![Reading Festival has laid out its Look Out For The Planet pledge ahead of its return next week, bringing measures set to promote sustainability. Picture: Luke Dyson [LukeDyson.com]](https://wokingham.today/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Img1871502-360x180.jpg)
STEADY CONSULTING is a small, local consulting firm that is focused on helping other small businesses achieve more.
Steady Consulting’s Director & Managing Consultant, Neil Stead has amassed an extensive set of skills, knowledge and experience having worked for The John Lewis Partnership for over 30 years – and is now using these to help others.
“I hold a very strong belief that an organisation cannot be successful if it does not have clear direction, is not operationally efficient, and does not invest enough time or focus on people – be it customers or employees.” explains Neil. And it’s with this belief that Neil developed the Steady Consulting proposition, to define, develop and deliver an approach that gives small businesses the opportunity to grow.
Neil adds “Our consulting services are designed to provide expert guidance and support across strategic, operations, customer experience and employee mental health & well-being areas of a business.” He adds, “We use our depth of experience to provide an affordable client-focused approach to consulting”
With a smile on his face Neil lets us know that “I’m extremely proud of what’s already been achieved since we launched, and the feedback from clients has been amazing.” Neil is clearly passionate about helping others and appears humbled by such positive praise, and adds “I get enormous satisfaction knowing I’m helping small business owners to move things forward.”
Neil wants other small business owners to understand the benefit that can be realised by bringing someone in who has extensive business knowledge and experience. He goes on to explain “I recognise that there are myths surrounding business consultants which may put off a small business owner from investing in an external expert to help improve their business.”
‘They’re only for underperforming large companies’ and ‘They’re expensive’ are two myths Neil hears and is looking to dispel. Neil stresses “Even a thriving small business will have something that it wants to improve or change – it simply may not know what it is or how to put it in place”. He adds “…and a large consulting firm will charge a large organisation a large fee – I take an approach that respects the small business, and understands the scale of investment it may have available to develop.”
Sitting alongside the strategic and operational elements of the Steady Consulting services is a focus on equipping organisations with an improved understanding of, and tools to support, the mental health and well-being of employees in the workplace. And driven by his own lived experiences, Neil has recently become an approved provider of a half day mental health course, accredited by The Royal College Of Psychiatrists, and designed to support managers and front-line workers.
Neil explains, “The course is the UK’s leading evidence-based mental health and wellbeing programme for understanding and managing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and has been successfully rolled out across many organisations throughout the UK and around the world.”
Neil would love to support any small business owners in or around the Reading and Wokingham areas, and offers a free (no obligation) conversation to kick things off. This time is used to listen to your thoughts, concerns and discover what you’re trying to achieve.
For more information about Steady Consulting, visit them online at www.steadyconsulting.co.uk, email hello@steadyconsulting.co.uk or call 07375 482637.
