Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joannus (John) Nieuwenburg, founder of W5 Coaching, located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I work primarily with established business owners in the following categories:
• Advisory Practices - therapists, accounting and legal firms, consulting firms, and marketing agencies.
• Construction & Trades - construction, electrical, manufacturing, painting, machine shop.
• Professionals - Consultants, coaches, realtors, accountants, designers, and freelancers.
Tell us about yourself
I've been a professional business coach since 2004. During that time, I’ve worked with over 250 clients, taking them through a systematic process that helps them feel organized, confident, and in control of their businesses. Although I was trained and certified by an international certification body, I don’t believe that certification is the best way to determine the quality of a coach. Results are.
My clients report increased profit, smoother day-to-day operations, and the ability to take well-earned vacations without worrying that everything will fall apart while they’re away from the office. Many of their stories appear on my testimonials page and my LinkedIn profile. I invite you to call any one of them and ask about their experiences.
In 2019, MacKay CEO Forums awarded me with Canada’s CEO Trusted Advisor Award in the Small Business category. This program recognizes the significant contribution that CEO Trusted Advisors make, in the leadership field, to the success of the Canadian business community. Learn more here: Trusted Advisor Award.
Before becoming a business coach, I held executive positions with Tip Top Tailors and BC Liquor Stores. My titles read Area Director and General Manager – yet much of my work boiled down to business coaching. I worked with individual store managers to help improve business performance. Although each store operated under the umbrella of a larger organization, they were, in actual fact, individual small businesses. A good store manager would act as the “owner” of that store and take responsibility for their results.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I’ve worked with over 350 clients, taking them through a systematic process that helps them feel organized, confident, and in control of their businesses.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Clients come to me for support and guidance when they're in one of these three situations:
• Planning to Grow. Get help creating and implementing plans, getting bigger/better clients and projects, building a team, and transitioning from solo consultancy to agency.
• Managing Rapid Growth. Get help taming the chaos, creating systems, organizing and delegating, building teams, managing cash flow, removing bottlenecks, and freeing up the owner's time.
• Preparing for Sale. Get help increasing the value of your business, developing systems and documentation to make it more attractive to a buyer, and setting it up to run without you.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The first four blogs here are a collection of the top tips I have for anyone looking to start, run and grow a business.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I would also like to share some additional (free) tools, which can be found here.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://w5coaching.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.nieuwenburg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/W5Coaching
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-coach-canada/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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