Case Studies

Business Coaching Client Case Studies

1. Graphic Designer Pulls Off Two Businesses
Graphic designer and successful business owner Rachel Brandzel was pulled into many directions when she became a client: she was running a successful stationery retail store, she was in the process of starting another larger stationery business with a business partner, and she was facing some challenging personal issues. Business coaching has enabled Rachel to take a step back, look at the bigger picture, and receive feedback on all aspects of her business in order to take concrete actions.

Since we started working together, Rachel has accomplished several critical goals. She has implemented a successful marketing plan for her new business - resulting in sales growth as projected in her business plan. She has put in place regular weekly meetings with each of her staff members in order to support their productivity. She has also implemented a regular review process with her staff and made a few painful, yet necessary, employee decisions. While Rachel still has many challenges ahead, she says business coaching gives her:

“the opportunity to be more strategic and forward thinking about my businesses that is way beyond that daily routine of fighting fires. Urs gives me a place to express my thoughts and feelings about my business that is objective and motivating.”

Check out Rachel's stationery businesses at: www.realcardcompany.com and www.realcardstudio.com

2. Writer Makes Life Dream a Reality
Freelance writer Shannon Perry had a big dream when she became a client. She was in the final stages of writing her first children's book manuscript and wanted to publish it, but had no idea how.
During our work together, Shannon started to think and act out of the box in order to achieve her lifetime dream. Instead of going the traditional way of trying to find a publisher, she formed a partnership with a friend and set up a small, independent publishing company. This enabled her to establish the funds necessary for publication.

In the past, Shannon always felt slightly awkward in the business environment. Our business coaching sessions have helped her to work through those negative feelings and to become considerably more structured and productive. Besides setting up the company, Shannon finished the manuscript and worked on the layout of the book. She developed a marketing plan, developed a website, and a newsletter and kept her enterprise moving even when it all seemed too much!

In January 2003 her children's book "Marietta and the Creeping Nasties" has been published and is selling in bookstores around the country (www.mariettaandthecreepingnasties.com).

Executive Coaching Client Case Studies

Coming Soon!

Financial Consulting Client Case Studies

Seattle Running Company Doubles Bottom Line In The First Quarter of ‘05
Client Seattle Running Company, whose owner has recently been featured very prominently in ‘Trail Running Magazine’, increased their bottom line in the first quarter of 2005 by almost 100 % over the average of all the previous years’ first quarters.

Seattle Running Company has been a client for about the last eight months. The task at the beginning of our engagement was clear: Help them improve their bottom line and cash flow.

Together we analyzed the current state of their finances. Among other things we benchmarked them against the industry and performed a break-even analysis. We found that their current sales were only just supporting their expenses and in order to get back to financial health, Seattle Running Company needed to either cut costs, increase revenue, or preferably do both (no surprises there, we realized).

We started with the cost-cutting plan. We systematically went through the Income Statement and tried to squeeze some dollars wherever it would not hurt their business. As a result, Seattle Running Company was able to reduce payroll expenses by 4 % of sales (without firing anyone!) and reduce rent expenses significantly.

Another important part of the cost-cutting plan was the weekly budget meetings: The owners put a detailed ‘05 budget together and went through the Income Statement line item by line item, assigning responsibilities to the appropriate staff member for each line item. The owners then started to conduct weekly budget meetings with their staff during which each person was held accountable for their part of the costs.

Currently SRC is starting the second phase of our plan, increasing their revenue; stay tuned for results.
For all your running gear needs, check out Seattle Running Company.