Fractional Growth Leadership: How Equipt delivered direction, clarity and momentum in a shifting property market.

No job title. Just results.

Some briefs are clearly defined. Others evolve by the day. With Tara & Co, our role was never about a single deliverable or title, it was about helping a growing business step up its thinking, sharpen its offer, and make better decisions, faster.

We acted as a fractional growth director. No portfolio. No vanity projects. Just hands-on strategic support across whatever the business needed most, from board-level thinking to customer journey audits. It was a role built on trust, challenge and forward momentum.

The challenge

Tara & Co is an ambitious lettings and student property agency with a reputation for local knowledge and operational strength. But the market had shifted fast. Competition was tougher. Students were savvier. And Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) providers had rewritten expectations on everything from tech to tenant experience.

The team needed sharper tools and clearer priorities. They were ready to grow - but needed help mapping the path, managing change, and keeping their energy focused in the right direction.

What we did

Over 2 years, we played an embedded leadership role across multiple areas of the business - adapting as priorities shifted, always keeping an eye on sustainable growth. We weren’t just advisors. We worked inside the organisation to deliver real progress, including:

• Leading a full Perspective Analysis, with regular rescoring to track development across 10 business pillars
• Supporting board-level thinking, commercial planning and strategic clarity
• Coaching and mentoring directors and managers through big decisions and tough transitions
• Mapping and improving the customer experience, especially across the student journey
• Leading and interpreting market research to inform new offers, segments and brand opportunities
• Helping develop and refine the service proposition to stand out from new competitors
• Supporting pitch development, commercial tenders and partnership proposals
• Acting as a sounding board and pressure-tester across marketing, brand, team development and innovation

This was flexible, senior support, always focused on what would move the business forward next.

“As an employee and then Director in the same business for over 25 years, I thought I knew it inside and out but the Perspective Analysis process helped me see the business with fresh eyes. We identified strengths and weaknesses that were not expected. The clarity it brought and the confidence that came from seeing tangible progress over time — has been game-changing.

Equipt’s insightful and systematic approach has put us in a much better place to ward off threats and take advantage of opportunities. I’ve learnt a huge amount from working together and have felt supported, challenged and encouraged throughout.”

Dave Quain, Director

How it showed up

We helped Tara & Co shift from reactive to proactive, giving them the space and insight to grow with intent, not just instinct.

Key examples include:

• Reframing how student experience is delivered — using NPS data, market insight and operational mapping to rebuild loyalty and retention
• Redefining the Tara vs Student Homes brand relationship, helping prepare for future expansion and national visibility
• Supporting strategic partnership conversations and helping shape the future of studenthomes.org
• Developing practical internal tools and performance dashboards to help teams manage growth with clarity

The support flexed from workshop-style sessions to hands-on content creation to real-time pitch support - whatever was needed to keep momentum high.

The results

• Major uplift in Perspective Analysis scoring across multiple pillars — including direction, customer experience and brand
• Internal clarity around strategy, service offering and future growth model
• Clearer path to profitability through new proposition development and pricing strategy
• Board strengthened with new senior leadership and clearer KPIs
• Strategic planning, proposals and pitch support delivered across multiple commercial opportunities
• Improved NPS and customer journey tracking across landlord and student cohorts
• A stronger, more focused business ready for its next phase

Why it worked

Because the support matched the moment. Tara & Co didn’t need another consultant with a playbook — they needed a thinking partner who could flex to meet the messy, real-world challenges of growth. Someone who could help them zoom out, zoom in, and keep moving.

Fractional leadership doesn’t need a fixed remit. It just needs trust, clarity, and the confidence to focus on what matters most. And that’s exactly what we built together.