Business Transformation Case Studies

Karen Matthews’ success stories

Karen Matthews trail of success stories features some of Australia’s oldest and most recognised retail brands.

Karen has been there and done it before, many times over. Her No ‘BS’ process is a culmination of over 25 years experience leading business turnaround success stories.

Driven by authentic leadership and a simple No ‘BS’ approach to change, Karen’s work was recognised with prestigious awards, including Telstra NSW Business Woman of the Year, PWC NSW Franchise Woman of the Year and PWC National Franchise Woman of the Year.

Business Transformation Case Studies

Discover how Karen Matthews helps stagnating brands transform to achieve long term business growth and implement the framework to think differently.

FRANCHISE SME

Family-owned franchise SME, 54yr old business, 60 employees, International presence independently owned stores + wholesale Distribution, RTO & Manufacturing

A business that operated purely on love, loyalty and family, was in dire shape. Low margins, flat sales and increasing costs resulted from absent strategic and operating plans, and no meaningful reporting, performance focus, KPIs or accountability.

  • Australia’s first franchise model in the sector
  • Distribution network consolidation
  • Investment in product development and education
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Franchise SME Business Transformation Case Study

NATIONAL RETAILER

Despite 30 years of operation, with stores across the country, one of Australia’s largest and most iconic furniture retail brands was lost.

A disengaged team, resulting from an apathetic and inert culture driven by process and admin systems, had lost its mojo.

  • Reengineered the business’ USP
  • Transformed the sales strategy from product to inspiration and aspiration
  • Introduced an in-store interior design service
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National Retailer Business Transformation Case Study

STARTUP SUBSIDIARY

A stagnated family business reliant on a capital-intensive retail store strategy had no Plan B. Its stores were overflowing with products from parent brands, and there was no strategic scope to shift to a new way of doing business.

  • Devised a global licensing strategy
  • Identified, negotiated and secured a licence to design, manufacture and distribute a line of accessories for the company’s parent brand, Guess
  • Focus on sourcing and manufacturing capabilities improved the company’s distribution opportunities and profitability
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Start Up Family Business Transformation

Simple.
No Jargon.
No BS.

Karen’s expertise is working with Founders and Executive Teams whose businesses are calling out for change

  • Your business is not what or where you want it to be
  • The numbers are underwhelming
  • Your market share is not what you dreamt of
  • The creative spark behind the brand has disappeared. Everything is beige and unoriginal
  • You’ve done countless planning sessions before, but any attempts at change have failed
  • You are falling behind the competition, and you don’t know where to start to keep your business moving as quickly as it needs to

KICKSTART

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DISCOVER KICKSTART

TRANSFORMATION

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DISCOVER KM TRANSFORMATION

MENTORING

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DISCOVER BUSINESS MENTORING

ADVISORY

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DISCOVER BUSINESS ADVISORY

KAREN MATTHEWS’ APPROACH TO BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION WORKS

Bryan Coleman
Founder and Non-Executive Director The Banksia Project

During the period of engagement, Karen has played a number of pivotal roles at both a Board and Operational level, adding valuable insights and key strategic considerations as we build the business. Karen is a strong leader who is able to swing from strategy to execution, aligning teams of people along the way to quickly…

Terry Hawkins
Founder & Chief Education Officer Progress Retail

I worked closely with Karen when she was the CEO of Ella Bache. Karen is a pioneer & strategist who understands the importance of creating a collaborative & focused network within an organisation. She has the gift of aligning & inspiring whilst making the tough decisions to drive a business forward. I believe any organization…

Sarah Barton
Chadstone – The Fashion Capital
Retail Administrator
Vicinity Centres

Karen is an incredibly enthusiastic, warm, and energetic speaker. She really impressed with her experience and ability to command the audience. We were especially appreciative of her engagement with our audience prior to the event, it really encouraged them up to engage with us during and after the session. Karen also made the process leading…

Carolyn Fox
Director Investor Relations Perpetual Equity Partners

Karen was extremely easy to work with and her hands-on experience immediately added value across all aspects of the business. Karen’s approach was thorough and very efficient – she knew exactly what questions to ask and as a result could identify the issues quickly and present it back to us in an insightful and practical…