Simplifying Business: The Story Behind Simplify Solutions

From Mountain Trails to Business Trails

After months of planning and building, I’m proud to launch Simplify Solutions, and with it, this first blog post.

This isn’t just an announcement; it’s an insight into what brought me here, what I’ve learned, and why I believe that simplicity is the answer to so many of the problems I’ve seen across workplaces, sectors, and systems.

The Road So Far

Like many people, my early jobs didn’t feel like part of a “career.” They helped pay the bills, and they taught me a few lessons. It wasn’t until I returned to education and earned my degree in Business Management from the Isle of Man Business School that I started to align my experience with ambition.

I initially worked as an admin assistant in the aviation industry (my first “real” job) and while it didn’t excite me, it was a pivotal point. It gave me time to reflect, and with a little encouragement from my now-wife, I started setting goals.

Soon after, I pivoted completely. I became an outdoor instructor, then an expedition leader, gaining qualifications along the way. The outdoor world shaped me. Every day brought problems to solve; weather changes, travel disruptions, group needs, and solving one issue always had a knock-on effect across the day or trip. That’s where I learned to think in systems and knock-on impacts. One decision here results in three consequences over there.

It also taught me structure. Instructing in the outdoors meant detailed, safety-focused policies and procedures. From group ratios to supervision protocols, I worked within systems that allowed autonomy within boundaries. And when I moved on to new roles - especially in government - those lessons followed me.

Where It All Came Together

My government roles involved market analysis, legislation, operational oversight, and leading internal teams. I created policies and procedures that helped staff understand what they were doing, why it mattered, and how it contributed to a wider goal.

Later, as an elected politician and board member, I saw decision-making at the highest level and the problems that arise when there’s a lack of direction or shared understanding. Even in senior spaces, policy was often missing or misaligned. Staff didn’t know where they stood. Board members concentrated on the small details rather than bigger picture. A lack of clarity led to wasted time, poor morale, and inefficiency.

The Problem I Saw Everywhere

The pattern was clear: confusion, duplication, inefficiency and a lot of people doing the best they could in broken systems.

Staff often don’t know what their role really means beyond daily tasks. Management often doesn’t communicate goals in a way that aligns with operations. And when policies do exist, they’re either overbearing and unreadable, or too vague to be useful.

The right policy, streamlined, outcome-driven, and tailored to the business solves this. When staff understand the “why” behind the “what,” when processes are easy to follow, and when systems are designed around actual business goals, you build an organisation that runs efficiently, empowers people, and grows sustainably.

I believe around 70% of recurring business problems could be solved with better, clearer procedures and that’s the foundation of Simplify Solutions.

Simplify the Strategy. Simplify Success.

This isn’t just a slogan, it’s the core of what we do.

Over my career I’ve seen the damage caused by complexity for complexity’s sake. Whether it’s an overengineered website, a 17-step process to contact a department, or decision paralysis caused by a lack of internal alignment, it always comes down to poor strategy and process design.

At Simplify Solutions, I focus on creating clarity and coherence. That might mean:

• Refining your onboarding or client journey

• Aligning policy with business goals

• Fixing digital user experience bottlenecks

• Structuring tender applications so they hit the mark

• Helping start-ups avoid mistakes that cripple growth later on

When businesses run simply and logically:

• Staff are more confident, more productive, and less burnt out

• Customers get quicker answers and better experiences

• Leaders spend less time firefighting and more time planning

That’s where profit lives—not just in pounds, but in time, energy, and opportunity.

What You Can Expect From This Blog

This blog is here to inform, provoke thought, and show the real side of business—from behind the desk to behind the scenes.

You’ll find posts on:

Business improvement strategies

• Business improvement strategies

• Start-up support and common pitfalls

• Honest takes on what’s working in the world of business - and what isn’t

I’ll also include a category I’m calling "Business Everywhere”, a space for informal observations about where things fall apart (or work brilliantly) in everyday life. Whether it’s a frustrating experience with a service or a brilliant UX moment on a random website, there’s always something to learn.

Join Me

Whether you’re a founder, a manager, or someone with a business itch they haven’t scratched yet, welcome. This is just the beginning.

And if there’s a topic you’d like covered, or a problem you’re stuck on get in touch. I may just write about it.