The Woodbourne Tavern and Motels, better known as “the Woody” by the locals, is a thriving pub and restaurant in the centre of Renwick in Marlborough.

Richard, Adriana and her two children Stacey and Rowan bought the business in 2010, when the region was in economic decline due to the global financial crisis and a downturn in the wine industry.

It was a tough start in business for the family, who had dreamed of running their own pub for many years, and after Rowan heard about WK’s business advisory services, they approached WK director Neil Sinclair in 2011 for some advice.

“We were working really hard and having bought at a tough time, it was hard to see how we could turn things around,” Rowan says.

“So when we heard about WK’s advisory services and how they could improve our profitability, it really hit a chord with us.”

Stacey says Neil provided them with tools and resources to help them identify ways they could make their business more efficient, and improve their bottom line.

“We were working in our business 100% of the time, rather than on our business,” Stacey says.

“But now we take the time to stop and reflect on what we’re doing, how we are tracking and looking ahead so we can plan for the next quarter.”

Neil says his strategic planning advice and accurate forecasting, coupled with their hard work and passion to create a family-friendly community focal point has helped make the business profitable.

“We can see a direct link between the strategies we established and a significant improvement in their bottom line,” Neil says.

“There’s been a complete turnaround in business over the past few years, and I’m really stoked for them.  They’ve worked really hard to make it work.”