UK Growth Coach is a fast-growing and game-changing business coaching firm. They are dedicated to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and changing the narrative in the UK from the current high levels of business failure, toward more success and greater business owner satisfaction!
Having now launched as a franchise to take this mission nationwide, we recently caught up with the company’s founder, Tim Rylatt, to ask some key questions!
Tim Rylatt, UK Growth Coach – Business Coach
Your route into business coaching is atypical, can you tell us more about it?
I started my career in the Police and spent 10 years across two forces. Whilst there, I always held a keen interest in the development of both myself, and of my peers. I gained 14 different specialisms during my decade of active service which shows how much I learned!
Two of these specialisms stood out for me particularly. Firstly, as a tutor to newly trained Officers arriving for their first 10 weeks of service at their appointed station (in my case, in Brighton), and secondly as a trainer of law and procedure within the States of Guernsey Police, where I helped to design a two-year initial training course for brand new recruits.
I enjoyed both these roles within the Police Force immensely, and they played a large part in my decision (after suffering a career-ending knee injury) to continue developing my skills within a different setting.
I knew that I had developed a set of real-world skills that would be valuable in any industry and that several of these skills were particularly lacking in the civil setting.
When I found the opportunity to be trained as a business coach, I seized the opportunity to bring my positive ideas and experience into that fresh environment, and the rest is history!
What is it about business coaching that you are passionate about?
I am a huge believer in two things:
Firstly, that issues within businesses normally boil down to either people challenges, or system challenges. This is true regardless of the industry, department, or scale of the organisation. Having the ability to diagnose, quickly and correctly, which of those is causing the current results is hugely empowering, and I enjoy the investigation, and the psychology of problem-solving.
Secondly, I believe that businesses require both a consistent flow of high-quality leads, and the ability to translate those into orders. To do so, it needs clear messaging, efficient marketing, and effective sales skills. These are not the natural skillset or expertise of many SME business owners, and for me, being able to be part of the solution and seeing results arrive in other peoples’ businesses, is very rewarding.
Why do you focus your coaching on small/medium-sized businesses?
That’s easy, I care about the results for real people.
I see that the greatest risk for businesses is during the smaller scale years, and where access to broad business experience is limited. Both are the situations for SME business owners and their teams, and yet there is a real lack of quality support for those people.
When the impact of business failure (and of limited performance) is so clear to see, I feel personally obligated to focus on helping. At heart, I am still a Police Officer wanting to help my community, to prevent harm, and to enable safety, happiness, and prosperity.
Nowadays I simply do that through the medium of coaching in the business world!
What is the top barrier for business owners when it comes to growing and progressing their business in your opinion?
Honestly, I think a lack of humility can be a big barrier. Many business owners struggle to be self-reflective enough to be truly honest with themselves and to see that the business (and results) they have now, reflects their prior leadership, knowledge, discipline, and effort.
The best clients are those who acknowledge shortcomings with open arms, and keenly seek out the support and external accountability to insist on effective development.
What do you like working on the most with your clients?
I have always had a keen interest in understanding why people behave as they do. This psychological angle can be explored within marketing, sales, management, and individual performance achievements.
With that in mind, I love getting into the purpose, values, brand, messaging, performance expectations of a business. Seeing how relationships within a business work (e.g. between leaders, managers, and staff members), as well as with those required outside of the direct chain of command (e.g. customers, suppliers, alliance partners and more) can evolve and improve.
I love seeing a shift in culture happen, and a drive away from acceptance of mediocrity and passivity, towards a demand for excellence and engagement.
What would you say is your greatest success and regret?
In terms of business, I would say my greatest success was building and launching a franchise model for our coaching system. This was a culmination of many years learning, experience, and feedback and I’m proud of what has been created, and the opportunities it represents.
My greatest regret…that’s a tough one, but I’ll keep it simple! For the first 5 years of my coaching business, I never recorded the details of prospects properly, and when I think back on all the opportunities I missed out on simply because they didn’t express an immediate interest to buy, I kick myself. My top tip to others is to build your databases from day one and be disciplined about doing so!
Who inspires you?
In terms of business celebrities, I have always enjoyed Simon Sinek’s take on things. He is positive, pragmatic, and passionate for his subjects.
In my personal life, my wife inspires me daily. She is a great support, and always has my back.
Finally, in terms of work, I would say my team inspires me because I want to help create a great life for them because of the success of our companies, and I would say my clients inspire me because I invest emotionally in all of them, and in all of their businesses. I truly care that they succeed and view that as a personal responsibility as much as they do.
You launched UK Growth Coach as a franchise about 18 months ago – where did that decision come from and how did you find that process?
Strangely it came about because two past clients spoke with me in the space of a week about it! Both had managed to develop their companies to the point where exit through sale was now on the cards, and they both wanted to explore something meaningful as a follow-up.
The upshot of those conversations was an agreement from one of them, that if I went to the effort of building the model out for them to also use, that they would come onboard and become a franchisee.
It was then that I realised how much fun this industry can be, and how many people want to be part of it. As a result, I took the leap, and spent the next four months documenting my working processes and models as a business coaching franchise that others could access.
What do you hope readers will do now they’ve read about you, your mission and story?
I hope that they feel positive about making a change. Whether that’s because they want to do something more fulfilling for themselves, or whether it’s because they want to achieve more from their business or their life. Either of those would be a good outcome for me!
…of course, if they’d like to become a franchisee that’d be great too!
