FEO 360+

Having run a business for several years now, I felt I had hit something of a brick wall.

Don’t get me wrong, the business was functioning well; we had grown, turnover was increasing and we were making a profit. We had all the usual trappings of a small business like office, staff and - perhaps most importantly - happy clients!

I’d also recently taken steps to carve out a niche and really carve out a lane for the business.

But I was struggling to really take the next step.

On a personal level, I’m more than happy to admit I’m an impatient person and I didn’t want to settle for the status quo. I’d done the usual one page business plan, determined a target turnover and broken down how this would be reflected in monthly income, number of clients and other KPIs. However, actually implementing a defined strategy was another matter altogether.

Enter, FEO 360+

I’ve been a keen supporter and advocate of the organisation for many years now and, having been through their Ignition (for startups) and 360 (the precursor to 360+) programs, I was delighted to get a spot on this program.

Happening bi-weekly, the course takes a granular look at how you’re currently running your business, your growth plans and what needs to be executed for you to reach your goals.

It’s a supportive and informal atmosphere, making it a welcoming environment, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a rigorous assessment of you and your business. The perfect mix for companies to flourish and reach their potential.

The ultimate outcome is the 360 matrix covering core business disciplines like marketing, sales, staff and growth and how they fit into your plan over the next 3 to 4 years.

Having spent months drowning in information overload and not knowing what to do for the best, I finally had a plan I had confidence in taking forward.

Running a business can be a fragile exercise. Make one wrong step and it could all come crashing down. But the real value of this course is learning from the people that deliver it, individuals who have been through it themselves and are now running successful businesses. As fellow business-owners will know, there are a lot of charlatans out there and, as they say, the proof is always in the pudding.

It’s been a month or so since I completed the course and stepped back into the business world with my new plan.

I can honestly say it’s something I refer to daily, the advice proffered during the sessions is regularly recalled and, especially with a catch up meeting with a facilitator coming up, I’m driving towards the goals set out.

For any businesses looking to grow, I can recommend they sign up to 360+.