Good work
deserves to be seen
- and built to last

Strategic consultancy for founders and creative businesses who are ready to grow with clarity and confidence.

Whether you're a founder scaling a food and drink brand, a creative maker who needs a stronger voice or a lifestyle business looking to sharpen your strategy and reach — this is where we start.

I'm Susanne Currid. For over 25 years I've worked as a strategic consultant, business advisor and trusted thinking partner to creative and commercial businesses across the UK. I've helped household names and up-and-coming independents alike — from hospitality startups and craft breweries to artists, interiors businesses and lifestyle brands.

My approach is practical, honest and always tailored to you. I see the bigger picture first, then we build a focused, agile plan for where you want to go.

Credentials

  • 25+ years of business consultancy and project delivery

  • Author of Build Your Tribe (2013) — top-ranked hospitality marketing book on Amazon UK for five years

  • Former UK Government SME Advisor (Growth Accelerator & Growth Voucher schemes)

  • Distinction-grade MA, Art History & Museum Curation, University of Sussex (2025)

  • Guest expert, BBC's The Apprentice

Who I work with

I work with people doing meaningful, creative and commercial work — including:

  • Food & drink founders — breweries, restaurants, producers and hospitality businesses

  • Lifestyle and interiors businesses looking to grow their brand and reach

  • Creative consultants and independents who want a strategic sounding board

  • Artists and makers developing their practice, profile or public presence

  • Serial entrepreneurs ready to build their next venture with more confidence

What we can work on together

Strategy & Business Planning

Clear, practical strategic planning for growth — from business model development to investor-ready planning. Using tools like the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas, we identify your real strengths, sharpen your point of difference, and build a roadmap that reflects your ambitions and your resources.

Brand, Voice & Communications

Whether you're developing an artist's statement, repositioning a brand, or figuring out how to talk about what you do — I help you find language that is true to you and compelling to the people you're trying to reach. This is work I do with individuals and small teams, in workshop sessions and through iterative development.

Sales & Marketing Strategy

A joined-up approach to commercial growth — covering digital, direct, trade and consumer channels. I help you cut through the noise, prioritise what actually moves the needle, and avoid wasting limited time and budget on strategies that aren't right for your business.

Business Development Advisory

For existing clients and growing businesses, I offer ongoing advisory support — meeting monthly to review progress, troubleshoot challenges, and keep momentum going. I act as a sounding board, a thinking partner, and occasionally a honest voice when something isn't working.

How We Work Together

I typically work with clients over six months or more — meeting monthly online or in person to develop, review and refine your strategy. Sessions are focused and practical, often supported by digital planning tools that help accelerate strategic thinking and keep decision-making grounded.

We start by getting an honest picture of where you are: your strengths, your gaps, and the opportunities you may not have fully articulated yet. From there, we build a plan that is both strategically sound and genuinely achievable for a business of your size and stage.

I don't offer generic frameworks or off-the-shelf advice. Every engagement is shaped around you, your business, and what you're trying to build.

Hands-On Project Support

For a smaller number of clients, I provide short-term project delivery, including:

  • Marketing planning for organic growth and investment

  • Brand and communications audits with actionable recommendations

  • Capacity building through recruitment support, AI systems specification, workflow design and training

What People Are Saying

“Susanne came with a ‘can-do’ attitude based on personal experience combined with an originality of thinking which was always solution-focused. She builds on what had been a varied and diverse career, picking up an invaluable skill set, quite unlike any other I have encountered in my 40 years in the leisure, tourism, educational or charity sector.”

— Adam Wide, Trustee, Leisure & Learning

“I cannot express how useful it is and how you have hugely simplified the task in hand. The sessions we have had were simply fantastic, totally realigned us, focused our efforts and made the challenges seem manageable. All your advice is totally invaluable. Thank you.” 

— Alex Head, CEO, Social Pantry

“Working with Susanne has been nothing short of a pleasure, her understanding of people, culture, and arts engagement has proven a real asset to Picnic’s photography community.”

— Joe Charrington, Director, Picnic CIC

“In her role as consultant she has acted as a mentor for a new member of marketing staff, helping us to get some much needed communications and procedures in place. She methodically took us through a process of identifying improvements needed in the restaurant from a customers point of view, addressing signage and clarifying our offer messaging. She has got us to a stage where we have the processes and suitable software packages in place to be able to manage our marketing in-house with the added benefit of an ongoing advice service, which she continues to provide.”

— Tony McKinley, CEO, Towercrest Enterprises

“Susanne helped me clarify my artist statement through a detailed questionnaire and focused brainstorming. Her ability to listen and extract what is central to my work process made it an energising & insightful experience.”

— Lucie Feighan, Artist

"We've worked closely with Susanne for a number of months now.  Her experience and guidance have been invaluable to help us through a significant and challenging period of growth."

— Peter Hills, Co-Founder, Hackney Brewery

Ready to find your next steps?

If you're not sure whether this is the right kind of support for you, the best place to start is a conversation. Get in touch and tell me a little about what you're working on.