Fortify for Growth: Empowering Companies to Scale Safely
The Hidden Risk of Rapid Growth For a mid-sized business on the cusp of rapid expansion, growth is a double-edged sword. The excitement of new markets and surging demand often comes with an undercurrent of anxiety. Will our people and current processes hold up under pressure? Can our culture and cash flow withstand the strain? […]
The Hidden Cost of Business Failure
In 86% of UK liquidations, no money at all is returned to creditors. This figure, drawn from government research, shows that when a business fails, the damage rarely stays exclusively within the company. Value is destroyed across creditors, employees, and local communities. Liquidation processes consume what little remains, with average costs exceeding 160% of the […]
Inside Arx Nova: Q&A with Joseph Mawdsley
What motivated you to co-found Arx Nova? The position to effect rapid, measurable change is where I enjoy being most. I thrive on the energy and ambition that comes with generating forward momentum at pace and under pressure. We’ve built Arx Nova around providing resolutions to the most pressing questions, with the goal of allowing […]
Infrastructure Crises, Delayed Action, and the Myth of Stability
Too Big to Fail, Too Slow to Save Thames Water’s problems were hiding in plain sight, from outdated pipes spilling sewage into the river, to growing financial pressures behind the scenes. Yet for years, these issues were overlooked. When the crisis finally hit it looked sudden, but the warning signs had been ignored for years. […]
Scaling Without Breaking: How Growth Pressures Test the Five Fundamentals of a Business
When a business takes off, it’s exhilarating as sales surge, new markets beckon, and headcount climbs. I recall sitting with the CEO of a firm who had scaled rapidly over 18 months. “We got the growth we fought for,” she sighed, “but everything feels like it’s on fire.” That conversation captured the reality that rapid […]
The Hedgehog Concept in the Real World: Turning Strategic Clarity Into Action
The Hedgehog Concept I’ve seen businesses lose themselves in the search for growth. They pursue every new idea, expand into unrelated markets, and chase headlines rather than focus on providing value. From the outside, it can look like ambition. More often, it signals a lack of focus and discipline that eventually brings everything crashing down. […]
Why Joseph Mawdsley co-founded Arx Nova
I’ve had the benefit of a diverse career. Utilising a primary skill set rooted in project and programme management allowed me access to a fantastically varied range of industries, from transport and logistics, to the third sector. From property management and construction, to mining in West Africa and Canada. As my career progressed, I earned […]