ActionCOACH - The Coach with the Professional Approach

Generation Y might think that you run out of life when you turn 40, but those are precisely the people that Alan Edelmann is looking for. ‘I want to meet professional people with life skills and business experience who are ready to start something new,’ he says. ‘Unlike most franchisors, I actually want entrepreneurs. They will own or have sold a business or two, they’ll have around $500,000 in liquid assets and they’ll be both willing to learn and willing to use their experience for the good of others. In return, they’ll get an opportunity to create a business that is rewarding in every sense.’

The business Alan is talking about is ActionCOACH business coaching. One of the world’s top-ranked franchises with 1200 franchisees worldwide and many awards to its name, ActionCOACH helps business owners achieve higher profits and success. The company has been operating in New Zealand since 1999 and is now entering the next stage of its development with the appointment of 14 Regional Developer franchisees nationwide.

‘Business coaching has been one of the world’s major growth industries in the past ten years, and ActionCOACH is one of the top brands in the sector,’ Alan explains. ‘The recession has only served to prove the value of coaching. There’s no easy money out there any more and business owners have become conscious that if they don’t make changes, they may not be around next year. Those who invest will not just weather the storm – they’ll be ready to take advantage of their competitors’ weaknesses. At the same time, there’s an international trend for large companies to assign managers to work with business coaches to identify their own weaknesses and set trends for improvement. ActionCOACH has already evolved hugely since Brad Sugars created the company in Australia and now it is moving on to the next level.’

Build a professional services firm

Regional Developer franchises operate as professional services firms more like lawyers or accountants. Rather than coaching clients themselves, they employ people trained in the ActionCOACH system to deliver the programmes and get results. The Regional Developer manages administration, accounting, marketing and client development and receives full training and support in their role.

‘Coaches tend to be young entrepreneurs who move in and out of businesses all the time,’ Alan explains. ‘Regional Developers are the wise heads putting in place all the structures behind them to ensure that clients get the best possible consistent outcomes. In recent years, I’ve noticed that even accountants have started styling themselves as business coaches. But they don’t have the marketing and development experience that ActionCOACH does, nor the programmes to help clients improve and grow. That’s why we expect some of our Regional Developers to be add-ons to existing businesses like accountants. They can see the need, they have the client base and in many cases they will already have the administrative team – and even the office space – in place. In other cases, Regional Developers will manage stand-alone ActionCOACH businesses.’

An ActionCOACH Regional Developer will start with perhaps three employees including admin staff but can grow fast. ‘In some areas, we expect them to employ 6-12 coaches, with each one generating over $200,000 in their first year,’ says Alan. ‘By the third year, a Regional Developer’s practice should be turning over more than $5 million with a healthy profit margin after salaries. And we envisage some of the employees who start as junior coaches will eventually work their way up to partnership level, as in any other professional practice. This not only enables key staff to be rewarded but also provides an ultimate exit strategy for the Regional Developer.’

Qualities for success

Alan has been the master franchisor for ActionCOACH in New Zealand for many years. After developing the company as the number one coaching brand here, six years ago he went to the US to establish ActionCOACH in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Now he has returned with some new perspectives. ‘You know, Americans are nowhere near as entrepreneurial as Kiwis,’ he says. ‘They’re always worried about what the stock market is doing or the kids’ college fund. New Zealanders are much more willing to give something a try and ActionCOACH can help them achieve their full potential.’

So what qualities is Alan looking for in a Regional Developer? ‘They need to understand the business of business. They must want to help other businesses and make a difference in people’s lives. They should be entrepreneurial. They should have real business experience and be able to demonstrate achievement. They will be open-minded, enjoy personal and professional development and have the ability to grow and lead a team of energetic people in an exciting industry.

‘We are appointing just 14 Regional Developers throughout New Zealand in the next 12 months and some franchisees may take more than one area if they have the management skills and resources to do so. Above all else, we want the best possible people. It will be the small businesses of the world that lead the way out of the recession. Have you got the ability to help make that happen? If so, let’s talk.’

This advertorial is taken from Franchise New Zealand magazine Volume 18 Issue 4

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