Business Consulting for Founders Making Critical Growth Decisions
Trusted by Founders and Public Bodies Across Ireland
Supporting founder-led SMEs through funded programmes, enterprise support, and strategic advisory, our business consulting is trusted by founders, public bodies, and programme operators in funded, audited, and high-scrutiny environments where strategy must stand up to challenge.
Our Point of View on Business Consulting
Business Consulting at Key Decision Stages
Our business consulting is most effective at defined stages of organisational decision-making, where clarity, structure, and strategic judgement directly influence outcomes across growth, funding, and operational change.
01
Founder-Led
Business consulting supports founder-led organisations where strategic decisions are still centralised. At this stage, independent challenge improves focus, reduces bias, and strengthens judgement before informal decision-making limits scalability or increases risk.
02
Early Growth
During early growth, business consulting helps organisations introduce structure without slowing momentum. Strategic clarity at this stage supports sustainable scaling, improves prioritisation, and prevents operational complexity from outpacing leadership capacity or resources.
03
Leadership
For leadership teams and senior decision-makers, business consulting provides independent perspective during periods of change. This improves alignment, decision quality, and execution where multiple stakeholders, accountability, and impact must be carefully balanced.
04
Funded
In funded and programme-supported environments, business consulting ensures strategy meets scrutiny. Decisions must align with funding objectives, governance requirements, and commercial outcomes while standing up to audit, challenge, and public accountability.
A Simple, Structured Engagement Process
Discovery Call
Strategic Direction and Fit
Ongoing Support
Why Decision Quality Matters More Than Ever
30+ Years’ Experience
Businesses Helped
Strategic Support That Meets You Where You Are
Focused on Outcomes, Not Noise
I’d recommend their services to anyone.
I have worked with Cormac and Alison through Intertrade Ireland’s E-Merge Programme. They have great attention to detail and dedication to small businesses across Ireland. I’d recommend their services to anyone.
Lucy Ewins
Cormac’s knowledge and expertise are unrivalled
Cormac’s knowledge and expertise are unrivalled. He took time to understand all aspects of our business which allowed him focus on all our specific business needs. The work undertaken by Cormac and the team at Island Marketing Clinic in support of Smarter Concepts was instrumental in our expansion within the ROI and UK marketplaces.
Steve Ewart
They … generated real returns for our business
I had the pleasure of working with Cormac and the team at Island Marketing. They offer a proactive and pragmatic approach and generated real returns for our business in terms of setting up leads and appointments for Business Utility Broker in Northern Ireland.
Highly recommended!
Sultan Nazir
Cormac was instrumental in helping us
Cormac was instrumental in helping us to raise brand awareness and source new outlets for our product on the island of Ireland. I’d recommend Island Marketing Clinic to any small business for their tenacious and pragmatic approach
Sean Clinton
It was a pleasure working with Cormac on this project
It was a pleasure working with Cormac on this project. After he tried our pizza he understood exactly what the product was about and what stores would be best suited to approach in the Northern Ireland market
Craig Grattan
I have no hesitation in recommending Island Marketing Clinic
“When you find a consultant who cares about what you do, is knowledgeable about what you do and passionate about the best approach for your business, then you know you have landed on your feet. Cormac has the expertise to make you look at your business in new ways, he helped me understand our current markets, future markets and goals for the future. Cormac introduced us to people who didn’t know we existed. He worked with us re-evaluate our whole approach to marketing and new business development. I have no hesitation in recommending Island Marketing Clinic as they truly care!”
Noreen Harding
I feel much more equipped and confident
“Cormac Austin came alongside me in a Marketing Mentoring role when I was new to business. He provided me with great insight and helped me to develop my understanding of marketing and the priority I need to give it. Having completed our sessions I feel much more equipped and confident to take my marketing forward. Many thanks Cormac.”
Rabab Flack
Book a Strategic Business Consultation
News Island Marketing Clinic
Functional Breathing: For Work, Rest and Play! OA Course Review
To add another dimension and offer more to our clients at Island Marketing Clinic, I recently…
Intertrade Ireland’s Go 2 Tender Programme Can Help Unlock Public Sector Contracts
Intertrade Ireland’s Go 2 Tender Programme Can Help Unlock Public Sector Contracts Intertrade Ireland’s Go 2…
Co Derry chef’s healthy noodles are chosen by Selfridges in London
Co Derry chef’s healthy noodles are chosen by Selfridges in London Shoppers at Selfridges in London,…
Island Marketing Clinic FAQs
Island Marketing Clinic provides business consulting, coaching, and mentoring for founders, SMEs, leadership teams, and programme-supported organisations across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Our support focuses on improving decision quality, strategic clarity, and execution during periods of growth, funding, or change.
Consulting focuses on strategy, analysis, and decision-making. Coaching focuses on performance, leadership, and confidence. Mentoring provides ongoing guidance based on experience, often within funded or structured programmes. We help you determine the most appropriate form of support based on your needs, rather than forcing a fixed model.
We primarily work with founder-led and owner-operated SMEs, early-stage and scaling businesses, leadership teams, and programme-eligible or grant-supported organisations. Our work is most effective where clarity, structure, and informed decision-making directly impact outcomes.
Yes. We work extensively within publicly funded and enterprise-supported programmes across Ireland. In these engagements, we combine strategic advisory support, mentoring, and accountability to ensure programme participation leads to measurable commercial progress.
Yes. We support public-sector bodies, enterprise organisations, and programme delivery partners by providing structured consulting, mentoring, and decision support for founders, SMEs, and leadership participants within funded initiatives.
Both. Some clients engage with us for short, focused consulting support around a specific decision or challenge. Others work with us on an ongoing basis through coaching or mentoring to maintain clarity, momentum, and accountability as their organisation evolves.
We support both. Early-stage and scaling businesses often engage us to avoid costly missteps and establish strong foundations, while more established organisations work with us to navigate growth, restructuring, funding, or strategic change.
We work with businesses across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, providing all-island support informed by local enterprise ecosystems, funding structures, and regulatory environments.
This is clarified during the discovery call. We assess your objectives, challenges, and context before recommending consulting, coaching, mentoring, or a combination that best supports your goals.
The first step is to book a discovery call. This allows us to understand your situation, confirm eligibility where relevant, and outline the most effective path forward.