Austin Fraser: Small Business Enterprises Report and Analysis

This report analyzes Austin Fraser, an international recruitment consultancy specializing in IT, life sciences, and engineering, as a case study of a small business enterprise. It begins with an introduction to the company, its strengths (customer focus, passionate team, employee training) and weaknesses (financial resource constraints, high employee turnover). The report then examines comparative performance measures, including financial audits, customer satisfaction, and sales figures. It explores actions to overcome weaknesses, such as building employee relationships, providing financial resources, and offering training. The report further details ways to improve existing performance, including effective communication, training, clear goals, and feedback mechanisms. Additionally, it discusses new areas for business expansion, such as targeting more customers, entering new marketplaces, diversification, and mergers. The report concludes with an assessment of business objectives and plans, including revised plans and action plans for implementing changes and monitoring improvements in performance.

SMALL BUSINESS
ENTERPRISES

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Portfolio of small business ..............................................................................................4
1.2 Comparative measures of performance............................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Appropriate actions to overcome weaknesses of organisation.........................................5
2.2 Different ways to improve existing performance.............................................................6
2.3 New areas in which business expanded............................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Assessment of business objectives and plans...................................................................8
3.2 Revised business plans for appropriate changes..............................................................8
3.3 Action plan to implement the changes.............................................................................9
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
4.1 Impact of changes on business.........................................................................................9
4.2 Manage changes in business...........................................................................................10
4.3 Monitor improvements in the performance....................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Small-sized business can start in low cost with good idea (Bridge and O'Neill, 2012).
Small business enterprises is organised form of any person, group or any company whose main
motive is to earn money. They have great deal in term of revenue, in terms of size, regulatory
authorization and revenue from country to country and within country. Austin Fraser
Established in 2007, which is a leading international recruitment consultancy which specialising
in the IT Sectors, life sciences and Engineering (Gill and Biger, 2012). Company run
significantly by improving their business performance over the year by supporting their
employers, suppliers and customers. It is consultancy with transparency and openness towards its
employers, customers, suppliers and stakeholders. They regular try to deliver its products and

services according to customers needs and wants. Company offer high level of training to their
employers to improve their production cost.
TASK 1
1.1 Portfolio of small business
Austin Fraser formed in 2007 ,its headquarter is in Reading England. Around 51 to 200
employees working there (Storey, 2016). It is an award winning company as international
recruitment consultancy. It operates their business in several countries like reading, Germany and
Austin, UK, ,Colorado and Tex and Denver. Austin Fraser is specialist consultants globally in
Technology, Life science, Digital, Aviation and IT. They help in bridging the gap between
companies top talent and existing projects. They believe in creating vast network of talent which
help to know individual work and according to people's ability company suit them for right
position in right time (Burns, 2010).
Strengths:The biggest strength of company is that they mainly focus on their customers,
suppliers, market, stakeholders and employers who play important role in success of
organisation. Company have passionate and creativity people team who help organisation to gain
trust of customers by supplying good products and services according to their needs and wants.
Company have mission is to create good careers and good environment in organisation so no one
needs to leave the company. They continuous provide training to their employers according to
their need of improvement so that they can give their best in company to maintain stability and
growth in the market place (Blackburn, Hart and Wainwright, 2013). Company create good
relationship with every one whether its customers or suppliers of company to build up their trust
over companies products and service because long lasting relationship based on trust and
believes of people for excellent result.
Weaknesses:All company have some weaknesses and strengths in their organisation.
Austin Fraser use their weaknesses as strongest element of success which help to find out their
mistakes and faults of employers and manager. Austin Fraser have less resources of finance to
deal with their operational activity and they have high turn over every year (Stokes, Wilson and
Wilson, 2010).

1.2 Comparative measures of performance
It is important to enhance and monitor the performance of employers and company time
to time to achieve specific goals of organisation in significant time period. Every organisation
enhance the performance of their employers to maintain stability and profitability in business
market . Business performance continuously measured by company as it help in making good
strategies and plan for growth of business. Company mainly measure their business performance
to find out their weaknesses and strengths of their services. This process help to gather
information regarding the performance of employers to see whether production are on track or
not (Malhotra, and Temponi, 2010). There are many tools to measure performance of employees
in the company. Some of them are as follows:
Financial audit: It is important tool of measuring performance of employers in company
or current position of company as comparison to last year's position by checking last year record.
Impressive performance measurement is important element to effective management in any
company. It help to measuring and reporting performance to achieve organisation goal (Burrows,
2015).
Satisfaction level of customer's:Customer's level of satisfaction is helpful to known
current position of business and performance of employees. In today's time customer is so
demanding to fulfil their needs company have to find out their level of expectations and
requirement of products so that they can fulfil their level of satisfaction.
Change in level of sale : Employees performance can be find out with the level of sale
of goods and services in market place. If the sale of products is less than last year then
organisation performance goes down and if sale increase from last year then company and their
employees performance goes up.
TASK 2
2.1 Appropriate actions to overcome weaknesses of organisation
For every organisation it is very important to find out their strengths and weaknesses to
maintain its stability in market and take suitable action to overcome with their weaknesses. In
growth of business weaknesses play important role to get success it help in making strong
strategies (Gronum, Verreynne and Kastelle, 2012). There are some actions or tools through
which company can come over with their weaknesses which are as follows:

Build strong relationship with their employees: By create good relationship with their
employees company can get to know their problem and their review related to the company.
After knowing the problems and review manager can help them by giving them advice and by
solving their problem,so that they don't feel need to leave company.
Provide sufficient Financial resources: Company should provide sufficient resources on
time to their employees to perform required activity in the organisation. Some times employee's
performance get down because of lack of resources they don't perform as planned manner.
By providing training to their employees: Company should provide training to their
employees to build confidence and to enhance their performance in organisation so that they
learn something new which help them in their work.
By create team spirits: Employees performance can improve by create team spirits
between them so they can give best to organisation with their good ideas and good work.
By create clear image of goals: Company should clearly tell about the goals of
organisation so employees work to achieve the goals.
2.2 Different ways to improve existing performance
Every organisation should do improvement to maintain its performance to achieve goals
in specific time period. Manger can save time and cost if he think in different way to maintain
existing performance of their employees and company by making good idea and good plan of
action. There are different ways to maintain and improve the performance of existing employees
in the company . These are as follows:
Communicate effectively: Communication is key element to solve problems arises
between anyone whether its employees, suppliers, public or manager. It help to solve conflicts of
employers by communicating with them and by solving their problem and wrong thoughts of
mind. It is key of productive workforce which help to increase company's profitability and
growth in economy.
Provide appropriate training: According to the need of area improvement the manager
should provide appropriate training facilities to their employees to enhance their skills and ability
so that they maintain their performance in developing environment.
keep goals focused and clear:Employees can't be efficient if they don't have focused
goals of organisation to aim for. If goal is not clear to employees they give less productivity and
perform less activity in the organisation.

Incentivize employees: It is best way to encourage employees to be efficient by giving
them reason to do work. In company good work of their workers for job make them feel
appreciated to increase their performance and productivity.
Give each other feedback: Feedback is best method to review performance and best tool
to maintain performance in the company (Down, 2010). It is not important that only boss give
feedback to their employees about their work performance, employees should also get chance to
give feedback about their boss and company. It help company to take right decision and make
best strategies to achieve their goals. Feedback process should be done within the organisation as
well as outside the organisation to know review of customers and suppliers regarding company
products and services.
Cut out the excess: The manager can improve performance of their employees by giving
them task according to their ability (Herbane, 2010). When target is big manager should try to
avoid unnecessary task and time taking task and give high priority assignments to their
employees. It help to achieve certain goals and growth in competitive market and maintain
performance level of employees and company.
2.3 New areas in which business expanded
In today's times all manager try to explore wide range of opportunities for growth of their
company than they have ever considered before. There are so many strategies, methods and plan
to expand business at next level of growth. Some of them are as follows:
Target more customers: It is best way to expand business. There is so many business
organisation who make new strategies and plan to target more customers in the market to
increase its sales and profit. Company should introduce their products and services in all area to
cover more market area by demographics and psychographics. It help to reach all over the people
who are unable to reach over the products.
New marketplace: To expand their business company select new marketplace at
introduce their products their to increase their customers and sale of their products.
Diversification: Diversification of business is another best to expand business by
providing different range of products to their customers. It is also helpful in reduce risk in the
company (Ackermann and Audretsch, 2013).
New delivery channel: Company should choose right medium for delivering their
products and services to their customers in right time. Sometime company face high loss because

not selecting right medium of delivering. So company should more focus on medium of
delivering.
Merge and acquire another business: It is easiest way to growth and expansion of
business by acquiring another company which help to make high growth and profitability.
Merging help to increase revenue, sales and profitability of business in less time period without
making too much efforts (Goss, 2015).
TASK 3
3.1 Assessment of business objectives and plans
Excellent objectives play very important role in achieving goals and growth in business.
By making good plan company can get more opportunities to grow in marketplace. Once
company drawn up its business plan and put into practice it is very important to continually
monitored them to make sure the objectives of plan are being achieved. This assessment activity
should follow the progress to date and help to develop the business. Objectives and plans of
organisation is like backbone of the company without any plan company can't succeed and
without objectives company is not able to make plan. Austin Fraser have main objective is to
provide products according to the customers point of view. They mainly deal with people not
with product. According to the demand of people they try to give them services to increase their
sale and customers. Before making firm every person set their motive of business and plans to
achieve that goals in specific period of time (Altman, Sabato and Wilson, 2010).
3.2 Revised business plans for appropriate changes
Every organisation big or small make changes to grow their business level. After making
changes every company need to revised the changes by cash flow of the company it help to know
to know the impact of changes over business. This process help to company to manage its cut
cost effectively and efficiently,company should compare their standard position of production
cost and raw material after making changes with past position of the records. Company use
objectives and plan to access the performance of employees and organisation. Company use their
objectives and business in marketing strategies to attract more and more customers (Battisti, and
Perry, 2011). It is very important for every company to revise changes after some time to
maintain stability in market by employees performance in production and work. In market only
those business survive for long period of time who make continually change in their strategies

and plans and revised them after implementing in their business. Revising business is helpful in
making new plans and strategies and target new market to increase their customers for the
growth of business. It help to find out company's strengths and weaknesses and in making new
plan according to requirement. Every organisation need to review business plan to see current
position and desired position of business where they want to go in future, it also help to know the
changes which take place in marketplace, business assumptions, customer's expectation, market
factors, behaviour and forecasting factors help in make new strong strategies.
3.3 Action plan to implement the changes
Every company prepares action plan for implementing the changes in required place to
develop business level and its financial cost. After making companies objectives, goals and plans
company have to develop an action plan to maintain growth and sustainability by implementing
strategies. Before implementing action plan any company must be done
regular measurement that help in planning useful efficiency, manufacturing
cost, financial cost and property evaluation. Action plan required all these following
information:
Identify need for change: Before doing any change in the process
and schedule of organisation company have to find out the area which
require need of improvement and than adopt any change plan in company.
In checking process everyone's involvement is must to gather all the
important information related to customers, suppliers, stakeholder and
company which help to identify the need of change.
Create an effective communication plan: After find out required
improvement area, company need to communicate effectively with their
employees about companies goals and objectives so they perform all activity
to achieve goals in less time period.
Remove implementation barriers: For making good business it is
important to remove all barriers to make successful change in the
organisation. Barriers can be social, fiancial and political who make huge
impact on changing process.
Create the change plan: After removing barriers the company
create change plan over a document in written form that provide direction

about improvement area. Ithelp to achevieve required position of business
in market place.
TASK 4
4.1 Impact of changes on business
Every changes have an impact on the business it can be either
positive form or negative form Change affects the environment and
development of the company in which it operates. Positive change help
organisation to increase advantage over their competitors present in
marketplace. Following are some impact of changes:
Cost changes: Cost change in the case when organisation make
changes to reduce cost of product to improve efficiency and performance in
the organisation.
Process changes: When company do any changes to improve the
organisational procedure it increase process work and all process of work
change.
Culture changes: Culture can be set of values, beliefs and
assumptions of organisation. It is most difficult process and impact over
organisation and their employees.
Structure changes: There are so many changes take place in the
structure of the business and job profile of employees to make change
successful according to the planned manner. The structure of organisation
change or to be expand by implementing changes in area of improvement.
Workload: Workload increase with the change in organisation. As
whole process and content of products procedure replaced in change
process so it increase work of employees.
4.2 Manage changes in business
Change help company to reach at desired position in future at minimum by implementing
changes in right place , right time and right way. After making change and implement
into right way company can make ideal situation to gain more profit and
growth in economy, But it should be implementing in correct manner by

company effectively and efficiently. After making changes in company there
may be conflicts arises between employees and manager. Here,
communication is tool to solve the problem. Manager should do talk about changes
with their staff and involved them in whole process of change and tell them about the benefits of
change. It will be helpful to form up a plan to allocate resources and hire right person to take
responsibilities of the change process. Employees can be informed earlier about the change and
make involvement and participate them in every phase of change in the organisation. Employees
can be informed about the importance and uses of change. There is another method of overcome
resistance of employees by inviting them to make involvement and participate in the implement
and design phases of the change . The manager should ensure that company have the the
resources to bring the change in the environment of organisation. Change involve large cost of
money, more involvement, extra work, time taken,more efforts and more expenses so manager
should work according to priority, the changes which is more important give them first priority.
4.3 Monitor improvements in the performance
In today's time for the development of company it is very important to
monitor all the improvements and changes which have been developed.
Most of companies monitor the improvements by taking feedback from their
employers and customers to gather correct information. Improvement in
performance of employers and companies help in growth and development
of the organisation in economy. Company can monitor the performance by
taking help of financial report of current year and last year. Financial
record help in evaluating performance level of organisation by comparing
current year profit with last years profit, it is best method of evaluating performance
in minimum cost. Another way to monitor the performance with the help of SWOT analysis.
Through SWOT analysis company can easily access all internal and external factors which effect
the performance of organisation. It is method through which strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats of company can find out. It is for company to follow different organisational
changes continuous time to time and monitor them for best result. The Austin Fraser make
many changes in their products and services to increase their sale and to grow their business at
next level of growth. It is important for the company to keep monitor over the performance of
employees after making changes. There will no improvement in organisation if their

performance is not monitored by company after making change in strategies. It is important to
find the change strategies are beneficial or not for the organisation.
CONCLUSION
From above report it is concluded that in every organisation change is compulsory to
growth business at next level. Austin Fraser company deal with people not with product. As the
business grow changes take place internally or externally in the organisation and environment.
Austin Fraser is leading international recruitment consultancy which specialising in the IT
Sectors, life sciences and Engineering. Company run significantly by improving their business
performance over the year by supporting their employers, suppliers and customers. Company run
successfully by improving their strategies and methods of work to maintain stability in the
market.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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Palgrave Macmillan.
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Business and Enterprise Development.19(4).pp.656-668.
Storey, D.J., 2016. Understanding the small business sector. Routledge.
Burns, P., 2010. Entrepreneurship and Small Business: Start-up. Growth and Maturity. Palgrave
Macmillan.
Blackburn, R.A., Hart, M. and Wainwright, T., 2013. Small business performance: business,
strategy and owner-manager characteristics. Journal of small business and enterprise
development.20(1).pp.8-27.
Stokes, D., Wilson, N. and Wilson, N., 2010. Small business management and entrepreneurship.
Cengage Learning EMEA.
Malhotra, R. and Temponi, C., 2010. Critical decisions for ERP integration: Small business
issues. International Journal of Information Management.30(1).pp.28-37.
Burrows, R. ed., 2015. Deciphering the Enterprise Culture (Routledge Revivals):
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Down, S., 2010. Enterprise, entrepreneurship and small business. Sage.
Gronum, S., Verreynne, M.L. and Kastelle, T., 2012. The role of networks in small and medium‐
sized enterprise innovation and firm performance. Journal of Small Business
Management.50(2).pp.257-282.
Ackermann, S.J. and Audretsch, D.B. eds., 2013. The economics of small firms: A European
challenge (Vol. 11). Springer Science & Business Media.
Battisti, M. and Perry, M., 2011. Walking the talk? Environmental responsibility from the
perspective of small‐business owners. Corporate Social Responsibility and
Environmental Management.18(3).pp.172-185.
Herbane, B., 2010. Small business research: Time for a crisis-based view. International Small
Business Journal.28(1).pp.43-64.

Goss, D., 2015. Small Business and Society (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.
Altman, E.I., Sabato, G. and Wilson, N., 2010. The value of non-financial information in small
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Online
What is the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015?. 2017. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.jordans.co.uk/sbeea>. [Accessed on 29th september 2017].