Harbourmaster is a restaurant with rooms, set in Aberaeron harbour on the west coast of Wales with some rooms overlooking Cardigan Bay. Originally the harbourmaster's house, this Grade Two listed building houses seven of the thirteen bedrooms and an acclaimed restaurant. The other bedrooms are found in two other historic harbour side buildings.

Recommendations include the Good Hotel Guide and the Good Food Guide continuously since the inaugural year in 2002.

This is a highly successful operation from the point of view of sales and its reputation but the profit potential was not being fulfilled. The introduction to HBIM (Hotel Business Improvement Management) was from another client who owns a restaurant with rooms near Telford and who had undertaken the programme.

OUTCOME: By concentrating on expenditure, a gross operating profit of 20.9 per cent is budgeted for the current year with the expectation that this will be exceeded by some margin. A small loss in January on a turnover of £93,000 became a GOP of 26 per cent in February on a turnover of £110,000.

Turnover for the year to March 2009 was £1,589,000. The owners, Glyn and Menna Huelyn, are now planning to take some real quality time to enjoy their success with a sane work life balance.