Building better businesses

Has your business stepped into the year with a confident stride with some new goals and strategies?

Evaluate what you are doing right. Making money is the goal of every business and we usually focus on things we want to change. See how you can continue or increase your commitment to the positive ways you currently run your business. Ask yourself what three major strengths can we continue to use in the growth of our business in 2010?

Treat your employee’s right. If you’re starting 2010 with experienced, motivated employees, you’ve probably treated them well last year. Companies are realising the importance of finding and keeping their best staff.  It means providing a dynamic, healthy and rewarding workplace, not just a pay cheque. And as big business has globalized, it means respecting human rights and accepting the challenges. Go the extra mile. The more you give the more you get.

Increase your efforts with your customers. If the economy turns sour in 2010, your customers are going to have to make some cuts. Make sure you’re not the one on the chopping block by working with them, serving them well, and making sure they don’t forget you. Research shows that, in reality poor service is the number one issue driving customers away from your business, customers who are exposed to negative servicing are highly likely to leave, with examples of negative servicing include being passed around in a call centre’s, having the phone put down on them, poor product knowledge and hidden fees and charges.

Increasing your sales; It´s important to speak with the right person or the persons who can help you close the deal. The decision maker is the key to moving any business deal forward. However, sometimes you need to deal with two or three different people to get to the right person. Often times the person who signs the check isn´t necessarily the person who makes the decision on what the firm is looking for. If you´ve ever set an appointment with someone who has no buying power or authority then you understand how important getting to the right person the first time.

Back up your data. How often do we hear of businesses losing precious data when a computer system crashes? We have had several major disasters and a hard drive crash; luckily we learnt the importance of constantly backing up and do this on a regular basis. Ideally, store your backup data in another location.

Keep learning. Whether you work alone or have employees, you are your company’s most important asset. Go to seminars, read, take classes, and learn new skills. Your brain is your most important business asset so continue to stimulate it. Success and progress towards achieving your goals in life begin with knowing where you are going. Your mental attitude gives power to everything you do. If your attitude is positive, your actions and thoughts further your ends? If your attitude is negative, you are constantly undermining your own efforts.

Connecting with regional businesses

Running a business in today’s fast paced world is an exciting and often challenging task.

There are so many priorities, opportunities and issues that demand the attention of small business owner’s both locally across the globe.

Therefore as small business owners and entrepreneurs, we all must ensure that we maximise business efficiency and practice extraordinary time management skills. In other words we must plan, think and operate our businesses at peak levels always working smart but not harder.

With the phenomenal growth that is starting in the Mitchell region, local business can be assured that the competition will increase and make things tougher. The answer, build your referral networks deliver outstanding service, give your client’s real value. The opportunity is here to do this now, it will be much harder to achieve when you have many more businesses competing in the same sectors in the coming years. Volume building in Wallan and Beveridge has now started to build momentum – DO NOT WAIT to grow your business!

Coaching for Excellence Finalists in Business Awards 2009

Coaching for Excellence are finalists in two prestigious business awards.

The Australian Home Based Business Awards 2009 (National Finalist)

The Australian Small Business Champion Awards 2009 (Victorian Finalist)

We wish to share these awards with our valued clients and the people that have supported us directly and indirectly during the last few years – we look forward to continuing this journey with you all.

It is also our intent at Coaching for Excellence to assist others to become the best they can be, irrespective of their current position.

To our clients that have been devastated by the bushfires, we will continue to support you through the rebuilding of your businesses.

We simply wanted to acknowledge those who have contributed friendship, support and resources. 

Coaching for Excellence Finalists in Business Awards

The Australian Home Based Business Awards 2009 (National Finalist)

Black Saturday Feb 7th 2009

On Saturday 7th of Feb 2009 a fire changed the lives forever of our township Wandong and surrounding districts. A total of 222 houses alone in our small community and numerous businesses were completely destroyed. This destructive fire did not discriminate and raced through 35kms in 16.5 minutes towards the township of Kinglake.
The spirit of these towns will rise from the ashes with our amazing community determination and with the assistance of our city neighbours.  To quote the words of our Prime Minister “These towns will be rebuilt house by house and street by street”.
We have seen firsthand the raw and fragile emotions as we have helped those who we have never met before and now call friends.  We have cleared properties, cooked, cleaned, mentored and been a shoulder to cry on for my neighbours and admire the true mateship that unites us as Australians

Coaching for Excellence 2008

Finalists from around Australia were presented with awards at the Australian Home Based Business Awards ceremony held in August during the Australian Business and IT Expo.

Federal Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy, the Hon. Dr Craig Emerson, presented the Australian Home Based Business Awards Finalist’s Certificate to Julie & John Sanders from Coaching for Excellence.

The awards attracted a diverse representation of the home-based business sector- an industry on the rise with more than 67 per cent of small businesses based in the home. The best-performed businesses in the areas of merchandising, business services, trade services, hospitality / farming and personal services were selected.

Awards Organiser John Gannan said the judges were looking for businesses that showed innovation in each of the five award categories. He said the awards were a great opportunity for small businesses to gain recognition for their products.

“The awards are about recognition, which builds self confidence, self esteem and professionalism. An increase in recognition leads to an increase in business.”

Coaching for Excellence Continues its SUCCESS

Coaching for Excellence owned by local business entrepreneurs Julie and John Sanders, has this week been named finalists in two of the country’s most prestigious business awards.
The Australian Small Business Champion Awards 2008 is a prestigious and comprehensive program that supports and recognises small businesses across Australia.
Offering a unique opportunity to highlight Australia’s most outstanding small businesses, the awards seek to recognise the hard work that business owners contribute to the local community in generating employment for millions of Australians, as well as their contribution to the Australian economy.
The awards are the pinnacle of business success. They recognise the values associated with successful businesses.

The awards were held at the Hilton Hotel on 16th August. Coaching for Excellence has been recognised for its commitment to business and community, with acknowledgement by both the major sponsor Commonwealth Bank’s Business Banking Unit and Government.

Coaching for Excellence is also a National Finalist in the Australian Home Based Business Awards 2008 which proves that small business can achieve brilliant results when they plan well and operate with the highest of values.

Coaching for Excellence provides training and coaching solutions to individuals, private companies and Government, from long term unemployed to successful business owners.

The name truly identifies what the business is about, Coaching for Excellence believe that all people irrespective of income or demographic can excel when they choose to step up and commit to their future.

National Home Based Business Awards 2008

Coaching for Excellence are National Finalists in the 2008 Australian Home Based Business Awards

The awards attract a diverse representation of the home-based business sector- an industry on the rise with more than 67 per cent of small businesses based in the home.

“The awards are about recognition, which builds self confidence, self esteem and professionalism. An increase in recognition leads to an increase in business.”

The Australian Small Business Champion Awards 2008

Coaching for Excellence are Victorian Finalists in the Australian Small Business Champion Awards 2008

The Australian Small Business Champion Awards is a prestigious and comprehensive program that supports and recognises small businesses across Australia.

Offering a unique opportunity to highlight Australia’s most outstanding small businesses, the awards seek to recognise the hard work that business owners contribute to the local community in generating employment for millions of Australians, as well as their contribution to the Australian economy.

The awards are the pinnacle of business success. They recognise the values associated with successful businesses.

Reaching YOUR Employment Potential

Coaching for Excellence would like to introduce their latest program, Reaching YOUR Employment Potential.

This program has been designed to develop and enhance skills of the long term unemployed in job searching while increasing self esteem and confidence. We will support you to find a secure and successful future.

This program will firstly identify to participants that they do have choices in life. To start creating a shift in the participant’s mindset! We feel that participants need to have basic awareness around choice; this basic awareness needs to come before any business related skills/training.
Its intention is to give participants the simple awareness that they do have choices and that it is up them to make good choices. They do not have to endure their current situation.
These important choices relate to friends, family, career and their future – who do you, mix with and what is the real effect on your life from having those people around – good or otherwise?
The program will share real life examples about real people that have overcome huge challenges to enjoy real success – it will happen if YOU Choose.
This program then leads into a second area that relates specifically to skills needed to prepare participants at a basic level for employment and a new direction – possibly both career and life!

Being a Friend

Julie is currently working on a program to implement into our Schools to work with children who are classed as bullies. This program has evolved out of the need to reduce the impact bullying has on our children which can affect their self esteem not only while the bullying is happening to them but also the repercussions can stay with them into adulthood.

Julie has through her own experience found that the victim’s have resources and support available to assist them through the the trauma of bullying. The bully is often disciplined or even suspended and although some learn their lesson others lack empathy and remorse for what they have done. This aim of this program is to understand what makes a child be a bully. This program is to take children who are considered to be showing signs of negative behaviors and teach them new ways of communicating with their peers, and to gain attention through positive actions rather than bullying, it will teach these children about the actions they take and the consequences of those actions.

Julie is currently being supported by teachers, Victorian Police Members and The Alannah Madeline Foundation to make this happen. The program will bring together like minded people from various backgrounds to work with children in a safe and nurturing environment, teaching them essential life tools to allow them to grow into outstanding role models of the future. If you have a story to share on how bullying has affected your life or would like to contribute in any way please contact Julie on 0438 871 892 or

Your Excellence Connection

The Year of……………..?

The New Year has started with a bang.
Has your business stepped into the year with a confident stride with some new goals and strategies?

Evaluate what you are doing right. Making money is the goal of every business and we usually focus on things we want to change. See how you can continue or increase your commitment to the positive ways you currently run your business. Ask yourself what three major strengths can we continue to use in the growth of our business in 2008?

Treat your employee’s right. If you’re starting 2008 with experienced, motivated employees, you’ve probably treated them well last year. Companies are realising the importance of finding and keeping their best staff.  It means providing a dynamic, healthy and rewarding workplace, not just a pay cheque. And as big business has globalized, it means respecting human rights and accepting the challenges. Go the extra mile. The more you give the more you get.

Increase your efforts with your customers. If the economy turns sour in 2008, your customers are going to have to make some cuts. Make sure you’re not the one on the chopping block by working with them, serving them well, and making sure they don’t forget you. Research shows that, in reality poor service is the number one issue driving customers away from your business, customers who are exposed to negative servicing are highly likely to leave, with examples of negative servicing include being passed around in a call centre’s, having the phone put down on them, poor product knowledge and hidden fees and charges.

Increasing your sales; It´s important to speak with the right person or the persons who can help you close the deal. The decision maker is the key to moving any business deal forward. However, sometimes you need to deal with two or three different people to get to the right person. Often times the person who signs the check isn´t necessarily the person who makes the decision on what the firm is looking for. If you´ve ever set an appointment with someone who has no buying power or authority then you understand how important getting to the right person the first time.

Back up your data. How often do we hear of businesses losing precious data when a computer system crashes? We have had several major disasters and a hard drive crash; luckily we learnt the importance of constantly backing up and do this on a regular basis. Ideally, store your backup data in another location.

Keep learning. Whether you work alone or have employees, you are your company’s most important asset. Go to seminars, read, take classes, and learn new skills. Your brain is your most important business asset so continue to stimulate it. Success and progress towards achieving your goals in life begin with knowing where you are going. Your mental attitude gives power to everything you do. If your attitude is positive, your actions and thoughts further your ends? If your attitude is negative, you are constantly undermining your own efforts.

Your Excellence Connection Winter 2008

Winter 2008 now taps at our door.

Whether you live someplace mild, rainy, cold, or downright freezing, chances are you’re spending a good portion of your days indoors. Too little sunshine and fresh air can really damper your enthusiasm.

Business can reflect nature, and can be a time, of slowing down,. Our natural inclination is to cosy up around the heater, and to accept that business and life are to slow down.

This gives us the perfect space to reflect both professionally and personally on our goals and where we are in relation to getting the job done.

What seeds. do you want to plant for spring?

Who do you need to connect with?

What opportunities do I need to follow through on?

Use the off-season to strategize, develop marketing plans, and lay the foundation for when things get hectic again. Take the time to do that training course you have been putting off.

Winter does not always have to be a time to slow down. One of the best ways to become motivated, to reignite your motivation, or to stay motivated… is to associate with people who themselves are motivated.

New skills to serve you better

John believes that personal growth is achieved by continually adding new skills to your tool kit. John walks the talk and in order to serve his clients even better has now qualified as a Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Practitioner of Ericksonian Hypnosis.

If you have any boundaries you need assistance breaking through or old habits you need to break then call John now on 0418 340 851.

The Australian Small Business Champion Awards 2007

The ‘Australian Small Business Champion Awards’ is a prestigious and comprehensive award that supports and recognises small businesses throughout the nation. The Awards seek to recognise the hard work that business owners contribute in the retail, service and manufacturing Industries. The program also acknowledges the vision, dedication and outstanding level of customer service of successful small businesses. The Hon. Fran Bailey MP is Patron for the Awards. Award sponsors are the Commonwealth Bank Local Business Banking and the Australian Government, associate sponsors PKF Chartered Accountants, CPA Australia, Quicken and Fairfax Community Newspapers.

Julie & John Sanders from Coaching for Excellence are Victorian finalists in the “New Business” category.  Coaching for Excellence’s dedication to small business through small workshops, presentations and coaching have been rewarded at the highest levels.  Last year Coaching for Excellence was a national finalist in the Home Based Business Awards.  Coaching for Excellence will continue to support businesses to achieve growth and success in reaching their goals and beyond.

The Honourable Minister for Small Business Mr Joe Helper congratulated Coaching for Excellence for their achievements,