New ‘School of the Air’ brings expert business coaching to rural Australia

Small business owners in rural and remote areas can now access business coaching services previously the preserve of city-based businesses, via a new and unique online ‘school of the air’.

Melbourne business coach Dr Greg Chapman created the Australian Business Coaching Club (ABCC) in response to a widespread need in regional areas for access to specialist experts and one-on-one coaching.

Dr Chapman said rural small business owners often had few support networks due to their isolation and limited access to knowledge about how to grow their businesses.

“Despite starting out with a sustainable business idea, too many remote and rural business owners end up working all hours of the day and night and taking home less than their staff,” he said.

These struggles are common to all small businesses. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, only 65 per cent of businesses operating in 2003 survived into 2006, while 42 per cent of 2003/04 start-up businesses failed within three years. And for remote and rural businesses, the risks are compounded by isolation.

But Dr Chapman says owners can reverse their fortunes by making use of the new ‘school of the air’ to learn a few key strategies.

“With the current difficulties in the rural economy, strategies should be considered to expand the reach of rural businesses,” he said.

“Owners can also put systems in place so the business effectively runs itself. This frees them to specialise in marketing their business and building relationships with their key customers.

“When they know how to value their time, they can turn their business into a saleable asset.”

By establishing an online ‘school of the air’ for remote businesses, Greg is able to offer them a significantly higher chance of survival through establishing low-cost programs, which provide smart marketing strategies that, in turn, produce quick results.

“These strategies aren’t taught in school, and courses such as those offered by TAFE are more suited to people thinking about starting a business,” he said.

“Until now, there has been no distance learning option that meets the specific and very practical needs of those who are already running a business in a remote region.”

The ABCC offers a curriculum which club members can work through month by month at their own pace – from anywhere in Australia.

Members have access to specialist advisers, including accountants and insurance experts, and can book one-on-one coaching sessions with Greg Chapman.

The Club also offers tele-classes on topics such as managing cash flow, and provides a variety of business tools and templates.

Further information and interviews
Media can access further information on the ABCC by visiting the following link: www.media.australianbusinesscoachingclub.com.au

The ABCC is ideal for rural businesses with up to three staff and earning up to $200,000.

The rural sector is close to Greg Chapman’s heart, having himself grown up in Broken Hill and studied for his MBA remotely from Darwin before the internet revolutionized remote learning.

In a previous life, Dr Chapman ran multi-million dollar companies for BHP in the US and UK before returning his attention to Australian business development.

Now a sought-after speaker at business forums and adviser to some of Australia’s top companies, Greg is increasingly focusing on the difficulties faced by remote and rural business owners.

To arrange an interview with Greg Chapman, please contact:
Jane Hammond Foster
PublicityShip
Ph: 1800 468 416
Mob: 0434 246 564
jane@publicityship.com.au