Coaching Summaries

Business Mentoring & Coaching

BrewPro Financial Coaching Engagement Summary

Identifying New Sales Opportunities & Increasing Sales

BrewPro

BrewPro is a distributor and wholesaler of pavement maintenance products and equipment, with sales of approximately $2 million. When Paul Gillman and Dave Brewer began working together, BrewPro focused primarily selling on asphalt preservation products. (Pavement is usually made of asphalt or concrete).

Issue

While preparing the annual business plan, they recognized that the company sales had hit a ceiling at about $1.2Ml with low sales in the winter off-season.

Outcome

Their conclusion was for the company to increase its emphasis on “concrete pavement preservation”, in addition to asphalt. Following this decision, Dave interviewed and hired a sales professional to grow and take ownership for this segment of the business. While the first year sales are not yet complete, at this time there are already higher winter off-season sales in this segment, compared to last year.

BathsPlus Financial Coaching Engagement Summary

Employee Development & “Job Profitability”

BathsPlus

BathsPlus is a bathroom and kitchen remodeler and contractor, with $750,000 in sales and 6 employees.

Issue

In one session Paul Gillman worked with President, John Ashton to address John’s concerns about “job profitability” when comparing large and small-sized contracts.

Steps

Paul and John quickly analyzed from custom job report that Paul had previously prepared. They identified that the key elements of success for each job were a thorough and accurate proposal development process and his Crew Leader, who was the employee with longest tenure.

Outcome

John recognized that he needed to have an annual performance review with a focus on key employee development. As such, the next coaching sessions would focus on annual performance reviews.

Red Owl Visual Arts Academy

Business Plan Development

Red Owl Visual Arts Academy

This business is a visual arts education center primarily for pre-school through junior high students. Currently in the start-up phase, Red Owl has the potential to earn revenue in year one of $350,000 – $400,000.

Issue

Bree Ann Murdock, the center’s Director and Owner needed a comprehensive Business Plan ASAP to approach investors and alliance partners for funding and support. This was Bree Ann’s first time working with business plans as an entrepreneur. As such she was unfamiliar with the information, analysis and research needed to complete a successful business plan,

Steps

Bree Ann and Paul began working together as a team at the first session. The full 19 page business plan was completed in two weeks based on extensive Q & A sessions and Paul’s plan outline and work-paper templates, with most documents created from scratch.

Outcome

Bree Ann can now use the Red Owl Business Plan to solicit investors and partners for funding and support. This plan is also detailed enough to function as the operating document for start-up and first year and includes challenges, opportunities, questions, goals, visual arts course offerings, budgets, cash requirements and much more.

Individual Mentoring/Coaching Stories

Mike Glen, Steven Schaefer Associates (SSA)

Business Plan, Sales & Marketing, Financial Mentoring

Mike was 30+ year-old Engineer, PE, hired in part to develop a Construction Services segment for SSA. While Mike had some experience, he was unfamiliar with business budgets and finances and had no experience with developing and implementing marketing and sales plans.

Paul’s coaching helped Mike prepare a full Business Plan for this segment, developing lead flow, prospecting, record keeping strategies, and accounting. Their work together, in the midst of the great recession meant that this Construction Services segment successfully got off the ground with ramped-up sales.

Peter Perkowski, School Director, Brown Mackie College, Canton Campus

Financial Mentoring & Organizational Skills

When Brown Mackie acquired a new college and added it to their group of two-year career colleges, Peter was named the Director of the campus. Previously he had been Director of Admissions. At that time, Peter did not have the financial training or the organizational management skills necessary to succeed in his new position of Director at a complete career college.

With mentoring and training, Peter gained the knowledge to understand and work with budgeting, financial statements, and preparing the Annual Plan. He also achieved the expertise necessary to handle the corporate’s administrative support such as banking, employee benefits, human resources, financial aid at the corporate level, accounts receivable, and more.