UK entrepreneur’s mission: to reverse ‘8 out of 10 SME failure’ statistic
22 June 2011
Roger Philby, CEO and Founder of HR consultancy, The Chemistry Group, credits every bit of his better fortune to the unique coaching and business-growth tools offered by Shirlaws. In fact, he liked the business so much, he’s bought into it.
“We could go on about the economy and how hard it is for SMEs to increase their top line, make ends meet, avoid maxing credit cards and keep family together. But these aren’t economy related problems. Eighty percent of SMEs, we’ve all heard before, are likely to fail within 5 years.
“I fundamentally believe if we can get the Shirlaws coaching system working in SMEs early enough, we can reverse the failure statistic to ‘8 out of 10 SMEs succeed’.
“We know that people aren’t buying a lot right now. To counteract that, companies have to focus on efficiency first and foremost.”
The Shirlaws’ technique works on efficiency to increase profit first. It does this with coaching and a unique set of tools, originally created in Australia and being used around the world. With stronger foundations in place, establishing growth becomes the focus. The Shirlaws system flows entirely through Philby’s Chemistry Group now.
“But it’s not just about money,” emphasised Philby. “The success of a business is intrinsically linked to the owner’s disposition. It takes over. I was massively busy, clients loved what we did. But because my business wasn’t doing well financially, I was grouchy, concerned, struggling. Shirlaws gave me the tools to work less and spend more time with my family, yet make ten times as much profit. I am working less but because we’re building the business efficiently, we are making more.
Small business owners start with a passion, explained Philby. “They are very good at offering things people want to buy from them. But most people don’t start with the skillset to efficiently run a business. Infrastructure like customer relationship management or reporting systems are not built in. The people who don’t adapt are the ones that go under. Simple as that. That’s what Shirlaws does; it provides the skills and tools to remove barriers and forge ahead efficiently.”
Free introductory workshops are being hosted by Philby to learn from his experiences, ask the questions that really matter, plus understand how Shirlaws tools and coaches create business success.
Shirlaws coaching is suited for companies with 4+ staff minimum, with a turnover in excess of £125k. A company of this size could expect to pay £2.5k per month and gain quickROI through face to face coaching, support processes, as well as 24/7 phone support and access to all tools and online resources.
Coaches guide business owners through 20 key areas to drive sustainable and profitable growth. They also manage specific projects to deliver results and fast return on investment, perhaps removing cultural blocks or creating efficiency methodologies.
For less than 4 employees, start-ups or those wishing to get a taste of the Shirlaws ‘way’, one-day workshops costing £1500 will teach entrepreneurs about Shirlaws tools and how to apply them straightaway.
Philby will split his time between his existing and brand new business. The Chemistry Group is an award-winning HR consultancy with a team of experts working with FTSE 100 companies. He will also work with Shirlaws coaches to support SMEs so they have the tools to build their businesses efficiently.