Rob Brocklesby and Step Change: Empowering Businesses to Grow the Right Way

Rob Brocklesby’s journey with For Entrepreneurs Only’s Step Change programme began in 2013 as part of the first cohort (pilot programme). The experience was so impactful that he now co-delivers the programme alongside fellow FEO member Mark Eggleston, helping ambitious business owners across Hull and East Yorkshire navigate their growth without making common and costly mistakes.

Since 2013, eighty-four entrepreneurs have completed the Step Change programme. Rob explains, “Although businesses are very different, the problems we run into are all the same… CASH FLOW, PEOPLE and having a STRUCTURE in place for future growth.”

Within FEO’s tagline Helping Entrepreneurs to Start, Adapt and Grow, the emphasis for Step Change is on ‘Growth’ and it supports businesses that have reached a critical point - already growing but in need of practical guidance to build strong foundations for sustainable expansion.

Let Go to Grow


Rob explains that many companies hit growth but lack the essential structure. Step Change helps clarify their vision and mission, devise a clear strategy, and, critically, learn to let go of day-to-day control to focus on scaling. “Letting go to grow” is a defining lesson - entrepreneurs must empower the right people to lead or risk burning out.

The Numbers Never Lie


For Rob personally, Step Change brought clarity around financial management. “The biggest learner for me was having timely accounts. I used to get my accounts a month after the fact and was always reacting,” he says. “Now I see the numbers weekly, which tells me so much - revenue, cost of goods sold, margins - I can make informed decisions quickly.” This level of insight helps Rob and his team avoid being “busy fools,” sometimes showing the business needs to streamline or even consider exiting unprofitable areas.

It’s Not Me, it’s You!


Beyond finances, managing people is the biggest issue for local businesses. Many entrepreneurs carry problem staff without action. Rob highlights, “Confronting these challenges directly is essential, with solid HR processes, because having the right people on the bus is crucial for growth.”

Would you Buy it With Your Own money?

Rob leads two diverse businesses: Adams and Green, an animal feed business with an established executive team handling daily operations, and Atom Brewing, where he remains closer to day-to-day activity but just one day a week. Empowering his team to make decisions, Rob takes advice from one of his early mentors and says, “Spend my money like it’s your own” - this guides decision-making, delegation across teams, and encourages trust and responsibility.

Fast Track to Success


He likens Step Change to a “fast track through passport control” - ambitious business owners can get where they’re going faster with the programme’s toolkits and peer support. Common issues include cash flow, people management, and creating future-proof business structures.

Rob appreciates that not every entrepreneur seeks rapid growth, and that’s okay. The process also prepares businesses for exit planning (“End Games”), ensuring they are “exit ready” when the time comes.

Despite a tough economic backdrop with rising costs and taxes, Rob remains optimistic. “If you have the right product and market, there’s always growth, you just have to look for it,” he says. For him, Step Change is a continual source of learning, both from the FEO programme and fellow entrepreneurs. “I see every cohort as a personal refresher course.”

Get Out What You Put In


In sum, Rob stresses: “You get out what you put in. If you’re open-minded and ready to take your business seriously, Step Change will fast-track your progress and make your journey better.”

Together, Rob and Mark bring complementary strengths to Step Change - combining hands-on manufacturing experience with strategic growth insight - to support entrepreneurs in Hull and East Yorkshire to grow the right way.

To find out more about Step Change for Growth, please enquire HERE.