David J Wood

If you run a wholesale or distribution business, you’ll know this feeling: As the business grows, it doesn’t feel easier to run, it feels heavier. Orders increase. Margins tighten. Mistakes creep in. Decisions keep flowing back to you. And instead of leading, you find yourself constantly intervening. Most founders assume the problem is people, systems, or market pressure. In reality, the business has simply outgrown the way it operates. That’s where I come in. What I do I help founders of Wholesale & Distribution businesses grow profitably by removing the operational friction that quietly builds as the business scales. I do this by installing the foundations and leadership rhythm the business needs to run smoothly, without relying on the founder to hold everything together. This isn’t coaching. It isn’t theory. And it isn’t adding layers of complexity. It’s rebuilding the operating foundations that make growth sustainable. What changes when the foundations are right When friction is removed at source: • Operations stop relying on the founder • Margin improves through better discipline and visibility • Sales, stock and fulfilment work in sync • Teams gain clarity, ownership and accountability • Decisions become calmer, faster and data-led • Growth becomes predictable and manageable The result is not explosive change, it’s relief, clarity, and control. A business that finally runs the way it should. Why founders work with me Over the past 30 years, I’ve built, scaled and exited multiple product-based businesses, including growing one from £3k to £24m ARR and another from £8m t0 £31m ARR and contributing to over £400m in cumulative revenue. I understand the realities of: stock, cashflow, margin, people, supply chain, and operational pressure, because I’ve lived them. Today, I work as a Fractional COO, partnering with founders to redesign the foundations that allow their businesses to grow with confidence.