worldwide: Eight sub-sector reports on Food & Beverage Sector for IFC Information Network;

Zambia: Appraisal of production and marketing for twelve rose farms seeking investment;

Zimbabwe: Business planning specialist on coffee warehouse receipt project.

UNITED KINGDOM

We recognise that many of our core skills are fully transferable to a wide range of industry sectors and in the UK we typically provide business planning expertise (Strategy, Marketing & Sales, HR and Finance):

• Business planning for membership based club (bar, restaurant, conference, entertainment).
• Business mentoring and book-keeping support for care provider;
• Business planning, financial management and mentoring for food commodity trading company;
• HR training and introduction staff appraisal system for IT company;
• Book-keeping, VAT reporting, invoicing and web design for Fundatia ADEPT Limited
• Organised and provided guided tour to Transylvania for food tourists from Slow Food Oxfordshire;
• Business planning for manufacture of specialist trailers for low ground clearance vehicles;
• Business planning for production and marketing of range of totally organic skin care products;
• Business planning for biodynamic food production and retail;
• Business planning for recruitment agency;
• Business planning for soft drink manufacturer;
• Business planning for company offering remote access computer technology;
• Business planning for company with licence to import, assemble and manufacture automotive parts;
• Business assessment of company importing hand forged ironmongery;
• Business management expertise for a speciality food manufacturing business wishing to expand;
• Business management, marketing & sales expertise for a ceramic designer;
• Business management, marketing & sales expertise for an innovative IT product;
• Marketing & sales expertise to a company developing a new cold drink dispenser;
• Business management expertise to a start-up for an innovative construction material;
• Financial and business expertise to company providing wireless broadband connections;
• Financial and business expertise to a retail enterprise seeking to expand;
• Desk study to evaluate investment proposals for a palm oil mill and refinery in Papua New Guinea;
• Audit of options for waste management at Western International Market (fresh produce);
• Business administration, marketing and financial expertise to a company buying furniture from France;
• Organised and provided a guided visit for a British company seeking to source furniture from E Europe;
• Training for Thames Business Advice Centre on the realities of business start-up.

We provide practical, common sense advice that clients can understand and relate to their own business.

We do not use off the shelf business plan templates, but identify the building blocks of each business and build financial projections that reflect the dynamics of each enterprise.

EXPERIENCE IN:

EUROPE & CIS: Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, UK

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA: Egypt, Syria, United Arab Emirates

AFRICA: Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

SOUTH ASIA: India

EAST ASIA: China, Laos, Papua New Guinea

CARIBBEAN: Cuba

CENTRAL AMERICA: Honduras

SECTORS AND DISCIPLINES
Agriculture: Agri-business
Agriculture: Food processing and drink
Agriculture: Produce processing & marketing
Agriculture: Restructuring, privatisation & training
Agriculture: Storage & process design / supervision of construction
Agriculture: Strategic Planning for Regional and National Authorities
Agriculture: Training and Capacity Building
Environment: Biodiversity
Environment: Conservation
Environment: Impact assessment
Environment: Waste management
Financial: SMEs
Industry: Textiles
Management: Business planning
Management: Enterprise development
Management: Export promotion
Management: Management consultants
Management: Privatisation
Privatisation: Due diligence
Tourism: Eco-tourism
Tourism: Manpower, planning & training
Tourism: Marketing
Tourism: National & regional tourism development
Tourism: Pro-poor tourism
Tourism: Sustainable development

SECTORS AND DISCIPLINES

EXPERIENCE IN