Optimal Automotive
What happens when passion meets precision – but growth stalls? Business Owner Alan Coles pivoted his business and found his niche through support from the Group2Grow Programme, allowing him to take a step back, refocus and reshape Optimal Automotive into a specialist brand with a clear direction and renewed purpose.
Founded in late 2022 by Alan Coles, Optimal Automotive blends over 15 years of engineering software expertise with a lifelong passion for cars. Seeing a natural opportunity to bring together his technical know-how and love of motoring, Alan created a business which is rooted in precision, performance, and customer satisfaction.
Based in North Essex and proudly serving the wider regions of Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and Norfolk, Optimal Automotive specialises in expert Engine Control Unit (ECU) remapping and custom dyno tuning. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of vehicle dynamics, Alan delivers tailored ECU calibrations that are meticulously crafted to suit each vehicle’s unique condition, the driver’s preferences, and any existing performance modifications.
As a one-man operation, Alan ensures every customer receives a consistent, high-quality service. His hands-on approach and strong commitment to satisfaction have quickly earned him a trusted reputation among car enthusiasts and everyday drivers alike.
For Alan, it’s not just about enhancing performance – it’s about delivering a service that reflects integrity, technical precision, and genuine motoring passion.
Facing the Challenges of Growth
Despite a strong technical foundation and clear passion for his craft, scaling the business presented challenges. Growth proved slower than expected, largely due to the saturated and highly price-driven nature of the remapping industry.
““There is a lot of demand from people wanting to improve the performance of their car, but the market is quite crowded. A lot of people offer similar services, and finding what made me unique was really important. It’s very price-driven and almost commoditised, so I had to find ways to stand out.””
Remaining committed to quality, Alan resisted the temptation to pursue high-volume, transactional work. He tested various marketing strategies to attract new customers but found most to be ineffective and costly, often lacking a clear return on investment.
Discovering the Group2Grow Programme
After lacking a strategic growth plan and with repeated attempts to scale through digital marketing agencies which resulted in disappointing returns, Alan attended a Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) event in Colchester. There, he connected with one of our Business Managers, who introduced him to Backing Essex Business and the fully funded Group2Grow Peer Networking Programme.
Alan joined a cohort in January 2025, facilitated by business consultant Graham Broughton. The programme provided a much-needed strategic framework, helping him gain clarity on how to scale Optimal Automotive. He also benefited from supporting – and being supported by – other local business owners on the same journey.
The Group2Grow peer groups bring together cohorts of business professionals to learn, grow, and solve common problems using each other’s knowledge and experience, with the support, guidance, and mentoring of an expert Business Coach.
Over the 4 x 2 hr group sessions and 3 hours of individual 1:1 sessions with an expert business coach, through discussion and discovery, individuals are able to uncover the challenges facing their business and work together to find logical and practical solutions. Typical topics have included increasing sales, marketing, recruitment, leadership, and business resilience.
Under the guidance of Graham, both the group and individual sessions provided a crucial space for reflection. The weekly sessions forced Alan to take a step back from day-to-day operations and allowed him to work on the business, not just in it.
““I found that the most valuable part of it was the one-to-one with Graham specifically. It was a safe space to address the challenges. If you’ve got an idea or are stuck and don’t know where to turn, the benefit is getting the time with someone who can address these challenges and get you to formulate a clearer idea of what it is you’re trying to do and help you to move forward with it.””
From Generalist to Specialist
Initially, Alan explored repositioning Optimal Automotive as a premium, high-end service. However, through guided reflection and deep questioning, he recognised too many practical hurdles.
This process was far from wasted – it sparked a more viable and strategic direction: to become a brand-specific specialist. Rather than offering generalised remapping services, Alan is now rebranding to focus on a select group of car marques. His aim is to build deep expertise and deliver standout service in a niche market.
With support from Group2Grow, he’s now working towards stabilising cash flow and creating a more predictable rhythm in the business. His long-term goal is to develop a specialist brand known for excellence and trust – particularly in a sector that often overlooks quality in favour of price.
Applications for the next Group2Grow Peer Network Programme are open. For more information on other support that is available through Backing Essex Business, get in touch!
