Trades Coaching: Adding value to building businesses

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Building Today focuses on a business that coaches other businesses — Trades Coaching New Zealand, and its director, and Building Today columnist, Terry Sage. Read how Terry has helped bring success to Registered Master Builder Darrell Trigg of Whangarei and, opposite, how a change of career could be a life changer for construction industry personnel looking for a fresh challenge . . .

 

Trades Coaching New Zealand has been featured in Building Today for around three and a half years now — it was June 2012 that the first Trades Coaching article made the headlines.

So what’s changed for Terry Sage in that time?

“Hard to answer that from all aspects, but as far as we know from the readers we have had contact with, huge amounts have changed,” Terry says.

“We get regular contact from trades companies asking questions, which we encourage and value, simply because it means we are being read. Call it an ego thing, but it means we are making a difference to readers.

“We have signed up clients through the subject of our many articles, which means we are hitting the right topics and they are ringing true with many of them.

“We have also fielded many inquiries regarding becoming a Trades Coach, which is great because the help needed is nationwide and, currently, we are not.

“So lots has happened and lots has changed. That’s not just my ego running away with itself though. Hear it from Darrell Trigg below, a well known face within the Registered Master Builders Association.”

Mr Trigg has been a past president of the Auckland RMBA and also a director of the national body.

On top of that he has been a client of Trades Coaching New Zealand for more than seven years, and he points out just a few areas in which he feels the coaching process has added value to his construction business.

“We have been using Terry as our business coach for seven years now,” Mr Trigg says.

“We chose the coaching process because for me it is a dynamic process that changes to whatever is topical for you in your business at a particular point in time.

“Be it cashflow, growth, marketing, managing subbies or whatever is important to your business at that point in time.

“The visits involve both myself and my wife Marlene who are the directors of the business.

“I find that having someone who looks at your issues from the outside in brings a refreshing view to the table, and we have certainly had some great ideas that we have put to good use in our business.

“Our business has gone through a few changes over time, but there have been two deliberate change/growth strategies we have implemented over the past few years — one of which the coaching process has recently helped immensely to plan and execute.

“I cannot speak highly enough of getting a business coach to help you out, mainly because the visits are about your business and what’s happening in it now, and how to deal with it.

“It fits around our timetable, and there’s no classrooms involved!”

Terry says his next line here should be, “so what are you waiting for — call today for your free business analysis session.” But it’s not.

“Now if you are about to buy a tall chair and a short rope then yes, call and do it now. Like, right now please, as the holidays are coming and I want us both to enjoy them,” he says.

“The reason I said it’s not is because the clients are many and varied, and for that we will be forever grateful — we being both the bank manager and the boss indoors. But the dilemma we are facing is having enough coaches to cover that client demand.

“Let me take a minute here to introduce the latest addition to the coaching family, Aaron Spence, who has come on board and will be covering Northland and the Far North.

 


Spence on why he became a Trades Coach


“I have worked for several companies and also owned two of my own. It was time for a change but I was not sure I could learn a completely new career from scratch again,” Mr Spence says.

“Becoming a Business Coach is a new career and was one that I had to learn, but most of the skill set is from my experience as a business owner.

“Having been through the good and the bad myself, I know exactly what my clients need. My biggest regret was not getting a coach myself when I was working 65 hours a week. I have to say although this is a new step for me it’s been easy, and so far the job satisfaction is huge.”

Terry says for him it’s not all about what has happened over the past four years, but more about what can happen in the next four.

“The construction industry is buoyant and strong. Yes, it has its issues, always has and always will — if it didn’t what would Mike Fox write about in Building Today every month?

“In the main though, it is moving ahead, companies are growing, new ones are being formed weekly and the number of liquidations are, thankfully, decreasing,” Terry says.

“However, we are still seeing the same problems from the slow times to the good times — and some of those problems are even more pronounced when the workload is high.

“Listen to Darrell — using a coach can help not only for the bad stuff but for the growth stuff also.

“Sitting here writing this, saying ‘Trades Coaching New Zealand can help you’, is one thing and, of course, it’s true, but helping people across the nation is a stretch to even us.

“So here’s a challenge to you. Who or what is a “you”? A ‘you’ is somebody who is:

Associated with the construction industry,

Has owned a company of your own,

Needs a change in career life,

Has building and business knowledge,

Wants to give back to an industry that has given you so much,

Wants footwear that does not have steel-capped toes,

Can’t deal with any more red tape,

Wants to work four days a week,

Has good communication skills,

Is happy to meet and help lots of great people,

Wants a new career with massive job satisfaction, and

Is happy with a six-figure income.

“Now don’t stress if you are missing one or even two of the above, or are that in love with steel-capped footwear — you may still qualify as a ‘you’.

“The challenge is take a moment, look at what you have, what you have done and what lies ahead if you carry on. Could a change of career be in the air?” he asks.

For many of us change is scary, especially when it comes to careers and livelihoods, but Terry says not to let that put you off exploring the possibilities.

“All that is being asked is to think about it, and if there is even the slightest glimmer, call 09 945 4880 for a chat. If we can start a Trades Coaching New Zealand coach in an area that is currently not covered the introductory offer is a never-to-be-repeated opportunity.”

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