Supporting SMEs for Long-Term Success
Helping small and medium businesses build sustainable success
Small and medium-sized enterprises face constant pressure to grow, adapt, and compete - often with limited internal resources. Without the right guidance, challenges around strategy, finances, leadership, and operations can limit long-term success.
CATO supports SMEs by connecting them with experienced advisers who bring practical insight, structured thinking, and hands-on support to help businesses make better decisions and build resilient, sustainable operations.
Who It’s For
- Small and medium-sized businesses facing growth or profitability challenges
- Owner-operators seeking clearer strategy and financial oversight
- SMEs navigating operational complexity or workforce issues
- Businesses preparing for expansion, transition, or change
- Organisations needing external expertise without full-time hires
What We Help With
- Business strategy and planning
- Financial management, oversight, and structuring
- Leadership development and workforce capability
- Risk management and compliance
- IT, cybersecurity, and AI integration
- Marketing, customer engagement, and retention
- Contracting and legal advisory support
How CATO Delivers
- Assess business performance, challenges, and priorities
- Identify key risks, inefficiencies, and growth opportunities
- Match the business with advisers experienced in SME environments
- Develop practical, achievable strategies and solutions
- Support implementation and capability building over time
Outcomes / Value
- Improved financial visibility and decision-making
- More efficient operations and resource use
- Stronger leadership and organisational capability
- Reduced business risk and compliance exposure
- Increased resilience and long-term sustainability
Example Engagement
A mid-sized retail business experiencing declining profitability and operational inefficiencies engaged CATO to support a performance improvement initiative. The business faced challenges around financial visibility, workforce management, and strategic focus.
CATO worked with the business to conduct a structured assessment, identifying key financial leakages and operational constraints. A revised budgeting and financial oversight model was introduced, supported by leadership coaching to improve decision-making. Targeted marketing strategies were also implemented to strengthen customer engagement and retention.
The engagement resulted in a 30% improvement in operational efficiency and a significantly stronger foundation for sustainable, long-term growth.