Small-business growth coach Rick Brines stands in front of a wall of business cards at the Chattanooga Business Development Center.Name: The Growth Coach
Location: Mobile, based on clients’ locations
Contact info: 423-886-6095
Products/services: Two years of quarterly seminars on ways to improve small businesses and balance work life with personal life
Cost: Negotiable, with a maximum cost of $3,500 per year per person depending on the level of coaching. The program comes with a 100 percent money-back guarantee.
Age: Nationally, the organization has been around 11 years. Local franchise owner Rick Brines started offering classes in November.
Startup investment: $60,000 for franchise rights and necessary equipment
Target market: Managers and owners of businesses with up to 200 employees
Biggest hurdle: Finding clients. Brines has been an employee benefits consultant for 25 years. He looked at growth coaching as a natural extension of that business and hopes to network with employee benefits clients to expand his growth coach client base.
Biggest reward: Getting to know the people who attend his seminars. In the daylong intensive classes, Brines tries to help his clients in whatever aspects of their lives they’re struggling. “I like helping people, and this was an avenue I could help people and use my business experience,” he said.
Lesson learned: Listen. Brines has to take himself out of the equation and really listen to clients’ problems to effectively solve them. “I have to remember my focus is on helping them and not talking about myself,” he said.
Five-year goal: Brines said he’ll feel successful in five years if he is able to hire a coaching and marketing staff and add a new seminar every month.
— Compiled by Carey O’Neil, who may be reached at coneal@timesfreepress.com or at 757-6525.