When expert business coaching transforms both your business and family life
“Working with Sean has been life-changing for us. As a husband-and-wife team, that outside opinion and influence not only impacted our business but our family as well.”
Client
Tom and Amber Donoghue
Donoghue Property Valuations and Consultancy, Gunnedah, NSW
About the Business
This business provides independent property valuations (rural and commercial) and offers consultancy services in land acquisition, development and management. The real estate arm of the company was added in 2021.
Before & After – At a Glance
Before Working with Sean Martyn
Staff Numbers: 3
Profit: 15%
Time at work: Tom would work about 60-70 hours per week.
Annual holidays: One 3-week break
After Working with Sean Martyn
Turnover increased by 250%
Staff Numbers: 14 staff across both the valuation and real estate businesses
Profit: 30%
Time at work: 50 hours (* across both businesses)
Annual holidays: 8-10 weeks
Challenges / Obstacles
An unsustainable pace
Business was all-consuming and Tom and Amber were working at a pace that was completely unsustainable long-term. Sure, business was steady and growing but at what cost to their stress levels and relationship?
Impact on Family Life
When Tom and Amber Donoghue launched their valuation business, they were also parents to two young children. Tom was working 12 hours a day, 7 days a work. Amber may have been Tom’s business partner, but she was also his wife and she worried about how little time he was spending with the family. Tom and Amber simply felt too stretched. Everyone was frustrated with the poor work / life balance and naturally, tension was building.
At a Crossroad
For five years Amber and Tom worked at full tilt. Well aware that they needed to employ others to grow the business and alleviate pressure, they didn’t quite know how to go about it.
Changes Implemented
Tom and Amber are hard-working and driven. They have high standards for their business and were ready to embrace the strategies that would improve their company.
Better Time Management
Sean gave Tom some valuable tools to improve both his time-management and task efficiency. These simple steps quickly brought about changes in the way he worked which resulted in more family time.
Adding a Valuer to the Team
With recruitment proving challenging locally, Sean helped the pair identify that finding the right valuer meant looking further afield and potentially paying more to secure a quality employee. Strategically, the move was a game-changer,
Pricing Increase
Sean gave Tom and Amber the confidence to back themselves and price their services accordingly. Fees were lifted by 30% and with every job being quote based, profits soon doubled (within 12 months).
Key Outcomes
Once key strategies were implemented, turnover increased by 250%.
The company’s gross profit doubled within 12 months with net profits also increasing.
Freedom and Control
Amber says that she and Tom have achieved the desired status of being business owners. “We’ve got a wonderful team who can run the show and we have control over our work and life balance.” Amber credits Sean for this.
Limitless Possibilities
By growing the team and no longer finding their business all consuming, the Donoghues have opened up both their earning potential and their ability to grow and diversify their business interests. Their reach is now ‘unlimited’ and this is life-changing for the Donoghues.
Growing the Team and Letting them Shine
Gone are the days where Tom and Amber are involved in all aspects of the business. The couple followed Sean’s advice and grew the team, bringing in staff who excelled in areas where Tom and Amber were perhaps lacking. They now readily take a back seat so staff can shine.
Achieving Goals
Several weeks off every year for family getaways
The Donoghue family have gone from having a single, 3-week break per year year to 8-10 weeks off. With both kids now at boarding school, Amber says that this family time away together is even more precious.
Buying a Farm
Another important aspiration for the Donoghues is have a farm – be it short-term as a place for quality family time or longer-term as their primary place of residence. Tom grew up on the land and misses the lifestyle, privacy and freedom a rural property offers. Purchasing a family farm is next on the agenda for Tom and Amber. It’s less about business or any kind of investment opportunity, it’s simply what the heart wants.