Comprehensive Analysis of Austin Fraser Limited: A Business Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of Austin Fraser Limited, a small business enterprise specializing in recruitment services within the UK. The report begins with an introduction to small business enterprises and provides an overview of Austin Fraser Limited, highlighting its strengths, such as skilled consultants and a strong client network, and weaknesses, including a weak brand and low capital investment. The analysis includes a comparative performance evaluation using financial profits, customer satisfaction, and employee motivation. The report then recommends actions to overcome weaknesses, such as increasing brand value and improving marketing strategies. It explores ways to maintain and strengthen existing performance by focusing on customer and employee satisfaction, and identifies areas for business expansion using strategies like market penetration and development. The report assesses existing business objectives and plans, and proposes a revised business plan with an action plan to implement the changes. Finally, it examines the impact of the proposed changes on the business and outlines methods for managing and monitoring improvements in the performance of Austin Fraser Limited. The report concludes with a summary of the findings and recommendations.

Small Business Enterprises

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Profile of Austin Fraser Limited and its strengths and weaknesses......................................4
1.2 Analysis of Austin Fraser Limited using comparative measures of performance................4
M1...............................................................................................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Recommendation with justification and appropriate actions to overcome the weaknesses..5
2.2 Ways by which existing performance can be maintained and strengthened.........................6
2.3 Areas in which business could be expanded.........................................................................6
M2...............................................................................................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Assessment of existing business objectives and plans..........................................................7
3.2 Revised business plan to incorporate appropriate changes...................................................7
3.3 Action plan to implement the changes..................................................................................8
D2................................................................................................................................................8
M3...............................................................................................................................................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
4.1 Impact of proposed changes on business..............................................................................9
4.2 Managing the impact of proposed changes...........................................................................9
4.3 Monitoring the improvements in the performance of Austin Fraser Limited....................10
D1..............................................................................................................................................10
D3..............................................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Small business enterprise is the small businesses which do not have high sales volume
and have few employees in the organization. Small businesses are generally privately owned and
runs as sole proprietorship, partnerships, and corporations. (Abebe, 2014). This report is based
on Austin Fraser Limited which is a small business enterprise which provides recruitment
services and it is operating in UK. There are 78 people who work in this company and due to
their hard work as well as dedication of the employees in the company which help them to
become successful business unit. Further, profile of the company is being analysed below in this
report.
Task 1
1.1 Profile of Austin Fraser Limited and its strengths and weaknesses
Austin Fraser Limited is a company incorporated on 23rd January 2006 and is a specialist
in IT, life sciences and engineering recruitment (Ackermannand Audretsch, 2013). It works in
various sectors such as technology recruitment, digital recruitment, aviation recruitment, etc. The
CEO of the company is Pete Hart. The objectives of the company include increase in market
share by 15% in three months. In addition to this it is also specified that this increase in market
share has to be attained in a time span of three months and for that relevant measures should be
undertaken.
There are various strengths of the company which describes about its capabilities that
includes its effective performance as well as its comparative advantage that it enjoys in market
(BridgeandNeill, 2012). The strengths of Austin Fraser Limited include
 Highly skilled consultants which have online website that attracts more and more
customers in growing world.
 It has excellent client and candidate network.
 Great knowledge about upcoming job opportunities with which they will help in finding
best jobs which otherwise would not have been possible.
 It provides services in wide range.
Apart from strengths there are some weaknesses also which every business suffers.
Weaknesses are the deficiencies in certain resources due to which business suffers a decrease in

its effectiveness. Some of them are weak brand, it receives many unwanted applications which
are also required to be dealt with and wastes a lot of time. The company is new in the market and
being a small enterprise has low capital investment. Also marketing policy of the company is not
so strong.
1.2 Analysis of Austin Fraser Limited using comparative measures of performance
The performance of the company can be evaluated by using various measures. For
measuring the company’s performance, the most important tool is financial profits. According to
the available data, company witnessed a growth in turnover and also in its return on capital
employed (Burrows, 2015). Its net assets have grown in the previous years. Another measure
which can be used is customer satisfaction and their opinions. For the feedbacks, they will be
asked questions about the services as they are satisfied or not. . Also there opinions and
suggestions will be asked so that services can be improved (CarraherandParidon, 2015).
According to the reviews, Austin Fraser Limited shows that it has high customer satisfaction
rate. Another measure will be employee motivation as by this their performance will increase
which will further help in increasing customer satisfaction. Different types of employee training
programmes will be conducted which will enhance their capabilities and also their level of
satisfaction. The problems of employees should be given due respect and should be solved.
Further, it has been noticed that Austin Fraser Limited employees are highly satisfied with the
company’s services.
M1
According to the analysis of the different comparative measures that are discussed above
it helps in evaluating performance of Austin Fraser Limited as it can be said that performance of
the company is satisfactory as it is fulfilling its duties and responsibilities with due care. The
customers are highly satisfied with the services of the company and so are the employees and
due to this they are performing their tasks with full dedication. And both of these are collectively
increasing the overall performance of the company. This can be further evaluated through the
growth of the company and its financial aspects.

TASK 2
2.1 Recommendation with justification and appropriate actions to overcome the weaknesses
Growth is important for every company and to achieve that, it is necessary for Austin
Fraser Limited to take some measures to overcome its weaknesses and use its strengths to have
an additional advantage (CurranandStorey, 2016). Company should adopt a proper plan of action
for the achievement of growth objective and that will include these aspects.. As company is
having lower brand value so it will be required to take appropriate action to increase brand value
and that can be done by increasing the marketing power, new and innovative changes should be
inculcated so that brand value can be increased andshould emphasize on that sector which will
render highest growth in brand. Another weakness was that company receives unwanted
applications and this can dealt with by appointing someone who can look after it. A proper check
system should be established by which the unwanted applications can be identified at the initial
stage only so that it can be ignored and will thereby help in reducing the unwanted wastage of
time and money both. By following these actions Austin Fraser Limited can overcome its
weaknesses. Being a small enterprise there is a shortage of finance and that can be solved by
finding various sources of finance that can be used by company.
2.2 Ways by which existing performance can be maintained and strengthened
Performance of any company largely depends on its level of customer satisfaction
(DuberleyandCarrigan, 2013). For achievement of customer satisfaction quality performance is
the most important aspect. In present also Austin Fraser Limited is maintaining quality level and
providing high Quality performance to its customers but it is important to maintainthis level and
in fact further improve it. This can be achieved by various ways such as company can conduct
surveys for identifying the needs of. It should be in the knowledge of the company that in which
sector are the requirements for job increasing and which sector of customers should be given
more importance and then opportunities in that field should be identified so that they are satisfied
to a great extent. Apart from customer, another important aspect that is required to be considered
is employees as for any business growth it is very important that employees are happy and
satisfied. In Austin Fraser Limited employees are satisfied then also measures should be taken to
improve it further and that can be done by giving them proper incentives and identifying their
needs so that the firm can make plan according to that.

2.3 Areas in which business could be expanded
In every business, there is always a scope for expansion. There come various
opportunities with the expansion which will help in development of business (EidandEl-
Gohary2013). Expansion can be done in two ways that are either by expanding the current line of
services or with the help of introducing new line of business. In Austin Fraser Limited it can
expand its business in both ways.
With the help of Ansoff's matrix business can be expanded by using market penetration strategy
that says that more sales should be made to existing customers or identical customers should be
identified who are presently buying from other suppliers. It can also be done by finding about
such customers who are in need of the service but are not availing due to certain reasons, so by
knowing that reason and solving it sale can be increased thereby leading to expansion of
business. Secondly as per ansoff's matrix by introducing new product range or replacing existing
product with the new one also business can be expanded. Thirdly market development that is by
opening new marketing and distribution channel or entering into new geographical area will also
increase the scale of business. And last strategy according to ansoff is diversification which says
to expand business by introducing new services to the new customers but this will be a risky
situation so should be used with a great care.
M2
Performance is always required to be maintained and also required to be developed. This
can be done in various ways. Company’s market position and its team strength should be
identified and being key factor more importance should be given to human resource.
TASK 3
3.1 Assessment of existing business objectives and plans
Objectives and plans are set by every business and they are important also
(Gronum,Verreynne andKastelle,2012). With the set objectives company is always in view to
move forward and achieve the set objectives and this will lead to the growth of the business.
Austin Fraser Limited is also experiencing growth in past years and this is due to its objective of
providing its customers with excellent services and in achievement of this objective their
employees play a very important role as in company there is friendly atmosphere which

motivates them to work in more effective way. But this objective sometimes has a negative
impact also as it increases the competition level among employees. Employees are given various
awards on the basis of their performance and this helps in motivating employees. More research
is conducted so as to find better job opportunities for the clients and this helps in building
customer loyalty together with the satisfaction. With the help of these company tries to enhance
the relationship between company and its customers which will prove to be advantageous for the
growth of the business and also they will be able to understand their customers in better way by
moving closer to them.
3.2 Revised business plan to incorporate appropriate changes
Planning is an integral part of any business as it helps in evaluating current position of the
company and in addition to it also helps in knowing future prospects of the company
(Hilmersson,2014). There are a lot of changes that keep on happening in the market conditions
and to incorporate those changes in business it is necessary to amend the business plan. The
structure of the organization should br reviewed by the department who is looking after the
formation of plan and then new plan can be developed to overcome the current weaknesses. To
know about the changes going on it is important to conduct timely researches and then to
inculcate the findings of research in the business plan. Austin Fraser Limited is planning to
conduct various programmes to about the customer preferences so as to meet their needs. To
achieve this company will be required to gather the requisite information and for that it should
know how it can be collected. And after collection of the information outcomes that came out of
information will have to be evaluated. For the purpose of conducting research company will be
required to have efficient human resource and that will be hired (LambertandDavidson,2013). No
business plan can be said to be perfect as there are always some shortcomings in it and that be
removed with the help of conduction of research.
3.3 Action plan to implement the changes
For the achievement of future goals a proper action plan is always required. With the help
of plan it can be known that which things are required to be given priority that what are the
activities that are to be done first (Mwobobia,2012). Action plan will specify regarding what all
is to be achieved by the managers and for the achievement of that which theories are required to
be changed. And also in place of those which new policies should be incorporated. Forecast
should be issued in relation to the problems that can come and also the ways to overcome then

should be identified in advance. They are firstly goals that are required to be achieved are
required to be listed, then the tasks should be prioritised, identification of the path needed to
achieve goals and delegation of powers is required and finally contingent plan will be prepared.
Austin Fraser Limited is required to implement the changes and the first that was required was to
know about the customer requirements so as tchange management theories pdfo make them that
available and for that research will be required so company will be required to hire the new
employees who would be specialised in this field. They will also be given training for it.
Reviews will be conducted and also feedback from the employees will also be collected.
According to Lewin's change theory there are three stages that are required to be performed. First
stage in the process of changing is that the existing situation should be unfreeze. This can be
achieved by decreasing the negatively affecting factors or by increasing the forces that takes the
behaviour away from current situation. Then second stage is the movement in which the
emphasis is given on moving the target system to a new level and this can be achieved by
making the employees believe that the current scenario is not good for them. And the last stage
of this theory is refreezing. This is done after the implementation of the change in order to look
that whether the change will sustain or not.
D2
Every business action requires proper management and for that it is important to have
leadership qualities. It is required to plan as what changes are relevant or not, and for them what
all actions are required to be taken, and who will be the appropriate person that will be held
responsible for it. It is also important that all the actions are done on timely basis for that it is
required to know at what time the task is required to be completed.
M3
Changes are required to be implemented by Austin Fraser Limited to expand their
business and also to strengthen it. It should be done in those areas in which they are specialised.
It is necessary to identify that what are the appropriate structure, approaches and logical
arguments that are required to be taken care while preparing the action plan. For this purpose,
various factors affecting the efficient working or operations of Austin Fraser Limited will have to
be analysed.

TASK 4
4.1 Impact of proposed changes on business
The changes that are incurred in business have positive as well as negative impact on the
business. The effect of these changes is not only on development of the organisation but will
also affect the environment in which the business is operating (Storey, 2016). .due to the
proposed changes in the competitive sector over other competitors Austin Fraser Limited will be
experiencing a great advantage. It may also impact the company adversely and can lead to
downfall of entire company. The changes that are anticipated due to changes are proposed as
follows:-
 Workload : A new team of employees is recruited having required skills and it will help
in reducing the work load of the company. The training can also be provided to existing
employees in order to have smooth operations.
 Morale: Due to the admission of new employees, the existing employees may feel
insecure. But team spirit is always been encouraged in Austin Fraser Limited and it is
known by all so it will not have any major effect.
 Organizational Structure: In order to make space for new employees various changes
will be required to be made in the structure of the organization.
 Finance: by carrying out the change of adding new business line in a systematic way a
positive impact will be noticed. new employees that will be recruited will play an
important role in success of new business line.
4.2 Managing the impact of proposed changes
In relation to small business enterprises, it has always been noticed that they usually try
to avoid any kind of changes regarding the policies in their business. The major reason due to
which small businesses avoid changes is the risk involved with those changes. Even after this, if
any change is made than the main intention behind it is developing positive working
environment and a work place. But without any change, growth cannot be expected and in case
of Austin Fraser Limited, the change will not only affect business but also employees. Team
leadership will be required to be maintained at a great extent during changes so that company
will get positive outcomes. In order to avoid any negative impact on employees more open
forums will have to be established where the employees could put forward the problems which

they are facing while implementing proposed changes. Due to the entry of the new employees,
there will be high competition among the new and existing employees and so necessary steps
will be required to be taken so as to avoid any conflicts and thereby avoiding chances of decrease
in level of performance of the team.
4.3 Monitoring the improvements in the performance of Austin Fraser Limited
The implementation of changes is required to be closely monitored by the company so
that they are ready with their required action plan in advance (Wang and Altinay2012). It is
required to measure the progress of changes by updating the action plan. . Control measures are
highly required while implementing the proposed changes to handle the deviations. In relation to
the deviations, proper records and documents are required to be maintained regarding how they
were minimised. There is requirement of another action plan in case of any deviation or any
emergency so it is required by the company to keep an alternative plan ready that can be used
whenever such situation arises. And also if due to the deviation existing plan is updated than it is
required to be communicated within the team so all the members will be aware about it. For the
future reference the lessons learnt by the team should also be documented. The performance can
be monitored with the help of various tools such as benchmarking in which the performance will
be compared with the standards that have been set. A part from it key performance indicators
should be set so that it can be checked whether the desired outcome is achieved or not. It
includes some indicators on the basis of which performance will be monitored.
D1
After performing all the analysis it can be said that there are some changes which will be
for the advantage and betterment of the Austin Fraser Limited. It may be possible that the
positive effect that these changes will have will not be seen in the starting phase but with the
passage of time it will be giving large amount of benefits to the company.
D3
Changes are always required to be monitored but there are various tools that can be used
in this respect and to decide which the tools that should be used for it are is not easy. Review
system or the feedbacks of the customers could be used by the Austin Fraser Limited. The
various other tools that can be used are that they can conduct a study of the reports in relation to

market share or the financial data of the company. Assets, liabilities, investors and the revenue
should also be taken into consideration.
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned report it can be concluded that small business enterprise are
very important for any economy. Due to them various job opportunities are developed. in the
given report the company that was taken was Austin Fraser Limited and it is shown that how a
business plan is made and implemented according to the requirements of the environment. The
company has incorporated certain changes in its existing business plan in order to improve its
performance in the business world. It has also helped the company to achieve its objectives and
goals within a set frame of time. And due to all these changes profit level of the company have
increased to a great extent thereby ensuring its survival in long run.

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