For most of my career, I’ve been used to working with groups. I’ve run workshops, delivered courses and trained people in all kinds of settings. So, when I decided to take my work online, it made sense to carry on with that approach. After all, I could reach more people with group programmes than working 1 to 1.
At the time, I was helping small business owners use tech to market their businesses, set up systems to sell products and services, and generally make life easier. The problem was that bigger-name experts were offering the same thing. Plus they were making bold claims about six-figure launches and overnight success. Some of those claims might have been true for them – but many of their students weren’t in the same position. They were solo business owners trying to get things off the ground, without a team of designers, assistants, or years of marketing experience.
The gap in group courses
So for a while, I experimented with offering an implementation service for ‘students’ on these big-name programmes. Why? Because the coaches running them rarely went into the detail, especially not the technical detail. They would tell you which platform to use and say you needed a sales funnel. But they didn’t show you how to set it up, which I could do.
For many small business owners, that lack of detail was a huge stumbling block. I have the skills and the logical kind of brain to set this stuff up, but constantly wrangling with multiple platforms recommended by different experts – and building sales funnels I didn’t really believe in – quickly became draining.
To make things worse, my clients had already bought into the idea that a complex sales funnel was the only way forward. Convincing them that simpler, more effective options existed was almost impossible by that point.
Simplifying the approach
That’s when I realised I needed to strip everything right back. Tweaking or adapting complex systems was only making things messier. So, I went back to what actually works best: working 1 to 1.
That doesn’t mean I’ll never run courses again – well-designed group programmes with clear objectives absolutely have their place. And I enjoy delivering group training! But when it comes to starting or upgrading a small business, there’s no single ‘off-the-shelf’ solution. Every business is unique. Every owner has their own strengths, weaknesses and circumstances. And that matters even more for neurodivergent business owners.
That’s why mentoring is such a powerful way to move forward.
Why 1 to 1 works so well
When I work with you 1 to 1, you don’t have to fight your way through hours of course content, guessing which bits apply to you and which don’t. Instead, you can tell me exactly where you’re stuck – and I can hear it, spot it and help you fix it.
Together, we create a simple, tailored plan for your business, your clients, and you. I don’t just leave you with a list of tasks either – I stick around while you implement it, so you’re not second-guessing yourself or getting overwhelmed.
I’ll also recommend tools and platforms that actually fit your needs. Big courses have to cater for a wide audience, so they often recommend large, fiddly, ‘one-size-fits-all’ systems. But the truth is, you probably don’t need something that complicated. Often, a couple of simple tools that work together will get you moving far more quickly – and in many cases, you’ll never need that big, complex system at all.
And if you need me to set it up for you, then train you how to use it, I can do that too.
Cutting the complexity
That’s the real power of working 1 to 1. Instead of wrestling with complexity you don’t need, you get a clear, personalised path that matches where you are right now – and where you want to go next.
If you’d like to know more about how I could help you as a mentor, please take a look at this page or send me a message.