Two owner-operators.
One genuine mission.
We started Hybrid Advisory because we both believe the same thing — that small business owners deserve the same quality of thinking and accountability that big businesses take for granted. Neither of us is boxed into one lane: between us we've run full businesses solo, wearing every hat, more than once.
Paul Archer
"I've sat where you're sitting. I know how lonely it can be at the top of a small business. That's exactly why I do this."
Twenty-five years inside real businesses — running hotels across New Zealand, Fiji and India, leading national operations for a facilities services business, managing remote workforce sites across Australia. He's held P&Ls from $30m to $350m, led teams of 1,500, and worked every function from sales and HR to procurement, property and finance.
He's also been an owner himself — built and sold a restaurant and a music store, both profitably. He knows what it feels like to carry a business alone, with no one to test a decision against.
Strategy & planning
A clear plan, the right priorities, someone to keep you on track.
Commercial growth
Grown portfolios from $100m to $200m+ — knows how to find growth levers.
People & leadership
Led teams of 1,500+. Certified executive coach and 7 Habits facilitator.
Operations
From the shop floor to the boardroom, across hospitality, health, mining and retail.
Negotiation & contracts
Leases, suppliers, large complex contracts — better outcomes, every time.
Governance
Associate Member, IoD NZ. Board-level discipline applied to your business.
Mark Taylor
"The best businesses I've seen — big or small — all have one thing in common. Someone in the room who asks the hard questions."
Twenty years owning and operating two Auckland retail stores — Mount Eden Cycles and St Heliers Cycles — built from the ground up and run across every part of the business: stock, staff, suppliers, margins, customers and cash flow. Both became genuine community fixtures, not just shops.
The clearest proof of how well they were built: Specialized Bicycle Components — one of the world's most recognised bicycle brands — acquired the operation. Alongside retail, Mark is a qualified CPA with CFO experience across large private and public sector organisations in NZ and Australia.
Retail operations
Opening the doors to closing the books — every corner of a retail operation.
Finance & cash flow
Reads financials like a map — what the numbers mean, and what to do about it.
Stock & margins
Buying right, pricing right, protecting margin — one of retail's biggest levers.
Suppliers & negotiation
Better terms, stronger relationships, fewer surprises.
Team building
Finding good people, keeping them, getting the best out of them.
Strategy
Just as comfortable planning the next 12 months as reconciling the books.
We didn't just meet to start this.
Paul and Mark co-founded Rides of a Lifetime, a cycling experience business, years before Hybrid Advisory — built on the same values: exceptional experience, genuine relationships, delivering on every promise. Together they've raised over $2 million for Cure Kids NZ through it.
The third seat at the table: your Business Hub.
Built around your business, not a template
Loaded with your goals, financials, strategy and history during onboarding, and updated after every board meeting. It doesn't replace Paul and Mark — it makes sure every conversation with them starts from exactly where you left off, any hour you need it.
Why we started Hybrid Advisory.
Small business owners carry an enormous weight, and most carry it largely alone — because the kind of thinking and accountability big businesses take for granted simply isn't available to them at a price that makes sense. We started Hybrid to close that gap. Not with theory, but with real experience, genuine care, and honest advice that actually moves the needle.
We genuinely care
This isn't a transaction. We invest in understanding your business and celebrate your wins as much as you do.
We tell you what you need to hear
Not what you want to hear. Honest, direct feedback, delivered with care.
Practical over theoretical
Every recommendation is grounded in real experience. We've been there.
We love watching people grow
The moment an owner goes from reactive to strategic — that's why we do this.
Ready to meet us
properly?
No pitch, no pressure — just an honest conversation about your business and whether we're the right fit. Start with a free Business Health Check.
Book your free Business Health Check