How The Finance People Strengthened Financial Strategy for HLP UK
Discover Martin and HLP UK’s Story
As the Managing Director of a growing building surveying and architectural practice, HLP UK was no stranger to the day-to-day demands of running a business. But like many SME leaders, he knew that growth brings complexity - particularly in the numbers.
Despite operating in multiple disciplines, HLP UK faced two key issues:
A lack of clarity around where the business was truly making money, and
An over-reliance on a small handful of clients, making the company financially vulnerable in a shifting economic climate.
With ambitious plans ahead, HLP UK knew it was time to seek support - not just in terms of number-crunching, but in reshaping the business’ entire financial mindset.
HLP engaged The Finance People, bringing in Peter, a fractional CFO who works as part of the team a couple of days each month. From the outset, Peter took a bold, strategic approach - asking questions that challenged the status quo.
“His first question to me - I couldn’t answer. And that was exactly the point. They were asking us the questions we should’ve been asking ourselves.”
This kind of strategic accountability quickly became invaluable. Peter and the wider team didn’t just provide insight - they held the leadership team to the goals they set, and brought fresh thinking to long-held assumptions.
From changing how the business looked at risk, to introducing smarter ways to approach recruitment and capital investment, The Finance People embedded themselves as a trusted extension of the internal team.
They also provided guidance on securing external finance for new equipment and growth, bringing confidence to what had previously been a cautious approach to financial planning.
Martin Foxall, Managing Director at HLP UK
“They helped us see that hiring could be treated like any other investment - you bring someone in, then go find the work. That shift in mindset has been game-changing. We are now in a much stronger financial position than we were three years ago - and that really is down to The Finance People.”
Since working with The Finance People, HLP UK has achieved record-breaking success.
Hit a major turnover milestone and posted the strongest financial years in the company’s history.
Reduced reliance on key clients - no single client now accounts for more than 25% of turnover (down from 40–50%).
Gained an embedded financial partner - someone who challenges, supports, and delivers insight at board level.
Developed a stronger, more confident approach to finance - recruitment and investment are now strategic, not reactive.