How do strategy sessions work?
The Joy of Business strategy sessions with Julia Chanteray take a half day. We look at where your business is now and where you want it to be in the short, medium and long term.
Most importantly, we work out exactly what you need to do, right now to start making a real difference in your business. We answer some key questions, such as:
- What do our customers really want?
- Why aren’t we making enough money?
- What should our pricing be?
- Do we need to develop new products and services?
- How can we move forward when we don’t have enough cash/resources/time/staff?
By the end of the afternoon, you’ll be clear about where your business is going. You might have learnt some hard truths about what’s really going on, as these sessions can revolutionise your business. We’ll develop an implementation plan (with dates and SMART goals) for the next 6-12 months, which will cover money, what you need to learn about, and how to prioritise what you spend your time on.
What will you walk away with?
- Clarity of thought and purpose
- A list of priorities
- Some brilliant ideas about how to change your business
- A realistic idea of how to go forward
Most importantly, you’ll know what you have to do next.
What happens afterwards?
We all know what it’s like, you go on a training course, or spend some time planning the future, and a week later, you’ve completely forgotten what you promised you’d do, and you’re back to doing exactly the same thing. To make sure that you can make real changes in your business, I’ll ring you later (of course you can phone or email me with your questions as well) and make sure that you are putting the new ideas into practice.
Can you give me an example?
Sure. I recently worked with a one person business which has been expanding rapidly over the last 12 months. The owner didn’t want to commit to regular business support as there wasn’t enough money in the budget yet, so we did a one off session to get her on the right track. She had a good marketing plan which was working well for her at the moment, but wasn’t sure about how to continue to expand the company, especially how she would be able to take on new staff.
So we worked out who were the other people she needed in the business (first a virtual assistant, then a part time admin person, and then a business development person). We decided how much she would need to pay these people and how much she would need to bring into the business to make sure that she could afford to pay their wages.
The result was a simple plan, but by the end of the afternoon, the business owner was clear about the next steps and she had some definite sales targets. It meant that she knew how many clients she needed to be able to afford new staff to help her with the business.
What is the difference between the strategy sessions and the business mentoring support?
The strategy sessions are good for getting really clear about your plan. Businesss mentoring and support means that you have a plan, plus someone in your corner on a long term basis to help you to implement and achieve what you want to do.
Strategy sessions are great if you’re not based in Brighton or London so you can’t see Julia regularly. They’re also great if you have a particular decision to make about your business (should I start this business, or should I develop this new product) or if you’ve got a bit stuck in your thinking.
That sounds great – how much does it cost?
Strategy sessions are £650 if they’re held in Brighton, £750 in London, and £995 for businesses outside of Sussex or London. Some people like to have the best of both worlds and come Brighton for a Friday afternoon session with Julia, and stay over in Brighton for a lovely weekend.
Business mentoring support is £395 per month for sessions in Brighton, and £595 per month in London.
You might be eligible for a grant to pay for some of the costs of business advice and mentoring.
How do I book a strategy session?
Give me a call on 01273 685363 or email me to book a time
If you're thinking about it, but want to know me better, why not subscribe to the email newsletter, start following me on twitter or get the blog, Julia Talks by RSS/email.
And if you want to know more about the clients I help, read about a couple of typical situations.
Julia Chanteray |
