Why I Became A Business Coach
Filed under: Business Coaching, Business Development, Business Idea, Business Marketing, Business Planning, Client Spotlight, Sales & Marketing, Uncategorized, business advice
Josh and son Liam: Does it get any better than this?
As a business coach with ActionCOACH of CT, I work with dozens of different types of businesses to help their owners define and realize their goals. It’s challenging work, but I can’t think of anything more gratifying. These are tough economic times, as we all know. So it makes me feel great that I can help my clients achieve their goals, ultimately build stronger more profitable businesses, achieve higher profits and employ more people. It has also given me the opportunity to work with a fantastic group of more than 1200 coaches in the ActionCOACH community in 26 countries, especially and including ActionCOACH of CT owner Jim Malski and my colleagues Geri Sutton and Natalie Havens.
If you had told me five years ago that I would be a business coach today, I probably would have laughed at you, maybe for a second or two – and then I would have thought to myself, “Hey, that sounds like a great idea!” For over 25 years, I worked in Public Policy helping shape defense and foreign policy legislation, as well as a wide range of domestic policies. For 17 years, I ran a forward-looking Issues Management unit at Philip Morris/Altria Group, where I dealt with U.S. and international issues concerning food, beer and tobacco. I then started my own strategic planning and crisis management consulting business working with the Global 500. I suppose it was this global business background – to try to look around corners and see new opportunities, or mitigate problems – that lead me to becoming a business coach.
RESPECTING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
I had another motivation: Everything sold by Kraft Foods, Miller Brewing Company and Philip Morris USA and International reaches the consumer through small retailers in 170+ countries. In just the U.S. alone, I worked with thousands of retailers and their trade associations and other business groups. I learned first-hand just how hard it is to run your own business. The myriad of laws and regulations is mind-boggling. Competition is fierce. Training is almost always on the fly – you learn as you go. Yet tens of millions of people are working in this vast network of small businesses every day and ultimately, small businesses are the heart of the engine that fuels our nation’s $13 trillion economy. Not the government and not big corporations…
BUSINESS COACHING IS AN HONOR
I can think of no greater honor than to work with small business owners to make their lives easier, help them build long-term business plans, achieve marketing and sales breakthroughs and ultimately ensure that their businesses continue when they want to diversify or retire. I think 25 years of training in strategic planning, risk management and issues management prepared me to be a business coach. I am just happy that I was able to find an organization like ActionCOACH of CT that allowed me to make my dream a reality.
If you are a small business owner, let me help you make your dreams a reality as well.
Business Innovation – Thriving in Adversity
Filed under: Business Coaching, Business Development, Business Idea, Uncategorized, business advice
Successful Business Owners Look to Innovate
Many multi-billion dollar companies were founded in a recession such as Disney, Microsoft, GE, Trader Joes, Hewlett Packard and CNN just to name a few.
Recessions, however, aren’t advantageous only to start-ups. Some companies take advantage of the tough times. They take a step back and really try to figure out how to improve on products, services and processes to gain ground. They don’t wait for the economy to turn around, they take the bull by the horns and make the changes necessary to succeed.
To this end, some more recent examples of successes are that of Google, PayPal, Starbucks and Salesforce.com.
In Starbucks case – they are maximizing their sales by selling Seattle’s Best, a competitor company they acquired 7 years ago, in fast-food outlets, supermarkets and coffee houses. They have expanded their brand into other outlets.
What can you do to expand your brand?
Other companies try to reach out to their employees for innovative ideas. This keeps the employees engaged, involved and creative even when morale is low. Some business owners reach out to others outside of the company such as business coaches. Business coaches can provide an unbiased opinion as well as become a source of proven strategies and systems that can lead to increased sales.
What are you doing to increase your sales?
Successful leaders and owners of companies know that its all about innovation and learning. So attending seminars, conferences and keeping up to date on what their competitors are doing makes a huge difference.
Remember that your competition has most likely weakened when times are tough. Now it’s your time to market excessively, innovate and potentially acquire and expand.
What are you doing to market your business?
Smart business owners and companies will continue to apply the lessons they learned in the tough times even when the economy picks up. They continue to make cost-effective and time-saving processes a priority at all times and they never loose sight of innovation.
Are you looking at ways you can improve your business?
To make a difference in your business you have to change the way you do things. It begins by attending one of our profit building seminars.
To get started today click the link above. We look forward to helping you grow your business and making the kind of money you always thought possible
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