Recently, a few people have asked me about my business. In particular, how I managed to turn things around after the devastating downturn in the mining & resources industry (the major arm of my business) which hit a few years ago.It has been quite a journey for sure.
After we talked, they shared challenges they are currently facing in their business, and how helpful it was to hear my story, and to know that others have gone through tough times, and come out on top. I totally get that, I know I was looking to others when I was struggling.
So I’m very happy to share.
A few people have asked me to share a bit more of my story How I came to be doing what I’m doing.
So here goes. A little bit about me.
I run a family business. We’ve been in business for 20 plus years. The major arm of our business is in the mining and resources industry. But, for me, my passion has always been training, and in small businesses, I guess it resonates because I run a family business.
There is a real heart to a family business. So, a number of years ago, I was studying my MBA. And during the course of that study, I learned that more than 50 percent of small businesses go under in the first few years. I can tell you, that really blew my mind! I found myself thinking about it. Talking about it.
That’s families! That’s people! All the blood, sweat, and tears that’s gone into their business.
I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it. And, it just kept playing on my mind.
I work in the heart of the city, and I like to walk before work. And as I was walking, or I am walking, I see businesses opening and closing. Opening and closing. And each time I think, that’s families! Those people that have lost everything.
It’s just terrible.
So, I decided that I really wanted to make a difference. And so I looked into it a lot more. I did a bit of research and I found that the major reason is a lack of management skills, strategic planning skills. Which of course ultimately comes down to leadership and decision making and mindset and things like that.
So, from there I built a number of programmes to work with small business owners, on lots of topics. Right the way through from mindset and leadership, down to the day to day planning, systems, processes, all that sort of thing.
And then…
Not long after I launched them and I was running them. My own business was in grave danger of becoming a statistic. The mining and resources industry went absolutely bust!
In the space of, weeks, we lost 80% of our contracts. And, the other 20 weren’t that far behind. It was an incredibly difficult time for us, and we were sailing very close to the wind.
As you can imagine, those statistics started to really play on my mind. I was determined that we were not going to be one of them.
So, what I did was, I stepped away from everything else. Everything. And I just focused on turning this business around.
I’m a bit of a note keeper, so I went through everything from neuroleadership, emotional intelligence, everything I learned in the MBA. I’d been studying marketing, so I pulled all that apart.
For an entire year, I just worked on making my business survive. That was my ultimate goal.
We were not going to become a statistic.
Fortunately, it worked and I managed to turn things around, and rebuild all the way back to where we were when times were great.
Now, my goal, even stronger than ever, is to share that knowledge with small business owners. To help as many business owners as I possibly can to make their business a success. To build a really strong foundation, to make it sustainable. To build the life, of their dreams, and not be worried that they’re going to go under. That they’re going to lose everything. That their family will lose everything.
I want to reduce those numbers!
Push! Small Business Training and Mentoring has a very strong purpose. To work with small business owners and turn things around.
So there you have it. That’s who I am, it’s what I do and it’s WHY I do it.