Business coach - who has one?

[Rochelle Morris]

I've been seriously considering our direction for the upcoming year & where I would like to take the business. We're a fairly small company with it primarily run by myself & my husband.

We need to look at becoming a profitable company - or rather a more profitable where we actually make money.

I feel I need a business coach but wonder how I would first find one in OZ and secondly, know what criteria I should be look for in them.

Anyone have any advice???
Experience both positive & negative would also be good.

thanks in advance.

[Philip Howells]

I've never had a business coach - a divorce and wrap up of my company meant I had to work for a big competitor for 18 months and that experienced showed me that a) I was as good if not better than most at my job, and b) that I couldn't run a profitable company if I lived as long as Methuselah.

I copied their business model and for 20 years ran a very profitable production company.

This was all before we did weddings (other than the daughters' of our major clients - for free!).

The big problem with weddings as a business is that the market is distorted by hobbyists and by a widely variable interpretation of the product description. To far too many clients a hobbyist with a single hand held is not very different to a production company with three cameras, radio channels, radio controlled hotheads etc.

I fear your business adviser would suggest you find another line of work in which your potential earnings came close to your investment, both of finance and your time. Sorry.

The only really profitable big company I know in Britain has a couple of good editors, hires in freelances and students desperate for experience at peanut rates to do the shoots and trades on a publicity-generated reputation and heavy advertising. They don't produce the best programmes by a long shot.

The only comfort is that weddings are a great environment in which to work; no-one goes to a wedding to be miserable.

[Paul Mailath]

I think the concept of a business coach or life coach etc etc is more successful to an american audience - maybe the Aussies & the Poms are too cynical.

I'm sure you'll find someone who'll be happy to call himself & business coach and take your money - I'm just not comfortable with the idea.

I think what you're talking about is a strategic vision - planning. It can underpin the direction & success of the business.

if you give me a day or so I'll write something on Strategic Planning and post it - there's goes my editing schedule.

[Rochelle Morris]

Paul,

That would be awesome - new year would be fine...it'll give me something to celebrate :)

[Andrew Smith]

Hi Rochelle,

I'd be happy to give you some "brain time" at no charge. In the very least it's got to be good therapy value. :-)

Plus you can feel at ease in discussions as you are in a different city / market.

Andrew

[Rochelle Morris]

That would terrific Andrew.

The hardest thing can sometimes be to think outside of your current world...knowing what you want, but not exactly how to get there :)

Rochelle

[Andrew Smith]

... or even what we are both doing ... on the computer and posting to DVinfo at this time of the morning.

(I have to be 45mins drive away at 6:30am for a shoot (now where did I put that spare tape that I need???) .... going to be an interesting morning)

Andrew

[Rochelle Morris]

lol...Andrew, I've been sitting in bed thinking about this possible proposition that a photog colleague wants me to get involved with, which may also effect a colleague who I have an acquaintance with...not knowing if it would be a good thing or a bad thing.

can't sleep - tragic

[Aaron Mayberry]

A gentleman named Matt Davis does wedding video production business coaching:

Webinars, Group Coaching, & 1 on 1 Consulting for Video


I went to an event where he spoke and he's pretty good at what he does.

[Andrew Smith]

Hey Rochelle,

Sleep for now. We'll sort out the issue soon.

Just don't agree to anything in the meantime ... keep your options open until you have had proper time to process it all.

Andrew

[Rochelle Morris]

Thanks Aaron,

I have seen this but not done anything about it.
My favourite quote from there:
“You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them,
but by building a fire within.”
Bob Nelson

[Rochelle Morris]

yes, time for bed - 2am in melb and I have to see a client at 10am :)

chat soon.

[Andrew Smith]

Be your own boss .... work your own hours .... sleep your own hours .... experience double vision every now and then ....

(you get the picture)

Andrew

[Rochelle Morris]

Hmmm - 3am and you were still up!

After waking up early for my appointment, I check my mobile to find a text message cancelling it - back to bed

[Jeff Kellam]

Philip, I agree with your interpretation of the wedding business. And it's just going to get worse as the digital age marches on.

Just by doing the math on best case scenarios for shooting weddings, you can easily see the total possible annual revenue is just not that attractive. And you have to kill yourself to perform all the work & editing.

However, there will always be demand for professional wedding videos.

Rochelle, hopefully the wedding video market was either not a part of your plan or just a small part.