When David Connell, Managing Director of AMT Shotblast first met ActionCOACH Wakefield’s Alex Colebrook, his business was in an untenable position. Having taken over five years ago when his mother passed away and his father was unable to manage the business effectively, David faced numerous challenges.

Unreliable, resistant staff and mounting debts left him contemplating selling the business and making a return to his previous career.

However, in a just a few weeks of working with Alex, David’s mindset had shifted from a mentality of merely sustaining the business, to one of actively growing it. This included setting clear financial targets and striving to surpass them. “Now, our mentality is that we’re running a business, we should be making money. It’s like an addiction now!”

Alex also introduced a structured approach to business operations and planning, guiding David in setting up processes that would lead to sustainable growth. It is this support and accountability that David found invaluable. “He makes me accountable for my plans, actions… He doesn’t tell me what to do, but he gives me lots of food for thought.”

And the benefits for David have been “fantastic” having seen a significant increase in revenue – £6,000 more per month compared to the previous year.

But perhaps more importantly, the business is now debt-free. Over a three-month period, David managed to pay off a £26,000 debt while still making a profit, relieving a substantial burden from the business. “I couldn’t have done that beforehand. I cried tears of joy”.

While Alex’s coaching has been integral to the financial success of the business, for David personally, the transformation to his confidence and vision for the future has made the biggest impact. “I feel confident that I could sell the business and look people in the eye, saying, We’re pretty good at what we do – let me prove it.”

He is no longer considering selling the business and is instead planning for expansion. “My mind’s constantly thinking … what can we do to improve ourselves and move forward”.

Unsurprisingly, David would wholly recommend ActionCOACH Wakefield. “It’s invaluable. We all need a coach like Alex in our lives to improve and get better.”