It was out of sheer desperation that Adrian Brotherton, Co-Director of Wilson’s Truck Wash contacted ActionCOACH Wakefield. The business finances were stagnant, and Adrian and his co-director and brother, Mick, were “at loggerheads.”

Unable to see eye-to-eye on how they could turn the business around, and with the situation affecting their personal relationships and bank balances, they were at breaking point.

“We didn’t know which way to turn really, so I think if we hadn’t got some additional support, advice and guidance like we did, one of us would have left.”

When Jenni Morgan from ActionCOACH Wakefield became their coach, she began the process of introducing structure into the business and agreeing some clear goals and financial targets. While Mike freely admits he was dubious at first; “I thought, it’s not going to work”, they soon started to see swift progress.

One of the biggest changes Jenni encouraged the Directors to make was to stop telesales, and to instead focus their sales efforts on LinkedIn. “It’s really started to generate enquiries. It’s exceptional” says Adrian.

Mick is equally as enthusiastic about the strategy; “We’re getting new customers left, right and centre… LinkedIn has been a revelation this past year.”

But it’s not just new processes that Jenny has brought to the business. She has been a much-needed neutral advisor, a mediator even, that has enabled the brothers to listen to each other and see things from different perspectives.

While Adrian describes her as an “ally” Mick likens her to a “referee” during initial fractious moments, who was able to guide them to strategies that were best for the business.

Both Adrian and Mick value the accountability and focus that Jenni has brought them. They have regular meetings where they review the goals and tasks set previously. “Each of us is set separate goals, so we’re all individually accountable and as a result, the next time we progress further.”

The impact of Jenni’s coaching on the business has been significant. They’ve seen a 50% increase in turnover; something that just didn’t happen previously. “We used to sort of break-even regularly each year, and now we’ve got good clear profitable targets.”

And perhaps more importantly, the improvements have motivated everyone in the team, and there is a real sense of positivity and pride in their work. Both Adrian and Mick feel less stressed and their relationship is much more harmonious. “I actually enjoy coming to work now” Mick adds.

The brothers can’t speak highly enough about the support and guidance they have received from Jenni. Adrian would encourage any struggling small businesses to get in touch with ActionCOACH Wakefield and “just go for it.”