Path of Purpose Coaching - Personal and Professional Development Strategies for Professional Women.

"Your work with me today revealed tremendous skill Helaine. My heart is filled with gratitude, not only for your ability to speak to both the depth and breadth of my experience, but to guide me through an issue that could have completely encumbered my progress. With you on belay, how could I not but dare, once again, to leap empty-handed into the Void? With many thanks. "

Rev. Cheryl D. Harrell LICSW, Vermont

"Helaine's coaching has been invaluable to me as a solo business owner looking to grow my financial planning practice. Whether I need a sounding board, some outside perspective, specific "how-to" advice, a little understanding, or perhaps even a kick in the pants, she always recognizes and provides exactly what is needed to help me get "unstuck" and back moving full speed ahead in the right direction."

Sherrill St Germain, Financial Planner, Hollis, NH

"Helaine provided me with a breadth of practical advice, including keeping and sticking to a schedule, prioritizing, creating a business plan, and maintaining a balance in my work and my personal life. She made special efforts to provide thoughtful, intelligent recommendations for my website to help me attract customers and establish a more effective business foundation. Perhaps most importantly, she helped me to see the importance of having financial goals...

Her encouragement, enthusiasm, and interest in my success and well-being was invaluable to me, especially in a time of real need. I continue to use the strategies I learned while working with her, and continue to rely on many of the pieces of advice she provided to me throughout our sessions."

Michelle Lewis, Free Lance Writer, Maine

"Helaine has taught me to look at the challenges in my life and learn what can be gained from them. How can a negative situation be turned around? When things don't go as I'd like in my life, I now try to find the positive or at least the lesson to be learned from that situation. I am a new and improved person with a new outlook on life thanks to Helaine. I am so grateful to have received this opportunity!"

Suerae Stein, Photo-Graphic Design, Spofford, NH

"Helaine, you are a gift!! You have truly brought evolution to every facet of my life. I am often overwhelmed with gratitude that you are in my life! Thank you for sharing your remarkable ability to see the positive attributes in absolutely any situation. Thank you for graciously accepting and working with me exactly the way I am at any given moment, without judgment. And thank you for the simple yet extraordinary tools you share throughout the Path of Purpose process. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!!!!!!"

Sigi Koko, Architect, Bethlehem, PA

Client Case Study - How I helped a group of 5 small businesses achieve an overall 30% increase in sales in one year.

(Back row, left to right: Nancy Wibben, Peter Hendrick, Cindy Hendrick, Helaine, and Wendy Walter. Front Row, left to right, Jane Erlich, Mary Ann Kristiansen (HGM Executive Director), Jennifer Runyon, and L P Runyon)

Client Introduction:

The Voice Of Clay
Wendy Walter
http://voiceofclay.com/

That Soap Guy
Nancy Wibben
http://thatsoapguy.com/

L P Runyon Company
Jennifer Runyon
http://www.runyonco.com/

Lugtagz
Jane Erlich
http://lugtagz.com/

Woodfield Press
Cindy Hendrick
http://woodfieldcards.com

History:

HGM Development, Inc. commonly known as Hannah Grimes Marketplace, opened in 1997 in Keene NH to assist NH crafters, artisans and agricultural producers with their business and product development. They do this by providing workshops, seminars, one-on-one technical assistance and a retail store classroom to their over 275 members.

Their members range from successful manufacturers with national and international markets like Harrisville Designs and W.S. Badger Co., to a retired farmer making dovetailed jewelry boxes from lumber he harvests on his farm

In working with these businesses they have found that, for those most determined to grow, they need more specialized technical assistance than HGM-D has traditionally been able to provide. They need a higher level of more focused, in-depth assistance to help them solve increasingly more complex problems that are preventing them from expanding their businesses.

That’s where Path of Purpose Coaching comes in. Helaine was hired by HGM in the winter of 2005 to work with five pre selected, promising business owners to help them achieve success.

Client Goals and Challenges:

Each small business had been in operation anywhere from 1-4 years upon entry into the program. They all had experienced some level of success yet had many of the challenges common to entrepreneurs. In addition, each owner had it’s own personal life situations unique to them to be brought to the table.

At the end of twelve months, it was our goal that these five businesses had:

Successfully identified and addressed at least three problems or opportunity areas
Increased their sales at least 10% from the same time period for the previous year
Created or retained an average of one additional job per business
Increased the number of markets they are in
Increased their profitability

What We Did:

Over the twelve months, Helaine met with the participants as a group once a month. Foundational business curriculum was covered such as business and marketing plans, financial analysis, time management, employees, operations, and leadership. There were group problem solving sessions as well with each business utilizing the collective wisdom and experience around the table to brainstorm and implement solutions.

In addition, each owner had four private coaching sessions each month with Helaine to implement action plans, and move through the challenges and wins that come up.

Results Achieved:

The highlights are:

An average of 30% increase in sales
5 new jobs created
Use of financial statements to guide in decision making
Budgeting and strategic planning
Business and Marketing Plans in use
Increase in productivity
Less stress and more satisfaction

Clients Comments:

Here’s what some of the participants had to say about the program:

“I went from having an out of control hobby, to being a business owner. One of the biggest problems with being a sole proprietor and only employee of my business is that there’s no one handy to bounce ideas and information off of. I don’t always have time for networking or appointments with experts. A huge advantage to coaching is having a person who sees the big picture.” Nancy Wibben, That Soap Guy

“My biggest issue until now has been disorganization. The weekly meetings and the group meetings have helped me create new systems and get organized. The results have been: I now have clearer vision at ALL times, I know what I need to maintain to reach my goals, I’m no longer disorganized, Problems still come up but I can identify them faster and build systems to deal with them.” Jennifer Runyon, Runyon Company

“The coaching provided accountability and support to follow through with necessary tasks, where I couldn’t before. The group meetings were powerful to witness because other businesses got coached on problems that are universal, so I benefited also. …Just by speaking out loud my thoughts, with someone engaged with me, helped me find my own solutions that were elusive before.” Wendy Walter, The Voice of Clay