Alex Polizzi: The Fixer
Alex Polizzi sets out to wage a one woman campaign to save Britain's family businesses.
Genre: Documentary
Country: United Kingdom
Type: tv
Season: 1
Episode: 1
Duration: 1h
Release:
Rating: 0.0
Season 1 - Alex Polizzi: The Fixer
2012-01-31
"Alex is called in to help a failing family bridalwear business in Kettering, Northamptonshire. Despite remortgaging her home to keep the business afloat, owner Anne Preece is watching the profits fall year on year, and to make matters worse her two daughters Rhiannon and Bethan, who also work in the shop, argue constantly. Even though most brides are willing to pay over their budget for the dress of their dreams, Courtyard seems unable to turn fittings into sales. Plus the shop itself is tired, dated and overstocked. Alex works with the family to try to pull the business back from the brink. But this isn't just business - it's personal too. Alex questions the whole family dynamic and forces them all to re-evaluate their positions in the company. After months of work, the shop relaunches by getting nine former customers to renew their wedding vows wearing Courtyard Bridal Boutique's new collection."
2012-02-07
"Alex has been asked to help a family bakery in dire straits in scenic Padstow, Cornwall. The Chough Bakery, owned and run by the Eade family, does well in the summer months when over five million people visit the county, but they virtually go out of business every winter. Every year they lurch along, but with growing competition in this upmarket foodie town their pasties, cakes and loaves look shabby and the lack of year round trade threatens their very existence. But beyond the business problems is a family in crisis. Mum Elaine rules the roost and decides on everything that happens. Her controlling ways mean that her children Greg and Luisa feel powerless to take the business on to the next level - and now the tension between brother and sister has boiled over. Luisa has spent all her adult life in the pasty kitchen to earn her directorship of the business, while brother Greg, also a director, has recently arrived and only visits the business once a week."
2012-02-14
"Alex Polizzi is called in to a family-run furniture store in Yeadon, just outside Leeds. Kettley's Furniture has been run by John Butler and his family for 33 years, but it just hasn't moved on in that time, stocking furniture which is more care home than dream home, and in recent years profits are down as customer numbers have dwindled. The business has been almost completely centred on serving the elderly and infirm, but the over 65s buy less furniture than the 25 to 45 year olds, as big ticket purchases like furniture are mostly driven by moving home or home improvement. Currently Kettley's looks like an outdated shop with old-fashioned stock, and is a total turn off to couples and young families, who outnumber the over 65s in the local area. Alex also needs to sort out the family struggles."
2012-02-21
"Alex Polizzi lends her considerable expert business skills to a failing family car repair garage in Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester. Mum and co-owner Jan Lord despairs of getting the business out of the increasing trouble it's in with too few customers and not enough work to fill the mechanics' days. Without improvement, she faces the nightmare scenario of losing her home and making her own children unemployed. Alex discovers that the family are their own worst enemies - their customer service skills are not up to scratch, the garage is a mess, and not only that Jan's youngest son and MOT supremo Adam spends more time messing around than actually working. And worse, Jan herself is hiding the true state of the company from her sons and daughter. Alex sends the family to Manchester City football club's lauded hospitality operation to learn good customer service, and younger son Adam to one of her family's five star hotels - the prestigious Lowry - to try to instil a work ethic in him."
2012-02-28
"Alex Polizzi is called in to a faltering fancy dress shop in Essex - Props and Frocks. Last year, owner Adele took out emergency bank loans to prevent the business going bust. When Alex arrives, she discovers one of the main reasons why - literally thousands and thousands of lines of stock, filling not only the shop but garages and outhouses too. Adele is a stockaholic. She's also a workaholic who can't leave the shop as she doesn't trust anyone else, and has a hugely emotional attachment to the costumes. She's smothering the business and needs to take a step back. The family meanwhile see the shop as an extension of their home. Adele's own mother Joy, who also works in the shop, cannot stand anyone touching any of the goods. Alex tackles the problems by getting son and daughter Rhys and Ellis to start taking some initiative in the business and she confronts Adele's addiction to ordering stock head on."
2012-03-06
"Alex Polizzi is called to an unusual family firm in dire need of help: Denver Mills, a working windmill in Norfolk. Just before Alex arrives, a tragedy has struck. Three of the sails have crashed off the windmill, leaving the Abel family absolutely bereft. A business already in trouble has just hit rock bottom. Alex finds a business that does not know what it is, with the site comprising of the windmill itself, a tea shop, gift shop, function room and rental cottages. She also finds a family that, although passionate about milling flour, are clueless about how to run a business. Relationships have also started to implode, with mother Lindsay not knowing anything about their finances and son-in-law Duncan angry that the family care more about milling than money. Alex has a huge challenge on her hands. She needs to get the family focussed, and fast. Identifying that the shop and the cafe are profitable ventures, she gets the family to concentrate on those areas."
Season 2 - Alex Polizzi: The Fixer
2013-02-12
"Alf Onnie's interiors shop, specialising in fabric and curtains, has been going in East London since it was set up in 1920. It's approaching its centenary but the recession and house market slump have hit curtain sales hard. Run by three brothers, both they and the shop are stuck in a time warp, almost as far back as the shop's beginning. And what's more they are paralysed by indecision about how to move the business forward. Alex tries to drag them into the 21st century with lessons in modern window dressing, a contemporary photo shoot and with a trip to the exclusive Brown's hotel in London, where they get the chance to meet her mum who runs it as part of their family owned hotel chain."
2013-02-19
"When mum Andy beat a life-threatening illness she saw it as the inspiration to follow her dream and set up a portrait studio with her three daughters, but a struggle to find customers and pay the rent has turned the dream into a nightmare, as they must deal with the realities of their lack of business knowledge and expertise. The business depends on mum's savings and if it folds she will be left with nothing and no money for her retirement. Alex attempts to turn them around by giving them the chance to work with a celebrity photographer who has worked with a huge range of A listers including Keira Knightley, Lindsay Lohan and Angelina Jolie. But when Alex tries to expand their client base by introducing them to commercial photography, the girls' failure to put any effort in leaves Alex frustrated and doubting that their mum is up to being their boss. A decision to move to new premises does not go to plan and could leave them with nowhere to run their business."
2013-02-26
"Dad David set up funeral directors Holmes and Sons five years ago and he has struggled to make any money from it. He is desperate to make it work so he can pass his business on to his two young sons, but neither of them are sure they even want to work there. What's more he has employed an office manager, Sheena, who is convinced they aren't doing anything wrong and refuses to change. Alex discovers that the funeral industry is an incredibly tricky world to run a business with all the ethical consideration you need to make. But David is taking it too far - letting his ethics and caring nature get in the way of charging for his services. Much less forgivable however, it's David's leadership that is leaving his sons uncommitted and lethargic. It proves incredibly difficult to navigate a path through the minefield of what is essentially making money out of people's loss."
2013-03-05
"Alex takes on Martinis, a struggling salon in Essex set to close in six months if things do not improve. She is forced to tackle a family at loggerheads, and even draws on the expertise of Britain's most famous entrepreneur, Richard Branson, to help steer things in the right direction. Setting up this business had always been Asti's dream and she has invested her life savings in it. Now she stands to lose everything. She runs it with her mother and younger sister Dee Dee but the sisters' constant division is crippling the business. What's worse, Alex quickly discovers that the place itself is a mess and when she sends in leading industry experts undercover she also learns the service is nowhere near up to scratch. She sends them for training with leading talent including Daniel Galvin, Vidal Sasson and even Virgin Atlantic where they get advice from Richard Branson. But Dee Dee proves unreliable at a key event, almost derailing it completely."
2013-03-12
"Pisces fish and chip shop was set up in the 1940s by the parents of the current owner Kipper. But lunchtime trade has fallen off a cliff, and Kipper and wife Julia can't agree on how to move the business forward. Their constant arguments have put a real strain on their relationship. They've drafted in daughter Juki to take over as manager, but neither of them are supporting her and the business is in a total mess. Can Alex get the parents to sort out the infighting and bring the daughter up to speed? Visits to the youngest Michelin-starred chefs in the country, learning the lessons of trendy pop-up restaurants from the Wahaca restaurant chain, and learning the importance of consistency from Pizza Express aim to help them transform their product and the way they do business."
2013-03-19
"The show sees third generation hotelier of the internationally-renowned, Forte family dynasty and successful businesswomen, Alex Polizzi, turn her attention to family firms that have reached breaking point. She tackles both their financial failures and domestic dramas and tries to guide them back on to the path to success. Established 30 years ago, Oak garden centre withered under the battering of last year's freezing winter and the poor financial management of dad David. It was forced into liquidation, leaving David and his wife Lynn distraught and in tears. Son, Ross, stepped into relaunch the business but with no money to play with he is only keeping it afloat by maxing out his credit card. What's more, David is finding it impossible to let his son take the reins and the father and son's relationship is on the verge of total breakdown. The business can't move forward until their resentments are laid to rest."
Season 3 - Alex Polizzi: The Fixer
2014-09-01
"Alex Polizzi finds fixes for the critical issues that kill so many companies. She looks into an exporting issue affecting a British microbrewery."
2014-08-08
"Alex Polizzi fixes the issues that kill so many companies. She meets a family of sausage producers whose survival relies on the supermarkets that sell their goods"