Commemorating 10 years in business Then. Now. And the future
In October 2014, David Cameron was Prime Minister, oil prices crashed, same sex weddings in the UK were given the go ahead, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared, Scotland voted to remain part of the UK and near Banbury, a new business was born.
Live a better life
Following redundancy and a cancer diagnosis, I wanted to be in control of my own destiny. So, on 1st October 2014, Red Clematis Coaching was established; a coaching, training and personal/team development business that:
· Could sustained me financially and emotionally
· Make a difference to others
· Would give me the opportunity to work more flexibly, doing things that bring me joy, such as spending time with family, friends, travel, and outdoors
Initially my vision for the business was not very well defined, but after I started working as an Associate for Working With Cancer in 2016, everything fell into place. Now I have a wonderful mix of direct client and Associate work. This gives me a good variety of projects, enabling me to spread the risk and have the opportunity to build strong working relationships and feel part of a larger team, which was something that I missed from my previous corporate life.
Steep learning curve
When you start a business, it’s fun and exciting, but soon after my naivety and lack of knowledge kicked in. I had hoped to rely on existing contacts and my network to find new clients, but the reality was different. I soon realised that it took time to build trust and develop long-term relationships with people. Plus, having to manage your own IT, admin, finances etc. was another distraction.
During the early years, I thought that offering more services was the thing to do. But I quickly found that I had spread myself too thinly. Now I focus on the areas I know I’m good at and that I enjoy - DISC, communication and coaching skills. Since I took that decision, the business has continued to develop and grow. I discovered that delivering a quality service using a personalised approach was key. Also being clear from the outset about what you can or can’t do.
Making a difference
When people ask me what I’m most proud of, the answer is two-fold:
· Keping the business going despite personal challenges and world events like Covid and the ongoing cost of living crisis.
· Being able to make a difference to others, particularly on the cancer side and watching confidence grow in clients when they develop new skills and can manage people better.
The importance of regular communications
To me, marketing has been particularly important to the ongoing success of the business. There is no substitute for keeping in touch regularly with clients and prospects. I have a regular monthly email and produce new, engaging content in order to maintain awareness. Plus, instead of just forcing content out there via social media channels, I have opted for more personal and friendly messages, which are sent out in a completely non-pushy way. Another change that I have adapted to is the move to more online delivery and coaching rather than face-to-face. This has increased business efficiencies because I am travelling less. In addition a better focus on, and understanding of, wellbeing by organisations has made my coaching services more popular.
The future
Going forwards, I would like to maintain the good work/life balance I have now. That means I will continue to:
1. Focus on the work that I really enjoy doing
2. Maintain good relationships and connections, particularly where I know my work can make a significant difference
3. Not to be tempted to take on new projects that always take up more time and require more energy than you anticipate!
Here’s to many more years of making a difference to others. Whether you know it in the beginning, or not, it’s impossible to run a business without the help of others. So thank you again to my clients, prospective clients, suppliers, business contacts, friends and family for all your support and encouragement over the past decade.