Business Coaching for Small Business Owners From an Experienced, Queen's Award-Winning, Business Leader
Feeling stuck and overwhelmed?
Running a business is like climbing a mountain. The long hours and constant worry are the physical toll of the climb. But the harder part is being unsure which route to take, or whether you’ve got the knowledge or courage to reach the top.
I believe you do have what it takes but that everyone needs help on the way. I’ll be your coach, guide and companion on that climb.
You’ll get your time and headspace back. Right now, you probably can’t take a holiday without your phone ringing. Sumit Anand, proprietor of AN&Foods, built a team able to run the whole show and for the first time went on holiday without his phone buzzing for operational calls. That’s what I’ll help you with: building a team that can carry the business while you’re away.
You’ll find the confidence to let go. Delegating well is hard, especially when you built the business by doing it all yourself. Andy Hall, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Just Electronics, told me it gave him the courage to handover important management tasks, and getting his weekends and evenings back.
You’ll get clarity on your numbers. More than one client has told me the biggest revelation was finally understanding where the money goes, what it returns, and what it actually costs to grow. Loveness Lee, founder of her eponymous jewellery company, went from not knowing where her money was going to understanding her return on investment.
You’ll define your “why.” You are probably sceptical about mission, values, purpose. I can help you turn these vague terms into lodestones for the whole team. Seán McAlister of Pencil & Brick Architects brought his staff into a workshop as co-creators of the company’s values. He calls it “a binding catalyst” for the team that’s present in every conversation they now have with customers. That’s what I’m aiming for with you too: something that shows up everywhere, not a poster on the wall.
You’ll get someone to think out loud with. Clients have told me the regular catch-up itself, being accountable to someone with real experience, matters as much as any specific advice. Dr Lia Hunter, founder of CGX, said it’s been invaluable having an experienced, empathetic person to talk to especially when things have been tough. Leadership is lonely; having someone in your corner with real business scars of their own changes that.
I’ve done this one-to-one with founders and directors, and at group level, facilitating workshops for boards, charities, and community programmes, including culturally specific work where listening hard is the key to success.
Colin Crooks MBE
Business coach and advisor
Helping Businesses Grow Through Good Leadership, Effective Teams and a Clear Purpose
From Overwhelmed to In Control: How Mark Built a Business That Works Without Him
Mark ran a successful distribution business that looked great from the outside. But he knew the truth: it was taking everything he had just to keep it going. Working six or seven days a week, he had nothing left to give. Growing beyond where he was, or even just genuinely earning a proper living, seemed impossible. He couldn’t clone himself.
A composite case study based on real client experiences
My Services
Business Coaching
I won’t give you more to do, I’ll help you do less, better.
Business Consultant
Understand your business better with our powerful business analysis tool and prioritise your actions.
Business Workshops
Give your team space to think, challenge, and contribute.
Business Adviser
I help founders and boards to recognise blind spots and navigate present-day demands in ways that enable future aspirations and deliver sustainable growth.
Team Coaching
With guidance and commitment, teams can get on track.
Teaching Business
Get practical knowledge you can apply, energetically taught by someone who’s done it.
Speaking and Lectures
I bring a fresh, energetic approach to speaking that keeps everyone in the room engaged.
Testimonials
Bespoke guidance on delegating tasks “Rather than trying to show me how my business could be fitted into one of the instant-growth template systems, Colin took time to get to know me, the business, its history, and its obstacles to growth – including my being involved in far too many areas.
We together identified tasks and functions that I didn’t really need to do myself, and worked out how others could take on responsibilities, so I could focus on the important things. With Colin’s experience in handling people as well as growing businesses, it gave me the courage to make changes. Those have released me from the detailed management of most of the production processes, and given me weekends off, with the occasional holiday!
Our regular catch-up sessions mean that I am accountable to someone whose knowledge and real-world experience I really value.”
Andy Hall, Co-Founder and Managing Director Just Electronics Ltd.
Creating a team that really works “Colin has helped me to create a team that is able to run the whole show; I was able to go on holiday, and for once, my phone was not buzzing for operational requirements. A lot of time has gone into creating a team that manages key strategic areas of the business, and it was wonderful to see this all come together.”
Sumit Anand, Proprietor of AN& Foods
Focus on the important stuff “Colin is helping me encourage the team to work together more. I’m now able to concentrate on more business-critical things. Over time, I can see that they will take on more complex issues, relieve me of even more time-consuming work, and leave me free to drive the business forward and develop it.”
Ranveer Singh Mohal, Free Trade Beers & Minerals Ltd
Ready to grow with purpose?
Tell me what you need – book a free chat, and we’ll see if I can help