Business coaching is firmly established in South Africa yet company owners here are slow to employ the services of professional business coaches.
In Australia almost 50% of business owners subscribe to a business coach. In America the figure is similar.
The coaching process is structured to provide business owners with short-term assistance and long-term training through a mentoring approach. Based on sales, marketing, and business management systems, a coach will show you how to increase your business revenues and profits, often quite dramatically, and also how to develop your business so that you, as the owner, can work less, relax more, and finally enjoy business ownership.
Good business coaches have broad and deep business experience, and are fellow business owners who have invested their time, money, and energy to make their own various business ventures successful. Patrick Greenaway is such person. He is a qualified master coach who owns the ActionCOACH KZN franchise, based in Hilton.
Every great performer ' athlete, artist, or otherwise ' has a coach or advisor; or both! he says.
The ever-increasing pace of business makes it difficult for the business owner to keep up with changes in industries, as well as new ideas in sales, marketing and management strategies. Patrick has seen positive changes in most of his clients' businesses.
Our goal in business is quite simple ... to help company owners reach their goals, he adds.
Derryn Fourie, of Midmar Crushers attends coaching session every week and is a firm fan of business coaching. I have seen a steady growth in my business over the past three years, he says, I would never have reached the targets accomplished on my own.
Clive and Linda Foss of Riverside Trading (Nottingham Road Hotel and Gowrie Country Club) have similar comments. They attend sessions on alternate weeks and their respective businesses have developed beyond expectations. Our initial skepticism has turned to complete faith in business coaching, says Clive.
And, I wouldn't be here where I stand today had I not employed the wisdom of a coach. I hold out my hand in gratitude, adds Cliffie Egberink of Heathcliff Farming. Mark Heinrich of Jaxx Restaurant is a relative newcomer to business coaching. I didn't think I needed a coach because my established restaurants were doing well. When Jaxx opened in The Quarry Centre I noticed we were next door to ActionCOACH. I conducted research, gave it a try and, with the help of coaching we have put tried-and-tested systems in place and we have moved forward more rapidly than ever anticipated says Mark, who exceeded his December target by 38%. More importantly, we have seen a healthy profit growth and the attitude of our staff tells the story.
Trevor Rawlins of CFCA, although far removed from the hospitality, farming and engineering industries, has enjoyed similar success in his business. It's a fact, business coaching works, he adds. CFCA has seen a growth of 30% in his annual profit.
These are a few of many Midlands business owners who have put in the extra time and effort and have reaped the rewards of their endeavours. It's about commitment and accepting that a business coach has become a necessity for the company owner looking for success, says Patrick whose coaching practice offers one-to-one coaching. It also offers GrowthCLUB, a full-day, quarterly, intensive and exclusive 90-day business-planning workshop with coaching and educational content. The aim is to establish an effective and executable strategy. As with quarterly planning in large organisations, small-business owners are given the opportunity to participate in a business-building day with like-minded owners. And ActionCLUB - a group coaching process with a strong business re-education element ' which helps build strong foundations. A group of business owners is coached over an 11-month programme that has been structured to help them learn, implement, sustain and grow their businesses, revenues and profits. Delegates meet once a month. Between-sessions webinars ensure an understanding of the previous session's content and successful implementation.
By helping business development in KwaZulu-Natal our goal is to help alleviate the unemployment problem in our province, says Patrick in conclusion.