A four-time Ironman triathlete from Surrey is applying his drive for success in the business arena by bringing Business Doctors, the UK’s fastest growing support service for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), to Sussex/Surrey.

Chris Simpson, a triathlete who has competed at both the World and European Championships, will be applying his experience to turning around a wide range of businesses to provide support and strategic advice to owners and directors of SMEs in the southeast.

Business Doctors, which has 30 operations already established across the country, supports smaller businesses with advice to drive business growth, from strategies for sales and profitable growth to advice for effective people management, accessing finance and acquiring other businesses.

Prior to joining Business Doctors, Simpson ran businesses including The Search Works, Europe’s largest search marketing agency, which he helped to grow to have a £5m turnover, partly by expanding its overseas operations into 11 countries in just one year.

Simpson also worked as the commercial director of Manor Royal-based Air Miles (now Avios), which experienced tenfold growth from 150 to 1,500 employees during his time with the company.

He said of his new challenge: “I have always enjoyed change management and building strategies to help businesses reach their full potential. It’s something I have done in the past as an element of my day job, but I am excited by the idea of doing this every day and using my experience to help grow businesses in Sussex/Surrey.”

Rod Davies, founder of Business Doctors, said: “We are delighted to have extended our presence in the southeast with another high-calibre signing.

“Chris has been there and done it at the highest level in business and is typical of all our Business Doctors around the country. They are not consultants, but are proven business people who can advise from a position of experience.”

The Sussex/Surrey operation is the 31st Business Doctors base in the UK and the 11th in the southeast.

Business Doctors has been described as the antidote to Dragons’ Den. With its extended coverage nationally, its experts have plugged the gap left by the closure of Business Link by helping business leaders take control of their future and achieve their vision.