Frequently Asked Questions
Listed below are the most commonly asked questions about our services. Should you have any further questions then please click the button to ask your questions. .
What is your experience as a business coach
I have been helping business owners grow their business interests for over a decade and for the past three years as a consultant along with running my own business interests. Prior to that I was successfully running a number of short courses aimed at helping business owners to become more efficient and profitable.
More recently I have been asked to write a book targeted at business owners who have been in business for a number of years and have hit that glass ceiling and want to break through it. I will let you know when it's due to be published.
If you are looking for something more, I have qualifications and certifications from organisations such as The Entrepreneurs Circle, Google and Hubspot.
What are your areas of expertise
To list all of my expertise would be a book in its own right, but to summarise, I first trained as a professional engineer in the days of the cold war. This gave me my first overview of how a big company was run and the processes that were in place to make sure that everything worked and returned a profit. I was soon able to put this to the test when I started my own business. Boy what a journey that was. What a steep learning curve!
Over the next three decades I developed a number of small businesses from concept through to profit and in some cases through to sale.
Problem solving seemed to be my most daily task at this point which is something I still thrive at today and enjoy sharing my experiences.
Right from the outset of my journey, I had to develop a range of new skills, built teams to work with me and perhaps the most important was to develop systems to allow easy processing of orders, marketing for lead development, computer systems for automated processing and the big challenge, time management. All of these skills I’m able to share with my clients and help them to implement solutions that fit them.
How do you typically approach consulting projects
Each client is different and as such has unique objectives. As part of our onboarding process we focus on listening to what the client wants to achieve and what challenges they are facing to achieve their goals.
We will also look at where you currently are and what systems and processes you currently have in place. Only when this is fully understood can we start to identify a possible journey with a set of realistic targets set out over time to move you towards your goals. Once these goals have been set we then work with you to achieve these goals.
What is your process for analysing a business's strengths and weaknesses
Everything we do has you, our client at its centre. As part of our onboarding process we start with asking what you see as your strengths and weaknesses and use that as a starting point of our analysis and build upon it. As time progresses and we get to understand you and your business in greater detail we will be able to make further recommendations based upon our observations and the successes we have helped you to implemnt so far. In some cases we have found that business owners can not see some of the blockers that are holding them back. The reason for this is, the business owner is simply involved in every process within the business. Often referred to as not seeing the wood from the trees or as we like to call it, stuck in the weeds!
How do you identify and prioritise areas for improvement
We see this as a circular process as the key to identifying any area for improvement is to listen to the client’s needs. In short they understand their business far better than we do, or at least initially. Once some objectives have been set we can create some plans and goals that align with those objectives.
Along this journey we will be able to identify some pain points and challenges. Through discussion and implementation we would look to overcome these issues by working with you to implement solutions.
Right from the outset, all of this will be constantly monitored to ensure that our recommendations are offering real solutions and then discussing any further developments that may need to be implemented.
What are some common challenges you see businesses facing
From experiance, most business owners are experts in their own fields. When they start out in business they are full of energy, enthusiasm and become very busy initially with a steady stream of business coming to their door. But as the business grows and the demands on the business owner grow, it is harder to keep a steady flow of leads coming into the business while running the business along with managing the admin requirements. We refer to this situation as stuck in the weeds, (the business owner is working in the business rather than working on the business). In short, we guide you to separate the wood from the trees and help you to find solutions to overcome this situation. This would typically include strategies for some short wins along with planning to achieve the long term goals.
How do you work with clients to develop and implement solutions
Once a solution has been identified as a possible solution, we would start by explaining why we believe that solution can offer a good fit and discuss why. The next step would be to implement that solution. Generally that would mean one of three situations, implementing a new piece of software, modifying a process, or introducing a new process. Whatever approach is needed we will walk you through the whole process and hold your hand at every step of the way. If training is required we can help you to deliver this too. In short, whatever is needed, we will help and support you!
What is your track record for achieving results for clients
We have achieved 100% success with all of our clients’ irispective whether they are a start up organisation or a growing concern. The reason for this success is, we work with you to identify issues, find solutions and then help you to implement them. We do not just tell what to do! This can be demonstrated by the reviews we have on Google, LinkedIn and our own website. Links to all are available here.
How do you measure success for a consulting project
Every client we work with is unique in their own way and as such will have their own individualised goals. But all businesses will also have some similarities. As part of our onboarding process we assess exactly what each client wants to achieve and the importance of these objectives. Once these objectives are defined we can help you move towards achieving those goals. We analyse the success of our consultancy by reviewing these objectives with our clients at various milestones along their journey with us. Sometimes we even find that the objectives change and develop over time as the business becomes more successful.
What is your approach to managing project timelines and budgets
In the early stages of working with a new client we would typically take a look at what we call the key numbers of that business. This would normally be a single sheet of paper that contains simple data that gives a summary and indication of how the business is performing that day,week or month. The idea here is to have the vital information which we often refer to as KPI (key performance indicators). If you do not currently have this kind of information we will help you to create one. We refer to this process as knowing your numbers.
How do you handle conflicts or disagreements with clients
To reduce the risk of a conflict developing with a client we use a selection process to ensure that we can help the client and to ensure we can quickly develop a working relationship. This is achieved by, firstly ensuring we understand the problem(s) the client is facing and that we have knowledge of solutions to solve that problem. Secondly and perhaps more importantly we need to ensure that we have a good level of communication and are able to develop an excellent working relationship with the view to solving problems. For this reason we do not accept everyone who approaches us and for help. All of this is covered in a Discovery Call, book a call to see if we can help you.
What is your policy on confidentiality and protecting client information
As part of the onboarding process, we both will sign a NDA (non-disclosure agreement) prior to the first meeting taking place. As this is a legally binding document it will ensure that all our conversations, data you share and any trade secrets remain a secret. This agreement will remain in place for the duration of our working relationship. At the end of our working relationship any sensitive material will either be returned or destroyed at the end of our professional time.
How do you ensure that your recommendations are sustainable for the long-term
The requirements of every client/organisation will change as they grow and progress along their own journey. While every recommendation we make will be based upon our proven track record or what we have seen successfully used by other clients and organisations that we have worked with.
During our working relationship, we constantly review all the processes and systems that are in place to ensure that they are still fit for purpose and appropriate for their business. This would include recommendations that we have made as well as the processes and systems that were already in place.
Can you provide references from previous clients
We can provide you with both written and video recommendations from our past and current clients. A number of these recommendations can be seen on our website in the recommendations section. You can also find reviews and recommendations on LinkedIn and Google. If you would like to speak to someone personally then please get in contact.
What is your fee structure and how do you bill for your services
While we offer a number of different consultancy services and done for you services. There are two payment methods we work with, direct debit each month for an ongoing service or a payment up front for short contracts and workshops. See our fees page for more information on our charges.
Do you offer a guarantee
In the first instance, if you are considering using our services and want to know we are a good fit, I suggest you book a discovery call and we will simply tell you if we believe we can help you.
From experience it takes around three months to see a real difference in your business. However, should you for any reason decide that the services we are offering you are not making a difference you can cancel the service by sending an email to us giving us 30 days notice with Cancelation as the subject. Once received, we will send you an acknowledgement and cancel the direct debit for your next payment and cancel our contract of engagement.
Further questions
Should you have any further questions that are not answered here, please get in touch via our contact us page or book a free half an hour call with me to directly answer your questions.
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