Coaching and Implementation

Closing the gap between intention and action

Is coaching right for you?

This suits owners who:

Know what needs to be done but can't find the time or headspace to make it happen
Feel like urgent work is constantly crowding out important work
Want someone to think things through with, not just tell them what to do
Have a plan or clear priorities but are struggling to move them forward
Are carrying too much themselves and want to change that

The gap between intention and action

Most owners know what needs to happen, and most genuinely intend to make it happen.

But when the week starts, urgent work pushes out important work, a staff issue, a client needing attention, and the improvement work gets deferred to next week, then the week after. Three months later the business hasn't moved forward an inch.

The gap between intention and action is where improvement plans go to die. Coaching exists to close that gap.

"We have grown so much in the last two years. Before we met you we were lost. We had no direction." Ben F, Business owner, sales doubled from $750K

What coaching involves

Coaching is two things in practice.

Momentum. A regular session creates a rhythm that keeps improvement work moving. One client with a +$10m business put it plainly: "I think the real reason I do this is that I will not get anything done unless I know I am going to see you." That accountability matters, but what happens in the session matters just as much; working through sticking points or bottlenecks, applying experience from similar situations, and making sure the right priorities stay visible.

Practical problem-solving. Implementation rarely goes exactly to plan. A process doesn't work the way you expected. Delegation isn't working. A staff issue gets in the way. A decision needs to be made. We work through those problems as they arise and agree on what happens next

How it works

Sessions are one-on-one, either face-to-face or online. Each session follows a simple structure:

What happened since we last met?
What's getting in the way?
What needs to happen next?

Between sessions, you work on the priorities we've agreed.

The minimum engagement is three months. After that, you continue month to month for as long as it's useful.

"Colin's approach is collaborative. He is a good listener and he took my concerns and input into consideration during discussions." Carol B, Business owner

Where coaching fits

Coaching often follows a Financial Review, Business Plan or Efficiency Improvement project, and picks up the priorities that came out of it.

It also works well on its own, for owners who already have a reasonable sense of direction and want the rhythm, accountability and outside perspective to follow through.

"Colin takes his time to get to know your business and he is a great listener so the information and support he provides is relevant and specific, not only to your industry but also to your individual business goals." CJ, Business owner

What it costs

Coaching starts at $600/month incl. GST, with fees depending on how often we meet and how you want to work tigether. The minimum engagement is three months, then it continues month to month for as long as it's useful.

Common questions

I'm already flat out. Will coaching just become one more thing on my plate?

Most owners I work with already feel overloaded. The business is busy, decisions keep piling up, and there's very little headspace left. The goal isn't to create more work for you. It's to keep you focused on the few things that matter most and stop the important work being continually pushed aside.

What's the difference between business coaching and consulting?

A Financial Review, Business Planning or Efficiency Improvement project tackles a particular issue or set of issues. Coaching is about keeping the priorities moving over time. It provides the regular rhythm, accountability and problem-solving that helps turn good intentions into real change.

Do you understand businesses like mine?

Most of the businesses I work with are owner-led, and the underlying challenges are often surprisingly similar regardless of industry: unclear profit, rising workload, staff issues, lack of structure. How those problems get solved differs from business to business. I'm not a technical expert in what you do. What I bring is an outside perspective, commercial and operational experience, and the ability to apply what's worked in other businesses to yours.

Get in touch

I'm a Certified Management Consultant and Fellow of CPA Australia, and I've worked with nearly 400 owner-led businesses since 2009. Find out more about how I work.

Ready to to get the important work moving?? Book a conversation