Small Fish is a member of the Results in Business Institute (RIBI) – a network of independent business coaches and consultants in Australia and New Zealand. RIBI supports coaches like me and provides the business systems and manuals that I use to structure and guide my coaching programs.

There’s a point to this, trust me. RIBI recently conducted a survey of more than 300 businesses across Australia and NZ and I thought I would share the results with you. Some of you contributed at a request from me – thank you.

The survey highlighted how tough some small business owners are doing it and how many of us are paying a high price for our independence.

More than 60% were paying a staff member more than they were paying themselves and more than 60% felt their salary did not justify the time and effort they put into running their business. This was despite more than half being tertiary qualified and more than half having spent money on self improvement or business training.

The three top issues for business owners were:

Finding, motivating and retaining staff
Cash flow
Marketing / finding clients

Ross Hancock, the CEO of RIBI was quoted in the press as being shocked but not surprised at the results of the survey – “many business owners are not really reaping the fruits of their labours when they have to factor in the high costs of just being in business”

If this sounds like you – you are not alone! That’s not much consolation, I know but it perhaps tells you that you are not necessarily completely incapable – it really is difficult.

Now some of you may have spotted this coming but……………….a business coach will work with you to find a way to change this (that’s me!)

OK, sales pitch coming, block your ears if you don’t like them.

Small Fish Business Coaching uses the proven and excellent business management systems from RIBI to coach small business owners to improve their business’s performance. We focus on drivers of profit – that’s Turnover (sales and marketing), Productivity (your effectiveness, your management and the process and systems in your business) and Costs (cost of goods and overheads).

We’ll work with you to make change within your business and we’ll focus our attention on those areas.

Coaching only works if you want to be coached and if you want a process and a person to hold you accountable for making the changes in your business, so only call me if that applies to you (see, I’m focusing!)

I will give you a free 1-hour coaching session if you call me on 02 9940 0346 or reply to this email – I try very hard to add value in these sessions and you are not obliged to take me on as your coach.

Email me on jon.dale@sfbc.com.au