Business Coaching from Handspring Consulting

Every business goes through times of evolution and revolution.  The hardest part about the revolution stages is figuring out what to change. 

In his seminal work, The E-Myth*, Michael Gerber observes that growth requires you to play multiple roles at once – the entrepreneur, the manager and the technician.   But, it’s hard to be strong in all three areas at the same time without losing focus on the big picture or the attention to detail.

The technician is usually the one who gets you into business in the first place – you take the stuff you love and turn it into what you do.  But, the business also requires an entrepreneur…a visionary who will dream and scheme to create new things and a manager who will create order. 

In larger businesses, these roles are done by 3 separate people and there is a natural tension that exists between them that pushes the business forward.  But businesses that are small in size and young in age often do not have the luxury of 3 different people to fill these roles.  This means that you tend to gravitate to your favourite role, which can lead to stagnation,  or active inertia (lots of activity without change), which can lead to burnout.

What’s the solution to all of this?  Gerber says that if you are going to make your business your life, then make sure it’s the one you want.  Here is what you need to do:

  • Understand your goals and motivations:  what specifically do you want to achieve and what would it mean to achieve it? 
  • Define your organisational strategy:  what will this organisation look like when it grows?
  • Define your management strategy:  By what metrics will I measure the organisation?  (cash flow, sales pipeline, etc)
  • Define your people strategy:  How will I select and motivate them?
  • Define your market strategy:  Who are your customers and why will they choose to do business with you over the alternatives?
  • Define your systems strategy:  How will the work get done?  Don’t manage the business in your head.  Document how things get done so that others can step into roles as you grow.  Pretend it is a business that will be franchised, even if it isn’t.  That will make what you do repeatable and predictable.

Sound hard?  Well it is and it isn’t.  The hardest part is finding the time and head space to work on the business instead of in the business.  And if you want to reach your goals faster, try using some outside assistance

Handspring offers business coaching which helps you change the way you think about change in yourself and in your business.   Try a new idea, get some advice, discuss challenges, get clear on goals, set an action plan, and monitor your progress.

What to expect

Your initial thoughts and vision:

You answer some questions, we get to know each other and decide whether business coaching is right for you.  If so, we agree on some times and activities.

 Activities? 

If you are fairly clear on your goals, we can jump right in and start working on those.  If you are doing some exploration, I have some tools that might help – like assessing which work environments match you motives, values and preferences and understanding how your personality impacts your business.

 How long?  

You drive the schedule.  We meet weekly, fortnightly, or monthly.  Realistically, you can expect it to take at least 5 sessions before it feels like changes are starting to stick.  Many clients continue beyond that.  The business coaching provides a space to discuss new and bigger ideas, get some motivation, and an impartial view on your growth.

 How much? 

Sessions are $195 (GST inclusive) each and can be purchased in blocks of 5.  The initial session is free.

 When?

Coaching sessions are pre-scheduled and can be held on the phone or in person.

 About the coach

Janet Horton has a Masters degree in Organisational Coaching from Sydney University and 20 years of business experience.  Read more about her here. 

What client’s say…

“We engaged Janet at a critical time in our company’s evolution.  Woth Janet’s coordination, we revitalised our team and refocused our strategic vision.”  Pieter Verwey, MD, Event Chain Systems

*Gerber, M. E., (1995).  The E-Myth Revisited:  why most small business don’t work and what to do about it.  Harper Collins, New York, NY.