Mentoring, coaching and workshops to boost small business success
How do you define success? For some small business owners, success might mean double-digit growth, opening a new location or having the time to take a holiday.
There is no single answer. Most small business owners consider both financial and non-financial goals to be important. Non-financial goals may include autonomy, doing work they enjoy, flexibility and control and positively impacting their team, customers and community. Business owners realise that achieving these goals usually requires financial success.
Causeway Innovation has developed a Strategic Advisory Service for owner-managers of growth-oriented small businesses on the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and surrounding areas for face-to-face sessions, with Zoom sessions for businesses based further afield.
This service is designed to help business owners clarify their personal and business objectives - financial and non-financial - and develop clear strategies to achieve these. This is followed up with a focus on implementation to help the owner managers to maintain focus, review progress, and provides support and accountability to implement the strategic direction. See further details below.
Causeway Innovation also provide a Business Planning Service - see below - and runs a series of workshops typically delivered with the backing of local councils or universities.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Owner Manager capacity building and skills development
Growing businesses through innovation
Business planning to accelerate growth
Ongoing small business owner mentoring and coaching
Support to secure funding for growth
WHY WORK WITH US
Experience
Experience working with over 300 startups and small businesses and 50 of the world's leading companies.
Understanding
We understand the issues and pressures faced by SMEs and business owners and how to overcome them.
Flexible delivery
Workshop formats minimise time away from work and provide practical tools to apply new ideas to the business.
Inspiring
Inspiring participants to see more opportunities for their business and providing tools to turn dreams into reality.
Small business services
STRATEGIC ADVISORY SERVICE
Format: Primarily face-to-face, supported by Zoom
Work directly with owner-managers of small businesses. Designed to help business owners step back from the day-to-day pressures and consider their personal and business objectives, establish a clear business direction, and identify key strategies, including opportunities for innovation.
The initial phase can include the development of a Business Plan - from a one-page road map to a more detailed plan - to help guide the team’s progress, assist in recruiting talent or raise investment. The business planning process can also help identify pathways to exit and what is needed to build a sellable business.
Initial planning sessions are followed up with Progress meetings on a monthly or bimonthly basis to review progress and discuss issues and the way forward. Progress meetings also help make new ideas and plans happen and provide accountability for the business owner.
This service can help the business owner to achieve their objectives and feel more in control of their business and its direction.
BUSINESS PLANNING SERVICE
Causeway Innovation helps small business owner-managers take control of their business growth by developing a business plan to guide you and your team and to communicate and - if needed - sell your vision to potential partners and investors.
A well-thought-through business plan will outline what you want to achieve and provide a roadmap to get there and accelerate the business’s growth.
Causeway Innovation tunes its business planning services depending upon the business needs. This can be delivered in various ways, e.g.
Guidance on business plan format and reviewing drafts prepared by client business managers.
Facilitating the business planning process - running two or three half-day planning sessions, documenting key points and outputs from these sessions, briefing the client on format, and providing written and verbal feedback on drafts of the plan produced by the client to completion.
Develop and document the business plan: the highest level of service, act as a specialist resource for the client, facilitate one-to-one and team planning meetings, conduct desk research, and lead role in writing the business plan.
INNOVATION MASTER CLASS
Format: 2 months, including half-day workshops and applied work
The Innovation Master Class is an applied business development program designed to meet the needs of owner-managers of growth-oriented SMEs – a key contributor to regional innovation, economic and job growth.
The program runs over two months and includes four half-day workshops, practical assignments, plus a final Showcase session to present plans and progress to a small, invited audience of business and community leaders.
The program takes participants through a step-by-step approach to understanding innovation and provides practical tools to help participants apply key concepts to their businesses.
Key focus areas
Establishing clear business focus, direction and opportunities for growth
Identify opportunities for innovation
Mentor and coach to develop and implement business strategy and business plan
Boost turnover, profit and impact.
Key focus areas
A practical business plan to guide and accelerate growth.
Business planning involves the team, identifies and prioritises opportunities and provides clarity on direction.
Develop a competitive business model and long-term sustainable growth
A persuasive document to attract investors or buyers
Key focus areas
Think strategy: clarifying the objectives of the owner-manager and business.
Generating and evaluating ideas
Ten types of innovation
Testing, including Minimum Viable Product
Implementation: prioritising actions and making time
What our clients say
“Detailed, focused, a change agent and brilliant administrator. Colin Graham is definitely someone I’d recommend to any company wanting a refresh of strategy and direction.”
“Colin was instrumental in updating our business plan, boosting the communication of our core strategy. We now have a very persuasive document for potential investors and a direction to follow along our chosen path of global domination.”
“Thank you for you time and all your advice once again last week. I really think your sessions are helping us achieve our goals and beyond.”