LEAD FACILITATOR — THE START-UP STUDIO
Clare Harford
ICF-accredited Business Coach | CIM Diploma in Professional & Digital Marketing
I lead The Start-Up Studio — a free business support programme funded by Staffordshire County Council for people starting a business in Lichfield and the surrounding area. I've spent 20+ years working with business owners across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, and Derbyshire, beginning in event organisation before moving into business consultancy, coaching, and facilitation full-time.
From 2021, I formalised my ICF-accredited coaching methodology, extending and deepening a practice I'd been building since 2009.
When I'm not working with business owners, you'll find me walking, travelling and enjoying the great outdoors with my three labradors, Bella, Storm and Truffle, and cocker spaniel Freyja!
20+
years in consultancy
1,000+
coaching & mentoring hours
450+
founders supported
How I work
Empathy
I understand how isolating it can feel to carry the weight of a business. I create a space where what's actually going on can be said out loud - without judgment, and without it being softened into something more comfortable.
Challenge
I'm direct when directness is what moves things forward. I won't soften feedback to the point where it loses its usefulness - and I'll push back on a decision that looks wrong from the outside, even when it's uncomfortable.
Commercial clarity
My credibility is built in the room, not just on paper. I understand money, numbers, and the decisions that affect them. My instinct is always toward what will actually work in your business - not what sounds good in a session.
What makes me effective...
The most valuable moments in coaching and facilitation are rarely about answers. They're about the right question at the right time. I always...
...listen for what isn't being said
As much as what is - and bring it into the room when the moment is right.
...challenge the assumptions that feel like facts
The ones that have never been tested - because that's usually where the real constraint lives.
...ask about the numbers
When nobody else will - because clarity on commercial reality is where most progress actually starts.
...hold people to what they said
With warmth, not judgment - because follow-through is where real progress happens.
...know when to hold silence
And never fill every pause with content. Thinking needs space. I give it.
What I believe
Support
I understand how isolating it can feel to carry the weight of a business. I create a space where what's actually going on can be said out loud — without judgment, and without it being softened into something more comfortable.
Inspire
Knowing your priorities, your numbers, and your next right move — and having the space and structure to act on them without the noise pulling you off course.
Succeed
The kind that comes from showing up consistently, following through on what you said you'd do, and having someone in your corner who holds you to it.
From the people Clare has worked with
Business Club members, coaching clients, and workshop participants - in their own words.
"No fluff, just real accountability. It's transformed how I run my business."
Lajina Leal
Lajina Masala
"It's helped me clear my head, focus, and grow - not just in business but as a leader."
Phil Leigh
Leigh Accountancy
"The supportive push I didn't know I needed."
Cathy Francis
Stratford Family Mediation
"The group gave me the confidence to grow my business and balance it all."
Oleander Mudvidzwa
Opal Cleaning Services
"No fluff, just real accountability. It's transformed how I run my business."
Lajina Leal
Lajina Masala
"It's helped me clear my head, focus, and grow - not just in business but as a leader."
Phil Leigh
Leigh Accountancy
"The supportive push I didn't know I needed."
Cathy Francis
Stratford Family Mediation
"The group gave me the confidence to grow my business and balance it all."
Oleander Mudvidzwa
Opal Cleaning Services
"No fluff, just real accountability. It's transformed how I run my business."
Lajina Leal
Lajina Masala
"It's helped me clear my head, focus, and grow - not just in business but as a leader."
Phil Leigh
Leigh Accountancy
"The supportive push I didn't know I needed."
Cathy Francis
Stratford Family Mediation
"The group gave me the confidence to grow my business and balance it all."
Oleander Mudvidzwa
Opal Cleaning Services
Questions about the programme?
The Start-Up Studio is a free programme — there are no obligations and no pitch. If something on this page has resonated, or you simply want to check whether the programme is right for you, get in touch.
Clare typically responds within one working day.
— Clare Harford, Lead Facilitator
Get in touch
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