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Working with a business coach

Coaches are helping local entrepreneurs with sales, branding and finding balance
Brown
Trish Brown

Trish Brown is proud of the history her business, Connections Call Centre, has in downtown Squamish.

Her mother opened the call centre 26 years ago with just a handful of clients, and now the operation has 20 employees serving numerous businesses, ranging from small home-based companies to large corporations.

But, even with years of experience, Brown still wasn’t completely comfortable with the sales portion when talking to potential new clients.  

This is where a business coach stepped in.

She hired The Business Sanctuary’s Conny Millard, a Squamish-based coach who specializes in helping female entrepreneurs. After looking at the challenges and needs of Connections Call Centre, Millard formed a detailed plan.

“Once I have the clients, they love us,” said Brown. “Conny helped me build up my confidence and I was able to meet my sales targets.”

Now when a potential client calls to learn more about Connection’s services, Brown can easily pitch her business and knows exactly which questions to ask.

“Often business owners are passionate about what they have to offer, but need help with sales and marketing,” said Millard. “For people just starting their businesses, we want to make them profitable as soon as possible, and I also help people who have plateaued and need help getting to that next step to grow.”

A good business plan, said Millard, will include free time for other activities her clients enjoy, especially since Squamish residents are typically outside being active on their days off. “I create a plan that aligns with personal and family commitments. There needs to be a good balance to be successful.”

Rebranding photography

Vairdy Frail’s husband and young twin sons sparked her passion for documenting life’s milestones through photography.

From her home in Squamish, Frail runs Vairdy Photography, which specializes in maternity, newborn, family and wedding photography. Frail creates heirloom portraits her clients hang on the walls of their homes.

“When I moved from Vancouver to Squamish, I wanted to get to know my specific target market,” said Frail, who hired Squamish-based business coach Lisa Princic to assist her.

“Lisa helped me narrow down who my ideal customer is and how to attract them. I like the additional support and accountability.”

Princic is also leading Frail through rebranding her business and website to be in line with her goals.  

“I help people gain confidence in the value of what they offer and show them how to position their business as a solution to their customers’ problems,” said Princic. “I create customized business strategies for attracting clients and increasing revenue.”

Princic’s plans includes creating a structure for welcoming new clients who value the business’s work, making it easier to be profitable.

She shows her clients how to craft their messages to attract new interest.

Frail, a busy mother with young children, said a business plan that takes into account work-life balance is also important.  

“Time is so valuable being a mom. Lisa showed me the areas to focus on so I have time for life and family,” she said. “It’s a saturated market, and it’s easy to get caught up comparing what others are doing, but I am focusing on my goals.”

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