Can you explain briefly what you do?
I am a business coach and work with small to medium businesses. The analogy of the sports coach works really well. Basically, we perform the same role that a sports coach would in a sporting situation. We make sure that the business owner has the right team on the field, that they have the right strategy, that they have a game plan to win the tournament. We ensure that the business owner is fit both on the field and off the field and then very importantly we make sure that they deliver. At the end of the day - who holds the business owner accountable?

What would you typically strive to achieve with your clients?
The odds of making it in business are very tough. I really try to take businesses from where they are to wherever it is that the business owner wants their business to be. This could entail making more money, it could entail building a better team...

We want to take the business from something that is often very dependent on the business owner with an inconsistent cash flow, to a point where the business can sustain itself without the constant input of the business owner. As a business owner you should be driving your business to where you want it to go rather than being the hardest working employee.

As less than 10% of business owners are getting a market related salary, the first goal of coaching is to get the owner to earn a market related salary. The second goal is to get the business budgeted to make a profit.

How has Covid affected the business environment?
We have been battling a recession for quite a long time, but with the lockdown throughout the world, business has got a whole lot harder. Covid has affected us all and business coaches have an important role to play to counter the negative effects.

You have two options you can roll over and die, throw up your hands and join the masses and say that this is impossible. Or, you say this is where we are, this is where the economy is, and this is where my business is at.

How can a coach help a business owner be positive?
Having a coach is vital - there is so much noise and so much negativity and so much fear. We have spent a lot of time with businesspeople over the first four months of lockdown helping them deal with their fears and developing an understanding of the challenges that they are facing. Through this process we assist them to keep a mindset that will ensure their success.

It's important to note that in line with the sports analogy, the rules of business stay the same, but the game plan changes - the business owner still has to be fit to travel these troubled waters. Each business owner needs to be asking: What should I be doing, A to survive this pandemic, and B to come out of this as strong as possible?

How can business owners acquire some initial coaching from you?
In order to address some of these questions I will be hosting a seminar on an interactive Zoom session at 10.30am on the 4 September 2020.
On registration attendees will be sent a questionnaire so that I can better understand who is on the call and so that I can talk to their pain points and make the session as relevant as possible.

What are the benefits of a Zoom session?
The benefit of joining a Zoom call is in the opportunity to take a step back and have a look at where you and your business are at in relation to where you would like the business to be.

During the zoom session, we invite people to participate via the chat function. The more people share their challenges and ask questions, the more everyone learns from the session. Invariably, if you have a problem someone else will be experiencing something similar. The main focus is to look at what business owners can implement in their businesses right now to move their businesses forward and to survive these tough times.

Who should typically join the session?
The main requirement to join the seminar is to be open minded and to ask: What can I learn? What can I take out? Sometimes it is just that BFO moment - the blinding flashing of the obvious - because you have given yourself the time to invest in yourself and your business. It's a good time to be positive in these challenging times. 

For more information contact: Shirley Pearson Business and Executive Coach ActionCOACH iNala Umhlanga Rocks T: +27 (0)31 942 4255 M: +27 (0)82 783 6905 E: shirleypearson@actioncoach.com W: www.shirleypearson.actioncoach.com