The Programme
The Lockgate Method
Most business owners are sold complexity before their foundations are in place. This programme fixes the foundations first. Everything else follows.
If you've tried coaching, courses, or agencies and stayed stuck, this is different. Fifty years of operating experience. Highly practical. Structured so you can get results in the right order, right speed, without cutting corners.
Why most small businesses stay stuck
Most owners are sold tactics before they have validated foundations. Marketing, funnels, AI tools — none of these work without a clear ideal client and a validated offer. The order of operations is wrong.
The result is owners working harder on the wrong things. Revenue is inconsistent. Margins are unclear. The business runs them, not the other way around.
Is this programme right for you?
This programme is for you if:
- You've been in business at least 6 months
- Your turnover is under £300k (Early Stage) or between £300k and £2m (Growth Stage)
- You're drawing at least £2–3k per month from the business, or you should be
- You know something needs to change but you're not sure what to fix first
- You want structured work with real outputs, not general advice
This programme is not for you if:
- You have no orders and no real evidence people will pay for what you offer
- You're a sole trader with a handful of regular clients and no desire to grow beyond that
- You're looking for motivation or a mindset programme
- You're not open to changing your offer, your positioning, or who you serve, even if the data proves otherwise
- You want quick fixes in days, not weeks
SIX GATES. RIGHT ORDER.
NO SHORTCUTS.
Every client works through the same six gates in sequence. The sequence is not optional — each gate must be completed before the next one opens. Like a canal lock, you cannot skip levels. Skipping foundations is one of the most common mistakes owners make when trying to fix their business.
GATE 1
North Star
What do you actually want from this business and your life? Not the version you tell people. The honest answer. Everything built in the programme that follows starts here. Without this, every decision that follows is built on assumption. The output is a signed North Star Manifesto — a personal leadership document, not a business plan.
Deliverable: North Star Manifesto (signed)
GATE 2
Diagnosis
An honest assessment of where the business actually is. Numbers, structure, offer, pricing, capacity, runway. Not where the owner thinks it is. If the numbers reveal insufficient runway, the output is a stabilisation plan before any other gate proceeds.
Deliverable: Lockgate Diagnostic
GATE 3
IDEAL CLIENT
Who is the type of client this business exists to serve? What is their specific pain? Where are there more of them? Gate 3 defines this precisely before anything else is built on top of it. The quality of everything that follows depends on getting this right.
Deliverable: ICP, Minimum Viable Sector, Brand positioning
GATE 4
Revenue and Pricing
Can this business actually grow to support the real life the owner wants? We drill into the pricing model, the margins, and the revenue reality until the answer is clear.
Deliverable: Revenue Model and Pricing Review
GATE 5
Build and Go-to-Market
This is where the work becomes visible. Website, landing pages, go-to-market assets, CRM, whatever is needed and nothing that isn't. The client leaves Gate 5 knowing exactly what tools need to be in place and with a clear plan to implement them.
Deliverable: Go-to-Market Assets, CRM, Scorecards
GATE 6
Growth and Execution
The foundations are set, now the focus shifts to running it. The 60-day embed: two monthly 90-minute sessions. The tools are in place or being finalised. This is where it stops being a programme and starts being how you run the business.
Deliverable: 60-Day Growth and Execution Embed
Inside the Lockgate App
Every client gets access to the Lockgate app — included in the programme. Here's what it looks like.
How the programme works
Your sessions
Each 1-2-1 session is 45-75 minutes long (60 mins average, overall) and run weekly in the early days. Your business, your numbers, your decisions. No generic advice.
Session cycles
Billed per programme block. Each block includes four 1-2-1 sessions. No contract. Cancel at the start of any block with no penalty. Most owners complete all six gates in 14–21 sessions. You only pay for what you use.
Real outputs at every gate
Each gate produces a document or framework. You leave with something tangible, not just notes from a conversation.
EVERY CLIENT GETS THE LOCKGATE APP. INCLUDED.
Every activity, output, and decision is captured inside the Lockgate client app as you work through the gates. Nothing gets lost between sessions. Your progress is tracked, your outputs are stored, and everything feeds forward into the next gate.
Why we built a task tracker into the programme →The Execution Phase
From Gate 4, some clients move to bi-weekly sessions. The time between is used to build: AI-assisted go-to-market strategy, website, landing pages, content. The programme shifts from advisory into active delivery.
Investment
Billed per programme block. Each block includes four 1-2-1 sessions. No contract. Cancel at the start of any block with no penalty. Most owners complete all six gates in 14–21 sessions. You only pay for what you use.
Early Stage
- Turnover under £300k
- 45–60 min 1-2-1 sessions. Your business, your numbers, your decisions.
- Every gate produces something built. Not notes. Not homework. A real output you own and use.
- Establish if the demand is real, who it is really for, and whether the numbers actually work — before you spend a penny on marketing.
- Full Lockgate programme access. Every gate has a built-in working system, so you're never starting from scratch.
- Cancel at the start of any four-session block. No penalty.
£395 + VAT PER PROGRAMME BLOCK
Growth Stage
- Turnover between £300k and £2m
- 45–60 min 1-2-1 sessions. Your business, your numbers, your decisions.
- Every gate produces something built. Not notes. Not homework. A real output you own and use.
- You have orders. The work now is building the structure, systems, and profitability that turn what you have into something that grows without you doing everything.
- Full Lockgate programme access. Every gate has a built-in working system, so you're never starting from scratch.
- Cancel at the start of any four-session block. No penalty.
£695 + VAT PER PROGRAMME BLOCK
Strategy Call
The right place to start
- 90-minute deep dive into your business
- Action plan, recording, and follow-up notes provided
- No obligation to continue into the programme
£195 + VAT
BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL100% Money-Back Guarantee
Not satisfied at the end of any block? We'll refund that block fee in full. No questions asked. The programme ends there. You keep everything you've worked on up to that point.
More than 10 employees or turnover over £2m? Pricing is agreed at your discovery call.
What changes when the foundations are right
Neil, NJG Building Solutions
Strategically pivoted from generalist builder to kitchen extension specialist. Moved away from competing on price across too many job types and built a clear positioning that attracts the right clients.
Martin Gladdish, Read My Work
Took on part-time contract work to create financial breathing room while rebuilding with clarity. Removed the runway pressure that was distorting every decision.
Common questions
How is this different from business coaching?+
This is an advisory programme with structured outputs at every gate. You don't leave sessions with advice and notes — you leave with documents, frameworks, and decisions made. The method follows a fixed sequence. That's not how coaching works.
Do I have to complete the gates in order?+
Yes. The sequence is non-negotiable. Each gate depends on the one before it. Skipping foundations is usually why businesses end up needing a programme like this in the first place.
What sector do you work with?+
The programme is not sector-specific. It is designed for micro and small business owners — from sole traders up to 25 employees. The common thread is not what you do. It is where you are: stuck, under pressure, and running on belief rather than validated foundations.
How long does the full programme take?+
Most owners complete all six gates in 14–21 sessions. If your numbers or situation are more complex, allow toward the higher end. The pace is yours. The order is not. Gates do not close until the outputs are genuinely done.
What if I'm already past the early stages?+
The entry point is always a Discovery Call (45 minutes) or a Strategy Call (90 minutes) for a deeper dive. That conversation establishes where you are and what needs fixing first. Every client works through the gates in sequence — no shortcuts. But if the foundations are already solid, you move through the early gates faster. The pace is yours. The order is not.
I've already worked with a coach or consultant. Is this the same thing?+
No. Most owners who come to this programme have already tried coaching or paid for advice that didn't move the needle. This is structured advisory work with hard commercial outputs. If it produces the same result as what you've already tried, you'll know within the first cycle.
Do I need to be based in Hertfordshire?+
The primary geography is Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and North London. Remote clients are considered where the fit is strong. If you're outside the area, book a Strategy Call and we'll establish whether it works.
What is the Strategy Call?+
A 90-minute deep dive into your business. You get an action plan, a recording, and follow-up notes. It costs £195 + VAT. There is no obligation to continue into the programme. It is the right place to start if you're not sure whether this is for you.
What if it doesn't work for me?+
At the end of any four-session block, if you're not satisfied, we'll refund that block in full. No questions asked. The programme ends there. You keep everything you've worked on up to that point.
Billing is based on Programme Blocks — how does that work in practice?+
A session is a 1-2-1 call, typically once a week with activities and work happening between calls. In the early gates, four sessions is roughly a month, so at Early Stage that's £395 for what most clients experience as one programme block. We bill by programme block rather than calendar weeks because every client is different. Some move faster, some need more time between sessions to complete the work. In the later gates, sessions often shift to bi-weekly and the nature of the work changes too. A session might be an hour building website copy, writing go-to-market strategy, or working through content together. The billing reflects the work done, not the calendar. You only pay for what you use.
If something needs to change, the Discovery Call is the right place to start
45 minutes. Free. No obligation. We'll look at where you are, what's getting in the way, and whether the Lockgate Method is the right next step for you. If a deeper dive makes sense, we'll talk about that too.