This success story is not just about the 60% increase in turnover… it’s about how these results can be achieved by changing belief systems and behaviours.
GRAEME OBEREM – DLISH
Company overview:
DLish is a home based company providing specialised and novelty cakes for every occasion, as well as offering executive catering. The company is run by Graeme Oberem as a sole proprietor and was established on a part-time basis approximately 14 years ago. Graeme left the corporate world almost 6 years ago to run DLish on a full-time basis.
What prompted you to take on a business coach?
Graeme: I realised that the business had started to stagnate and I was looking for solutions. I saw an advert for an SABC 3 programme called The Business Coach and decided to enter DLish to participate in the programme. It was through this process that I met Greg Mason.
Greg: Often business owners can get their businesses to a point of break even or profitability. But to take your business to the next level requires a shift in mindset, or changes in behaviour that are not always apparent to the business owner. International author Marshall Goldsmith says “What got you here won’t get you there”. That’s why business coaching is so powerful. It opens new doors to new ways of thinking.
How would you comment on Greg’s style of coaching?
Graeme: Greg is relaxed and easy to talk to and get along with, but he doesn’t allow for the excuses that I so easily tend to make in order to avoid stepping outside of my comfort zone. Greg is a realist and clearly outlines the benefits of making changes in order to move the business forward.
Greg: A business coach is your compassionate but unreasonable friend. Just like a sports coach, a business coach will inspire and motivate you to go beyond your comfort zone. But he will also hold you accountable and will deny you the use of blame, excuses and denial.
How has coaching helped you personally?
Graeme: Coaching has helped me to become more organised and to take my business more seriously. In some ways it forced me to grow up and face my responsibilities. Coaching definitely forced me to push my personal limits and step out of my comfort zone. It made me realise the importance and relevance of some basic business principles such as marketing and record-keeping.
Greg: When I met Graeme, DLish was a hobby that had become his job. Through business coaching, I have encouraged Graeme to approach his business like a business owner rather than a baker… to think about the numbers, planning and marketing, as much as he thinks about ingredients and cake decorations.
Graeme’s personal negative self talk played a large part in creating a negative environment. We worked on Graeme’s positive affirmations and awareness levels of self talk so he could become aware of how he felt and what he was saying to himself when no one was around.
How did coaching benefit the business?
Graeme: DLish had reached a plateau in terms of growth, but by applying key principles we have been able to see an increase in client base and income. I have relooked at the business and realised that I need to commit if I want results. I got my wife involved in the business to drive the sales. Implementing “testing-and-measuring systems” in the business had a huge impact on my business. I was against contacting my clients for feedback on my cakes as I was afraid of the type of feedback I would get. Greg insisted that I needed feedback to set a benchmark for the quality of the cakes. Six months into coaching I decided to follow his advice and contact my customers. To my surprise, I found that a few of my customers found my cakes dry and not of the standard I would have liked. I discovered that my kitchen – due to its tin roof – got too hot during the day and the cakes dried out. To correct the situation, I purchased an air-conditioner for R3000 and all problems were solved. If only I had called my customers for feedback earlier!!
Greg: If you don’t have a benchmark to work from, how will you know if you are progressing? The first step for any business action plan is to know your current situation. Once you are aware of today’s benchmarks, it is easier to put plans in place to grow and improve, and it is much easier to measure if the actions have impacted positively on the business.
By focusing on some key business principles, in the first 6 months of coaching, Graeme had a 60% increase in his turnover. He was coming off a low base, however it proved to him that taking massive action gets you results.
Would you recommend business coaching?
Graeme: I would definitely recommend business coaching to anyone who feels that their business would benefit from a fair and impartial perspective from an independent coach. If you are willing to put into practice what you learn in coaching, your business can only grow and improve.
Thanks for the referral Graeme, and in return… for year end party treats, please contact Graeme from DLish.
Graeme: 082 378 5677
Jeni: 082 940 6812
Fax: 086 567 2628
Email: graeme@dlish.co.za
Website: www.dlish.co.za
I hope everyone has a really good weekend!
Greg
