How I met Dee

I met Dee at a networking event in 2018 when I had been a chiropractor for 6 years and had my own clinic in Loughborough. I instantly connected with Dee and was keen to set up a coffee date and see how we could work together. We did just that and I was impressed not only with Dee’s knowledge, but her passion. I arranged a session with her straight away, as I knew it would be a worthwhile investment into not only my business but for me too. 

Working with Dee

Initially, I worked with Dee on my Business Plan and valuing my business as a buyer was interested in my chiropractic business. She did challenge me on the business finances and showed me how I could be making more profit and get a larger figure for my business sale based on projections. I am awful at finances and figures, so Dee was a big help. Dee helped me make a tough decision and, in the end, I decided to keep my business and I am so glad that I did. She also challenged me on some of the outgoings of the business, and with her advice I was able to make an informed decisions. In 2019, I downsized my business and reduced my outgoings. I am much happier; my business is thriving, and my profit has increased.  Who would have believed it.  

As well as a chiropractor I have a passion for mental health.  I’ve been writing a mental health blog for the last 3 years and it’s been so successful that I’ve been asked to write the book. I also qualified as a life coach this year and I specialise in mental health. Dee made me see that I could be a well-known name in mental health and a voice for those that suffer with mental health difficulties. She is so encouraging, and she pushed me to set up a second website for my mental health business, which again I’m so glad that I did. She also came up with the idea of setting up a social enterprise and helped me write the Business Plan and complete the funding application in one of our sessions. 

I now have a monthly session with Dee and I always look forward to them. It helps me stay accountable and focused on the goals that we set each month. Dee is great at motivating me and is so encouraging, she helps me stay focussed even when things are tough.

Benefits realised

Since working with Dee, we have:

Overall

I love working with Dee and I can highly recommend working with her, you won’t regret it and it will probably be the best investment your business ever makes. It is an incredible business investment. I have grown not only in knowledge but in confidence since working with Dee. 

Jodi Kate Skillen

Manual therapist, mental health blogger, writer, and mental health coach.

www.jodikateskillen.com

www.bipolarmummy.com

How I met Dee

In September 2018, I was made redundant from De Montfort University where I had worked since 2005. My own business, Conversations With Impact, was at that stage a side-line interest and never intended as my main focus. Overnight, redundancy meant it became exactly that.

I knew I could provide coaching and therapy, but what I did not know was how to run a business. A friend, who had worked with Dee, suggested I contact her, so I did. Within approximately one minute I knew I would be working with Dee.

Working with Dee

I got what I expected from Dee in terms of business knowledge and expertise, but that was only half the story. Dee was relentlessly supportive and over time I knew that she was thinking about me outside of our scheduled sessions. The value she provided was evident as my business was changing in front of my very eyes. By the time I finished my first period of working with Dee, my financial position was transformed and I had a record numbers of clients. 

I knew that I would work with Dee again even if I did not expect this to happen with the arrival of the coronavirus. The coronavirus decimated my existing business, but it also provided me with an opportunity. I had always wanted to take my business in new directions, but as before I didn’t know how to make that happen. Dee is showing me how.

Benefits realised

Overall

The final thing I would say about Dee is that she is very supportive and also appropriately challenging. It is not always comfortable talking to Dee, but business is not a comfortable endeavour and Dee never shies away from telling it how it is.

I can’t recommend Dee highly enough. 

Mark Evans 

 

www.conversationswithimpact.co.uk

info@conversationswithimpact.co.uk

How I met Dee

I was introduced to Dee, after a friend shared her Facebook post, offering a day of business coaching sessions where, 100% of the proceeds were going to charity. That really caught my eye, she was using her expertise to help many others. So I booked. Eighteen months later, I am still working with Dee.  This may seem like a long time, and you may be wondering what I have been doing during this time! Well, I’ve worked with Dee on my counselling business initially and then she began to support me to set up a non-profit which has given birth to Cuddle Bears. 

Working with Dee

I’m that person, who always has ideas and I admit, I get carried away.  With Dee, I’m not sure what she does, she seems to have a magic superpower.  I’m good with ideas but lack business know how, but I just didn’t know it!  Dee listens to my idea, and then she asks questions, these are usually things I haven’t even considered, even though I’ve spent a considerable amount of time, by this point, thinking through my idea.

This then follows a sort of reshaping. Ideas remain intact, but Dee adds in the framework and structure necessary for success.   I always go away from sessions, thinking, “blimey, what happened then!” and I have a little chuckle.  I always come away feeling like I have a proper business in my hands.   Not just an idea which never seems to come to fruition, no matter how much social media I do and watching webinars on ‘how to’.  I might add, Dee’s reshaping of an idea into a viable business model, happens within the first 5 mins, she doesn’t muck about.

The other thing that jumps out about Dee, is that she has valuable knowledge of local people, businesses, and services etc that has helped Cuddle Bears to get known and tap into other avenues of help.  She should be on the panel of ‘dragons’ den’, that will give you an idea of what she is like. Supportive, a cheerleader, a no-nonsense sort of women who works very hard for you in the session and out.  It’s not unusual to hear from Dee between sessions either, she seems to carry the people she is working with in her mind/handbag!   Whenever an idea, contact or event pops into her mind that would benefit Cuddle Bears she lets me know.

As a counsellor by trade, I can spot someone a mile off who wants to be liked or says things just to be liked.  This isn’t Dee, she is not shy about saying when she’s not keen about something, but she always gives me a solution, I’m never ever left with a problem.  I also love how after every coaching session I get a written record to remind me of what has been agreed and what actions to take.  This helps to keep me on track and past records help me to see how far I’ve come.

Benefits realised

Since working with Dee, I have:

Overall

Because I am a head in the clouds type of gal, I get carried away with ideas, often going down the wrong route and wasting time, wasting money and often feeling I’ve failed.  The difference now is that I have someone who has the experience I don’t have no matter how many webinars I watch and books I read.  Dee keeps me accountable and pushes me to succeed and this has made all the difference.  Dee is the architect who puts in the right structure and framework for success yet can adapt where necessary, it’s as simple as that.  If you don’t want to waste time on trying things out leading to disappointment, work with Dee, she will sort you out.  

Wendie Ralphs

www.cuddlebears.co.uk

How I met Dee

Having spent many years as a classroom science  teacher I was beginning to feel that the career was no longer for me; I still loved teaching but was finding that the job itself was more about other aspects of the role than educating. I had for some time been playing with the idea that I could still teach science but using the outdoors and drawing on a range of outdoor skills including Bushcraft. 

The push to commit happened over Christmas 2019. My first contact with Dee came about through a recommendation from my Accountant Kayleigh from Darcey and Bate. 

At the first meeting with Dee I was impressed with her knowledge and understanding but what clinched it was that I was not about to be pushed into a mould that was pre-prepared. Dee listened. 

Within a very short time of going onto the retainer package with Dee I had a real idea of how “teaching in the woods” could be made into a business. She was especially good at ensuring that I did not underprice myself and helped me with the early approaches to schools with business proposals and how to build and maintain an online presence through my website and social media. I confess that I did not always do what she suggested, I still retain a level of cynicism about local media, but in spite of this, it does seem to work.

Working with Dee

We have been working with Dee since our formation as a company. Through much of this time it has been through Dee’s quarterly rolling package which has meant that I have been able to have very quick turnaround on questions and the chance to chat on the phone outside our scheduled meetings. With the events of this year and our shift towards online resources we are currently working on a ‘Pay as we go’ basis but we expect to return to the more consistent help once our finances and the work market allows us to. 

From our first meeting Dee was developing a plan for me to follow. Initially the list of jobs was huge but she prevented me from being overwhelmed by ensuring that it was broken down into small enough chunks that it always felt achievable. Her support throughout the early stages of building the company allowed me to grow into the role, while her support kept me moving in the right direction.

She learned that I need lists very early on! She set the priorities and, if I was feeling that I was unable to cope with tasks she was also there to lead me through it. She has supported us with anything from recruitment to the application processes for a huge government grant – getting through to the second stage on this was a massive achievement.

Benefits realised

Since working with Dee, we have:

Overall

I can say with no question in my mind that were it not for Dee I would probably be back in a classroom teaching supply. I now have a company that allows me to teach in the way that I feel is needed and one that I also enjoy, this could not have happened without Dee. If you are balancing on the edge of thinking that you have an idea that might become a business but are not sure how to continue Dee will be able to help. We put Dee in contact with a friend, she now has a thriving professional photography business.

www.feralscience.co.uk
Facebook: @feralscience
Instagram: @feralscienceltd

Rupert and Patricia Loch
Co-Directors
Feral Science Limited

Creating a business that has a value to be sold.

You thought long and hard when you set up your business. You put in countless hours building your business. You made sacrifices, managed stresses, and celebrated the successes. You put your heart and soul into your business.

But what happens when the time comes to move on, retire, or do something new?

Have you created a value in your business? A value in the business that it works and is successful without you?

If not, then did you know that this will greatly affect the potential sale valuation of your business.

I meet many business owners who never spent time thinking about how they will exit their business and the value of it without them. They feel that thinking about exit while running the business shows lack of commitment. But that’s not the case.

It is about making sure the efforts, heartache, challenges overcome and successes you achieve deliver a benefit not just now, but create a legacy for you.

If you wait until you are ready to sell to think of these things it may be too late as a savvy buyer will do their due diligence and know you are simply ‘cleaning’ the business to make attractive for sale.

Start thinking of your exit plan and dreams now to maximise the chances of it being achieved.  It is normal to start this at least 3 years before business sale.

If you would like support on your exit strategy then do get in touch with me, using the Contact Me page.

Following up contact from customers is not only basic etiquette … it should be the heart of your business.

I hear so many stories of where people have been let down by others. For example, where a business:

There are lots of reasons why the above could happen. Lack of time. Lack of resource. Lack of skills. Other priorities. Perhaps even lazy.

BUT the upshot of a lack of FOLLOWING UP is interpreted by the other party as:

Personally, my view is simple. 

The customer (current and prospect) should be at the heart of everything you do. 

If you receive a call, email, tweet,etc then RESPOND. Even if it is a complaint. In fact, even more so if it is a complaint. The power of your response can turn even a negative situation into a positive depending on how it is handled.  This should be part of your Sales Strategy and Account Management Strategy. 

Here are some stats:

So, prioritise your communication strategy. Prioritise your customer engagement strategy. Develop a process to enable prompt followup. Create an environment where the customer is the heart of your business and watch the business grow.

If you would like support on reviewing your follow up strategy then do get in touch with me, using the Contact Me page.

How I met Dee

I met Dee, through a recommendation from a friend of mine who is also a client of hers.  I had been running a photography business alongside my core career as a teacher for some years.  The Covid pandemic made me question my lifestyle and realise I needed to do what I loved, photography.

So I called Dee and we had a Zoom coffee.  I instantly knew that she knew her stuff and would be there for me to help me on my journey to go full time into my photography business.

Working with Dee

Dee is amazing.  She has such a breadth of knowledge and experience that she can apply to any business. She can quickly understand specific market sectors and what can influence growth within them, helping to shape business plans and growth strategies. 

The first thing we did, in our first session was to write my business plan.  This is not something I am comfortable with, however Dee made it easy.  During the session she asked many questions, we chatted, she challenged and without me even realising she was taking notes and creating the business plan.  How her mind can work like that I do not know… but it does.  She chats, thinks, challenges, takes notes and then with the click of a button shares her screen and shows a business plan bespoke to my business, along with clear action plans.  

From there, Dee would always say ‘the devil is in the detail’ and from one session to the next we would tackle core strategies and action plans.  From creating branding, to packages, to pricing structures and more.  She would help me to develop these.  Working with her is easy as not only is she so approachable, but she clearly knows her stuff.  That being said, she will not hold back and will say if she does not agree with an idea or decision and will always hold me accountable for delivering actions in between sessions.

I have now been working with Dee for six months, and she is like a partner to me in my business.  She gets involved with everything and I can truly say she has given me great support throughout.

Benefits realised

Since working with Dee, we have:

Overall

It doesn’t matter what size your business is.  I am a startup and I know she gives me the same quality of support she gives to her larger clients.  If you are ready to grow, ready to step outside of your comfort zone, knowing she is there to help, then call Dee.  I honestly would not have had the success I have had without her help, support, guidance, knowledge and honesty.  It really will transform your business, and your own business confidence.

Fiona Middleton 
Fiona Millington Photography

https://www.fionamillingtonphotography.com/

How I met Dee

I met Dee at the start of 2019.  I had just setup Fabric Recruitment and wanted to get things right first time.  Dee was recommended to me by colleagues in my parent company Route4 Solutions, who had come across Dee through her insightful and helpful social media posts.  As soon as we met, I knew she was right to support me and my business.

Working with Dee

 I love working with Dee.  She has the perfect balance of support and challenge.  She isn’t afraid to give her opinion, even when she knows it may not be what I want to hear.  She helps me to create the business roadmap to deliver my vision, and the various strategies to get results.  Of course, being a new business, resources are limited and she can very quickly help prioritise strategies and action plans to make a difference to results faster.  

Nothing is ever too much trouble for Dee.  She pre-empts business issues and is proactive in her approach.  

Having worked with her for over a year now, she is a coach, mentor, advisor and member of the team too.  I couldn’t ask for more.

Things haven’t gone perfect over this time.  Covid 19 hit and Fabric sadly came to a standstill as recruitment activity in the market place stopped.  So although, I had to pause my retainer support with Dee, I knew she was always thinking about me and this was evident by calls and emails of opportunities she had come across to help get Fabric back up and running.  Some of these weren’t even core to our business model, but in the pandemic, she was very clear about the need to understand our USP, and see how it can transferred to other markets.

As the recruitment market re-started, I had no hesitation in starting to work with Dee again.  In just a few short weeks, with clarity and focus of our approach, we have already started to achieve great results and the pipeline is looking fabulous.  Together we have identified new services and packages to offer existing clients to support them even more through the pandemic.  There are always new opportunities to be explored with Dee.  She never sees a problems, only challenges to overcome.

Over this time, Dee has also supported our parent company and sister companies, looking at overall business planning and creating an consolidated business support proposition for the market.

Benefits realised

Since working with Dee, we have:

Overall

Being a business owner can be lonely, even if you have a team.  We started our businesses as we had a passion and expertise in what we did.  However, there are so many things we need to know about making business successful and truly taking a business from good to great to awesome.  That is Dee’s passion and expertise.  If you are ready for growth, then call her.  You will not regret it.  Not only is she so knowledgeable, but she is absolutely lovely too.

Katie Pass
Founder and Owner

Fabric Recruitment

How I met Dee

Pre 2018 were tough years for Imperial, with a significant amount of time and focus needed to turnaround our business performance.  Basic controls and disciplines were needed from improved stock management, to debtor control, to product range and more.  These foundations enabled stability in our performance.

Then in Jan 2018, Barclays invited me to a Business Growth seminar, being led by Dee Beckett at Mosaic.  I knew that things needed to change even more at Imperial, and that there were huge opportunities for growth.  However, I wasn’t sure how and what to do next.

At the workshop, Dee came across as incredibly down to earth, approachable and honest.  Although she doesn’t have experience of the roofing sector, she quickly understood our issues and more importantly identified opportunities for growth during the session.  

Working with Dee

Working with Dee is simple.  There is no fuss. Nothing is too much trouble.  Plus, she is highly flexible in her approach so month to month we focus on what matters to the business results.  With Dee, getting great business results is a given.  What we didn’t expect is the reduction in stress.  As we are on her retainer package, we know we can call her as often as needed throughout the month to help with problems, use as a sounding board and get honest feedback.  It is always honest feedback from Dee.  She will say it like it is, even if she knows it isn’t what we want to hear as she will always have our best interests at heart.

I have now been working with Dee for nearly three years, and she is like a Director of the business.  She gets involved with all the strategic planning through to the detailed decision making ensuring everything is aligned to our long term growth plans and vision.  She works with us and helps us to create our business plan and then breaks it down into manageable strategies, projects and action plans.  All with clearly defined targets and return on investments calculated so we can review and measure what is working, what is not and quickly adapt and change.  This is how we were able to flex our business model so quickly during the pandemic and continue to go from strength to strength.

Benefits realised

Since working with Dee, we have:

Overall

If you are a business owner, then call Dee.  You will not regret it.  The investment in her will be the best decision you will make.  She will help you, guide you, and do much of the work for you in a fraction of the time it would take anyone else to do it, and get you incredible results too.  

Graham Colbourne
Managing Director

Imperial Roofing Supplies UK Ltd
https://www.imperialroofingsuppliesuklimited.co.uk/

Too low, too high or just right?

An emotive subject. Do we have one price for all? Tiered pricing structure? Discounts? Promotions? Do we copy competitors? 

So many options. So many strategies.  Shall I tell you a secret? The secret is…..

Know YOUR worth.

Believe in YOUR worth, based on your USP, your differentiation and how this addresses the challenges of your target market.

Your price / your worth as a minimum should reflect your:

Then comes the hard bit.  You have created your pricing strategy.  But:

Now comes my second secret.

I don’t see it as a price, nor a cost.

Never have – even in my corporate career. 

Every cost is an investment being made for a reason. An investment to make things better. To improve their performance, their confidence, their customer experience, deliver their goal etc. Every cost should have a return on investment.

So my advice… create the story and help them to visualise this return on investment.  Help them imagine what business would be like with that investment and how challenging it can continue to be without it.  Then once the business has been won, make sure you DELIVER YOUR PROMISE to get loyalty, repeat sales, referrals, and testimonials.

If you would like support on reviewing your pricing strategy then do get in touch with me, using the Contact Me page.