Coventry Electrical contractor Paul Southwell has seen his turnover more than treble and profits soar, thanks to Helen Brewster from ATL Solutions. Over more than a decade in business, Paul was at a crossroads. Although the company was established and successful, he wasn’t making enough money for the hours he was working. Paul even considered putting the company behind him and moving abroad. He resolved to stay, but didn’t want the same pattern to continue year in, and year out. So he turned to Helen Brewster for help with what to do.
As his business coach and mentor, Helen helped Paul to decide to grow Switched On Electrical from a sole trader, into a company with structure and policies. She has given Paul the space at monthly meetings to explore the challenges he faces. The process helps to identify areas and tasks for Paul to complete, so there is always forward momentum. This has led to big changes. The company now has an employee appraisal system, an upgraded website and branding, a pricing structure and a sales pipeline. Helen has also introduced useful experts to help with specific issues, such as HR and IT.
As a result of Helen’s guidance, Paul’s business has been transformed:
• Turnover is 250% up over four years and bigger profits have enabled reinvestment in the company.
• Virtually all the company’s work used to be domestic, now more than half is commercial.
• Before Helen’s support, Paul had one contractor and an apprentice. Now he has four full-time staff, an apprentice, a part-time office member, and is looking to employ more.
• The company now has an employee appraisals system, upgraded website and branding, a pricing structure, sales pipeline and valuable new contacts.
• Paul has had the confidence to negotiate better deals with suppliers and meet with larger companies to understand their electrical requirements.
Helen gives me accountability, pushing me to achieve my goals. Her coaching makes me think about the business and how to drive it forward.
She has effectively changed me from a sole trader to a fully-fledged profitable company. She’s really good at finding out what you want, helping you along the way and letting you lead rather than doing it for you. The whole experience has been amazing.