From dreading the numbers to driving the business by them
How Tomsetts Distribution, a family-run haulage company trading since 1975, turned a long-standing weak spot (financial planning) into a confident, forecast-led approach to growth after a management buyout.
Family-run haulage business based in Newhaven, East Sussex, since 1975
Built to bring cashflow, P&L, balance sheet, sales and costs into one place
From not understanding the monthly accounts to planning investment with certainty
“Signing up for the Big Ambitions Programme was one of the best decisions I’ve made.” Andrew Tucknott, Tomsetts Distribution Ltd
“We’re not just moving forward — we’re making smarter, more strategic moves”
Tomsetts Distribution Ltd is a family-run haulage company based in Newhaven, East Sussex, established in 1975. The business offers road, sea and air freight services, specialising in the secure transport of pallets across the UK, Ireland and Europe.
After completing a management buyout, the team had a clear vision for growth, but knew that financial planning had always been the part of the business that held them back from acting on it with confidence.
“I knew how to grow the business, but when it came to the numbers, I needed help. Accounting was a real weak spot for me — I couldn’t even make sense of the monthly management accounts, let alone plan for the future!
Thanks to the 1:1 support we’ve had, I now have a solid grasp of our financials and the confidence to make big decisions. The custom forecasting tool built for us has been a total game-changer, giving me all the info I need to back up my gut instincts.”
Andrew Tucknott, Tomsetts Distribution LtdDecades of know-how on the road, but no clear view of the numbers behind the wheel
Tomsetts had just been through a management buyout and had a genuine ambition to grow: more vehicles, more people, more capacity. The operational and sales experience was there in spades, built up over decades in the logistics trade.
What was missing was confidence in the figures. Monthly management accounts felt like a foreign language, and without a clear forecast, every decision about investment, staffing or equipment carried more risk and more guesswork than it should have.
1:1 financial support and a forecasting tool built around the business
Through the Big Ambitions Programme, Tomsetts accessed direct, one-to-one support from an accountant, not generic guidance, but help that was shaped around their own figures, their own fleet and their own plans for growth.
1:1 accountant support
Working through the monthly management accounts line by line, building real clarity and confidence in what the figures actually meant.
A bespoke forecasting tool
A purpose-built tool combining cashflow, profit and loss, balance sheet, sales and costs, giving real-time insight in one place, rather than scattered across spreadsheets.
A platform for confident decisions
Turning numbers into a tool for action, informing decisions on investment, staffing and growth with real evidence behind them.
Sometimes the biggest barrier to growth isn’t ambition: it’s clarity.
Digital Islands helps independent business owners get a clearer grip on their numbers, their marketing and their plans for growth.
Clearer financials, confident decisions and a stronger role in the local logistics sector
With a clearer understanding of their financial position and a forecasting tool built around their own business, Tomsetts can now plan with confidence rather than guesswork: about investment, about staffing, and about where to grow next.
Smarter, more strategic moves
From feeling unsure about the monthly accounts to making confident, evidence-led decisions about the future of the business.
Financial clarity
A solid grasp of monthly management accounts and the confidence to act on them.
Real-time forecasting
Cashflow, profit and loss, balance sheet, sales and costs in one bespoke tool.
Confident growth
Decisions about investment, staffing and equipment backed by evidence, not gut feel alone.
Could your business benefit from a clearer grip on its numbers?
Digital Islands helps independent businesses build the financial clarity, marketing and systems they need for sustainable growth. Book a call if you are ready to talk, or join the waiting list for launch updates.