Needing other jobs to make ends meet
When Toni and Nicki came to us for CEO business coaching, they had an established business they were deeply passionate about. Their forest school was thriving in terms of its purpose and impact, but financially, it was falling short. After paying their staff and business expenses, they struggled to pay themselves fairly and needed other jobs to make ends meet.
While they could see the potential for growth, they were stretched thin—short on hours, energy, and the bandwidth to figure out the next steps on their own. They weren’t looking for a miracle, but a clear, actionable plan to turn their dream into a sustainable full-time venture.
Profitability
We dived into the heart of the business with a detailed financial model, custom made for them, and analysed every service offering for its true profitability. This revealed where their efforts were paying off – and where they were losing money. I remember the audible gasp when we first looked at this together!
With this newfound clarity, we constructed a financial roadmap, uniquely focused on their business.
Decision-making compass
By allowing them to forecast different scenarios, they could focus their efforts on the higher-impact activities and make considered, informed decisions about the lower-impact ones. It became their decision-making compass, showing them how to balance customer value with business sustainability. The model even included a multi-site calculator, helping them envision growth across multiple locations and weigh the potential impact of each decision.
Optimising and expanding
Crucially, this process gave them the confidence to think bigger. They could see how optimising their current site and expanding to a satellite location would not only increase revenue but also make the business capable of paying them fairly. With our help, they had moved from reactive to proactive thinking.
Sustainable transformation
By the end of our work together, the transformation was clear. Revenue grew from £70k in year one to an impressive £400k by year three. This wasn’t just growth for growth’s sake; it was intentional and sustainable. For the first time, the co-founders could pay themselves fairly and focus entirely on the business they loved, without the distraction of side jobs.
The expansion to a second site opened new opportunities, while better use of their existing capacity allowed them to support more people and maximize their impact. Most importantly, they gained the tools and confidence to keep evolving, ensuring their forest school would thrive for years to come.
What started as a labour of love is now a business they can be proud of—profitable, sustainable, and full of potential.
Where next?
So where will they take it next? I’m delighted to say they’ve come back to work together to explore just that.
If you’re reading this and wondering what’s possible for your business, you could have this clarity and decision-making compass too. Custom-made for your business in a way you’ll actually understand, it’s a powerful tool to help you focus on what really matters. Let’s explore how it could work for you—book a call using the link below:
