I was recently working with one of my clients, and having reached a stage where we had got the key controls and base in place, we were starting to look at how we would grow the business.

Now this is a pretty secure business, which has been bringing in a lot of new business through word of mouth, and there is also a lot of repeat business from long established customers so there were a number of things to consider.

First, if he grows the business significantly or too quickly can he deal with it and ensure he continues to provide a high quality service, and high standards of work. He has recently taken on a new team member, so for the time being he is confident that he still has spare capacity so that is OK (but he will need to watch this, and we have already put plans in motion for taking on a new employee next year).

Secondly, who are his target markets? This is a vital consideration to take into account, because if he is not clear on who he wishes to get increased business from, he runs the risk of getting his “How” wrong. In other words if he uses the wrong marketing strategies, he will miss his intended market. So analysis of his ideal customers is essential so he makes the right decisions as to what marketing he will do initially.

Thirdly he needs to know his numbers. How many leads is he already getting, what are his conversion rates for the different leads he gets, and what is his average sale to each type of customer? This will not only help him to ensure he is targeting the right markets, but it will also help him to set increased numbers in each of these areas, thereby securing the growth he requires.

This week I want to let people know about a workshop we are presenting on 5th October. We are holding this at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, from 7.15am to 9.00am, so as with most networking meetings it will be done and dusted before the day has started.

There will be 3 x 20 minute presentations, on how to grow, manage and protect your business. I will be speaking about the coaching process which I take business owners through. Explaining how to set goals, so you know where you are taking the business to and why, how to get a business structure in place to support your goals, and how to get control over time, team and money, so the business can work without the owner.

This will be followed by Steven Burton (Accountants) who will be explaining how clients can manage their financial and tax responsibilities. He will also explain how “real time” accounting is becoming more the norm, especially as it is only a matter of time before we will all have to do tax returns on a quarterly basis.

Finally Lee Parker of Coversure, will be going through how to protect your hard earned money, by keeping your business insured, in which, you may be surprised, there are many aspects to consider.

This is our 2nd workshop, and we already have attendees who have benefited hugely from the knowledge they gained.

We can therefore highly recommend coming along to this meeting, where we guarantee you will learn at least one gem of information.

Surely that’s worth getting up a little earlier for, and perhaps making the difference to your business and your life.

I have recently had a number of my newer clients get in touch with me to ask what I think about an action they are considering taking. On each occasion this has happened I have found myself thinking “they know the answer to this”, and are simply asking for re-assurance. Sure enough by the time I have asked a few questions surrounding the query, invariably the answer is staring them in the face, and the right decision is made.

Now I don’t mind my clients asking me questions or my opinion on things (in fact I actively encourage it) but the secret is never to just give them the answer, but to ask them questions, so that they are led to their own logical conclusions, which was invariably what they were thinking in the first place.

There are two key benefits of this. First it makes them think for themselves, and learn to ask themselves the questions so that they feel more and more confident in their ability to lead. Secondly they learn how to use this same technique with their own teams, so that their staff become gradually more empowered, and learn how to take responsibility for their own decisions.

Of course we don’t all know the right answer to everything (my clients or me) and part of my role as a coach is to act as a sounding board, so between us we examine the options and hopefully take things in the right direction. Ultimately, however, it is all about helping people to grow in their abilities, and in their self-confidence, so they are able to make the right decisions on their own more often than not.