From A Job To A Small Business
The Issue
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Aviel's Solution
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Client's Result
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Being a bookkeeper working on her own meant that Sue's life was dominated by her clients and their needs.
As a consequence she was doing long hours, often 7 days a week.
This created serious issues in her relationship with her husband. He had a job which enabled him to keep "normal" hours and so wanted to spend time with her. Due to the pressure of her workload this was usually not possible and so their relationship suffered.
In addition, Sue dreamt of having a bigger business with a number of staff so she could ultimately fulfill her dream of having a property in the country while she worked ON her business rather than IN it.
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While Sue was an excellent bookkeeper, she didn't have a good understanding of how to run a business. (This is a very common situation among small business owners.)
In conjunction with her Aviel coach Sue developed a number of systems to ensure everything was documented. This involved setting up calendars and reminders for every client so this information would be available for all the staff in her (future) business.
Also, she designed and had a new computer system implemented which provided access for multiple users, private user areas and secure areas for her use.
She then defined the roles within her organisation so she knew what to look for in potential employees.
Part of her coaching series was aimed at getting her life back. This was done by setting actions around time with her husband and doing non-work activities.
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By PREPARING for the growth of her business BEFORE she took on staff, the transition from a sole-trader to an employer went very smoothly. Sue was able to bring on new staff in an orderly way which meant the business could grow without suffering from unmanageable overheads or excessive workload.
Because of the documentation and procedural systems the staff who have come on board have been very loyal. One lady, whose intention when she started was to work for a short time on a part-time basis while she finished her university degree, became a full-time employee, managing her own client base and has decided to stay permanently.
Sue's husband commented that "he wanted to shake Laurence's hand" as he was so appreciative that the coaching had re-established his relationship with his wife.
As a result of the weekends away set up as part of the coaching program, Sue & her husband found their dream block of land and are currently planning the building of the house.
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To comply with privacy regulations new
names have been attributed to this case study
