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"The planning sessions have been very useful in helping to develop our goals and focus on how to reach them. We are now into our second 90-day plan and looking forward to achieving even-bigger targets in the future.
I can recommend your services to any business people who want to up their game by setting and achieving goals that will produce more profit for their businesses." —David Kiddey, CEO, Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce
"We engaged Gaylene to help us to create a strong and robust plan for our Wellington Branch of 60 staff. We needed a new vision and had many areas of the business that required an on going and continued focus.
Gaylene was able to facilitate and support us to create a powerful vision for the year. We then set goals for the key areas of our business and Gaylene helped us to create a 90 Day activity plan that is now continually reviewed and worked on.
Gaylene was able to use several techniques that helped us to get our management team together and to where we needed to be.
I would recommend Gaylene and her team to any business looking to improve or grow. Gaylene and her team have a great attitude and approach and they really do help you and your business to succeed." —Peter Murphy, Branch Manager, Crombie Lockwood (NZ) Ltd
Award winning ActionCOACH of the Asia Pacific Conference 2009 Press release: Pr.com (Levittown, NY, USA), Aim168 Real Estate (Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates), Franchising.com (CA, USA)
ActionCOACH Honors Business Coaches in Australia
ActionCOACH, the number one business and executive coaching firm in the world awarded New Zealander Gaylene Hughes the Coaches Choice “NetworkCOACH” award at the recently concluded Asia Pacific Conference held at the Gold Coast International Hotel in Queensland’s stunning Gold Coast in Australia. The finalists for this award included Agus Gunario, Gerard Liddy, Katherine Doe, Mark Blume and Terri Billington. The founder and CEO of ActionCOACH, Brad Sugars presented this award. “Gaylene has networked her way to success and has set a great example for fellow coaches to follow,” Sugars said.
Hughes helps the owners of small and medium sized businesses thrive and prosper from her ActionCOACH business coaching office in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, and believes that there is no time like the present to begin building networks with business partners and clients – as well as continue to stay in touch with past contacts. Energized by her latest achievement, Hughes believes many businesses that are struggling now reached this stage as a result of overlooking networking opportunities in the past.
“During my coaching interactions, I have discovered that many clients were largely ignorant about the statistic that 68% of the customers leave due to perceived indifference,” she said. “When times were good, they neglected to regularly get out there and determine what their clients were after and what was important to their business partners, so they ended up with troubled businesses when the economy turned around.”
Hughes believes that a sense of complacency made many business owners focus “in” their business when times were good. “As a result, they did not focus on growing their business,” she said. “Today, particularly in these challenging times, there is an ever-growing need to be out and about in the market on an ongoing basis.”
Hughes said she will be very active in 2009 as she will be commencing the “Thrive or Survive” series of workshops which are very hands-on and focus on improving cashflow. “It’s back to the business basics and improving that bottom-line. We’re going to be having some fun along the way too, as there’s too much doom and gloom out there at present,” she said.
“We’ve also got a powerful GrowthCLUB planned for March 11th with a special guest – Hamish Carter, who won a Gold Medal for NZ at the Athens Olympics. He’s a very laid-back presenter with a powerful story and will be focusing on the power of goals and focus.” Hughes believes that ActionCOACH is extremely solution-focused in its coaching, and this has been one of the major reasons for the huge success of the entire organization – worldwide – even in the midst of the current economic crisis.
“We have so much to offer in terms of various coaching options, right from the $39.95 book or DVD or ProfitCLUB (which meets twice a month) right through to monthly, fortnightly and weekly coaching sessions,” Hughes said. “It’s whatever will assist that business owner to move to the next level in their business as well as lots of positive encouragement along the way.” ActionCOACH Business Coaches are bringing great results to business owners throughout the world through the company’s tested and proven systems, tools and strategies – even in the middle of the current recession.
Presentations and Workshops
We would like to commend Gaylene on her professional approach to the Team Leaders' Planning Workshop and the Team workshop held. Attendees felt their time was used well with everyone being encouraged to freely contribute their ideas. As a result of the workshops we have identified some long and short-term strategies that will be implemented within the Club - in fact we have already made some changes that are beginning to have an impact. We look forward to working with her further ... Dianne
It was really good value, great presentation and passion from Gaylene. Makes you think about ideas and her passion rubs off ... H Donald
Concise, compact, informative presentation - lots to go away with to get started on making changes to make me and my business grow ... D Rossouw
I feel motivated after the presentation and it's given me new ideas to work on my business - it also showed me that by making small changes I can achieve big improvements ... P Lundstrom-Campbell
More confidence in ourselves as a TEAM to believe WE ARE the best in town ... Praise from our customers for some of our new ideas …. Colin
Gaylene is excellent - kept me interest throughout and I learnt heaps. Gaylene is very inspiring. Gaylene is a fantastic presenter who has really inspired me. I have definately taken alot away with me that I can use ... NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants Presentation, Feb 2007
Coaching
Your advice is priceless, I feel like such a weight has been lifted ... Penny
Its made me think more about my business.Its helped me plan things and carry them through.To think about and measure what we do.In some way, perhaps sharing my thoughts, problems etc, has lowered my anxiety about my business.Made me confident, happier .... Craig
I gained a better understanding of what helps to build a profitable business.I feel this will benefit my business and help it to continue to grow ….. New ideas and encouragement to follow through …. The program has been a worthwhile step and has built (my) confidence … This has been a positive change and reduced stress .... Natalie
Gaylene and her team are wonderful to work with! I have experienced nothing but top class service during my time at the OCC. We are well looked after, all deadlines are met, issues are resolved quickly and there's always a helpful and knowledgeable team at the end of the phone to respond to requests. From my perspective, it is a totally positive experience .... Rodney Farrant, Office Manager, Children's Commissioner
I decided to work with Gaylene last year, as I wanted structured methods for growing my business, dealing with staff and marketing etc. I think the biggest benefit from working with Gaylene, is that it's given me clarity when looking at individual projects, small and large and my ability to plan properly. I've achieved many of the goals I set out to achieve and my fortnightly meetings provided so much inspiration for new projects and knowing I had the back up of my coach meant I could just "go for it". My advice for someone contemplating working with a coach is to just do it. What you think you know pales into insignificance compared with what you will learn .... Mark Armitage, King and Teppett
Gaylene, I want to thank you for all your wonderful support, coaching, resources and words of wisdom which has provided me with new insights into my business. As a result of business development, the company now employs two more staff than last year and has formed an increasing number of strategic alliances including one with international connections. I initially undertook the coaching to help me move the business into a new level of "professionalism" moving the business safely up a notch without losing our family-first focus. I had also been concerned that my business was overly reliant on my own input and that it would never survive without me. A year down the track I am still thrilled with the process. It's given me a new enthusiasm for the business side of things and now I've regained the passion I first felt 13 years ago about my own business. The coaching process has also helped me through the employee emplyment process and in team building. Aside from the process that a professional business coach provides, I have also found additional benefits including networking opportunities and the sharing of information from other business owners who meet fortnightly as part of the Action coaching programme. Another key success factor has been our year long programme which has also been embraced by my staff. By facilitating several key "learning" sessions for us all, the staff have gone on to set challenges for themselves and the facilitated sessions have given them some meshanisms to better communicate about their own jobs. All four of them have risen to some major challenges during the year and achieved above expectations .... Heather Newall, Foresee Communications Limited
I decided to take on Gaylene as my coach in July 2006 as I wanted to improve the business's profitability and also get better performance from my team. In particular I wanted inspiration and motivation for my team, my manager and myself to move beyond our existing limits and to adopt strategies to encourage new clients to become repeat clients.
The biggest benefit from working with Gaylene, is that I've achieved exactly what I wanted and I've learnt to take time to focus on the business itself. Lots of doors and possibilities have opened that weren't there before. My manager and I have learned and implemented:
* Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)
* Systems and Procedures
* A new recruitment process and staff assessments
* Goal Setting
* Individual Coaching Methods
while also purchasing a new coffee machine, introducing welcome bags to new clients and working on a website that's soon to be up and running + so much more.
I thoroughly recommend the coaching process as it's given me the opportunity to reassess what I want from my business and my team - to see where I've come from and where I'm going. I now have a Vision and Mission, plus some Rules of the Game that every team member buys into. Most of all, I've learned to expect more.
It's been awesome and such a positive experience.
In terms of measureable results...
* My staff has almost doubled from 9 to 15 allowing for future growth;
* Rebooking of clients has markedly improved - and the girls see it as fun! They are much more focused on customer service and are working well;
* Our banking now matches with our computer records and discrepancies are monitored;
* The average dollar-sale has increased as have my personal drawings;
* I am on track to double my turnover this financial year and monitor results regularly so I achieve the targets I set.
I personally am even more motivated and positive as a person and this rubs off on my team on a daily basis. I now have the confidence to look outside the industry and employ help wherever and whenever it's required. It's been a wonderful journey and I know I can call on Gaylene at any stage to assist me further ... Judy
“THINGS STARTED CHANGING …” Gaylene Hughes (winner of NZ Action Man Award 2004)
A simple statement from Victoria Love of The Nappy Store & Egg Maternity,
as part of her winning submission to the ACTION International Business Awards when asked what happened to her business after working with an Action International business coach for 12 months.
She further stated “…We experienced huge growth financially, and began to turn the business into something that worked for us, not the other way round. We also began to realise the potential we’d seen in the business at the outset and put in place plans to expand…”
Pretty awesome for a start-up business where the owner-operator was working in the business on a daily basis, attempting to be all things to all people. Feel familiar?
And what’s made the difference?
Simple strategies culminating in good data on customers; referral systems and strategies; better service, making customers feel special; setting goals for the business and putting in place plans and strategies to achieve these; effective testing and measuring of results of advertising campaigns and most importantly…
… going from a negative mindset to a positive one.“It has been hugely beneficial for me having my business coach encourage me to remain positive about my business even when it seems there are insurmountable hurdles to conquer. Gaylene has really encouraged me to apply the power of positive thought, and it works! ... I love what I do and I’m extremely proud of the work we have already achieved, but I truly believe the best is yet to come!”
For those wanting more specifics …
ogross revenue has increased by 300%;
othe team has grown exponentially from one owner working in her business 24/7 to a team of 7, and the owner working on her business 9-5 weekdays only; and,
oa second retail store has recently opened in central Wellington;
Victoria’s parting shot before the actual awards “…We’re going to win an Action Business Award because my coach and I deserve the recognition for the huge progress we’ve made with this business.”
How’s that for the power of positive thinking!! And our goal next year? … Why the Action Business of the Year award!What else?
Incubator Award - to The Nappy Store & Egg Maternity coached by Gaylene Hughes
