Business Coach

How do I help?

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Well firstly by listening to you. If you’ve got a business then you’ll have your list of problems and issues. There is no such thing as a problem-less business. So here is your chance to get it off your chest to someone who understands.

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Talking through what's working or not working for you is not just therapeutic, it gives you clarity. I then help you identify the root causes of the problems.

 

For example: you may find that your bank account never seems to have enough money in it. I can show you how to find out why. The causes are often subtle and not obvious. Its not necessarily a sign of the business struggling - a growing business will also suffer cash constraints. If you are suffering low cash flow, you really need to find out why, hoping for the best doesn't work that well.

 

Once we know the reasons, I will help you come up with a range of options to solve the problem. Chances are, I’ve experienced them along with most other growing businesses that have got to your size, and chances are I will have some ideas for you to consider you haven't thought of.

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But your business is your business, and you know it better than anyone, so I’m not just going to tell you what to do. I can tell you what I did when I faced similar issues; I see what is working and not working in may other businesses; I can also tell you the “text-book” answer to the problem. Together, collaboratively, we take all the ideas and turn them into a workable solution in your particular business.

 

To help with this, I have a suite of tools which put structure into the analysis and decision-making process and collaboratively we work out what the root causes are, and what to do about them – a strategy with short, medium and long term activities and goals.

 

The output is often the One Page Plan. If you can’t write down what needs to be done on a single page, you’re not going to read it let alone make it happen. This plan evolves over time as things change and goals are kicked.

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I also have a large range of templates for various business systems and documents. Together we can fit these to your business and I can show you how to use them to greatest effect.

 

Who Can I help?

 

I am best placed to help Small and Medium business as this is my background however if you are smaller (ie "non-employing") and feel you could use help, by all means call and we’ll chat further.

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I don't need to know how to do what your business does, that's your area of expertise. I help you build a profitable business out of that product or service.

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Often, SMEs (small to medium enterprises) are owned and run by the same person – the CEO or MD and this is the person I work with the most to get the business to where it wants to go faster. I also often work with partners and the senior management teams.

 

I have assisted GMs (general managers), state managers and CEOs of not-for-profits. The issues they face are just the same as they cross marketing, sales, administration, finance and delivery.

 

All businesses face almost exactly the same issues and invariably, the team requires assistance in leadership, management, administration, accounting, marketing, selling; but not in providing whatever it is the business does. The founders are usually expert in their industry – where they need advice is in making money out of a business in their industry while staying sane!

 

What are the benefits?

 

A Business Advisor to the chief executive and/or executive team (or what-ever you call the equivalent in your business) brings a number of benefits:

 

• Accountability. Everyone needs to be held to account – especially the boss. When you are the owner, there is often no-one to provide this role for you. This is where a board, or advisory board or business advisor can fill this role.

 

• Strategy facilitation. You don’t get anywhere without a strategy. Pulling together a cohesive strategy from the snow-storm of ideas, needs, threats and opportunities is an art in itself and a good facilitator has the tools to pull it all together.

 

• The Outsiders view. When you’re deeply immersed in your business there are often things you cannot see. You’d see them if you were the outsider looking in, but we all will suffer this blindness when we’re the ones in the trenches.

 

• The Mentor. It’s lonely at the top because there is so much you can’t share with your team – especially if one of them is the problem! The outsider who understands what you are going through will listen and understand – which I can tell you feels really good!

 

• Business acumen. It is well know that if you want to get to the next level, hire a senior exec who has been there. Most SME owners have plenty of smarts and skill in certain areas, but unless they have had many years’ experience, almost always they will have a dangerous skill gap in a key business area – even worse, they don’t know that they don’t know and usually that’s is what is holding their business back. A well-rounded veteran of business will have enough insight into all the skills required to make you aware of where your on-going development needs to focus.

 

The end result is very likely to be a happier you, your vision achieved faster with lower risk and ultimately the financial and life outcomes you’ve been working for.