When starting a business of your own, a lot of people get frustrated and feel that they don’t where to start or what they should be focusing on. Alex Henderson from Captain Cabinets was in the same boat. He runs a specialized ‘cut to size’ service for timber panel products which is located on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Navigating without a plan
When Alex started his business, he had no idea where he wanted to take his business. “I certainly had no idea where I was heading…” he admitted. He found himself working 80 to 90 hours a week. When the tail started to wag the dog, he knew he needed help.
“I didn’t know what I was doing. I’ve got my apprenticeship, I’ve got my trade training, but I’ve got no idea when it comes to running a business. I mean, there’s more to marketing than just advertising and emailing your clients.”
Everything changed when he found Business Blueprint.
Business Blueprint
Business Blueprint is a revolutionary program for business owners that gives them the education that they need to take their business to the next level – plus a community who will cheer you on when you win, and help you out when you need it. By tapping into all of the amazing resources on offer as part of the Business Blueprint program, they’ve each achieved astounding personal and commercial success.
Alex’s is one the many Blueprint success stories that serves as an inspiration to other business owners who want to elevate their business.
“The beauty of Blueprint is they not only tell you how to do it, they also show you how to do it,” he revealed.
Clear path
When business owners join Business Blueprint, they get to attend quarterly live conferences featuring a range of world leading experts on topics such as sales, marketing, outsourcing, systems and a whole bunch more. And one key takeaway is creating a 90-day action plan so you have a clear focus on what you need to achieve for the next 90 days.
Alex’s confidence has grown dramatically from everything he has learned and the people he has met. “Now I’ve got this really clear goal of where I want to go with the business and what I want to do with it. I’ve even got an achievable exit strategy in place.”
The director of Captain Cabinets revealed that he now knows what he wants his business to look like in 10 years. He’s also identified an area of the market that needed servicing, which will be an additional revenue source for his business.
Increased Sales
Captain Cabinets has gone from an average of 3 jobs per month, now up to 50 jobs a month which is an incredible achievement. Alex shares that he and his team have been using cloud-based software so anyone can check up on orders on their phones, tablets and whatever device they’re on. They’ve also linked it with their accounting software so they could turn a job straight into an invoice without having to duplicate everything.
For those who are new to automating their systems, they shouldn’t worry. You don’t need to be a super techie. Even Alex was able to adapt. “Technology may not be my strong point, but it’s been a huge time saver.”
Life Blueprint
Alex recommends Business Blueprint to anyone who’s running a business who isn’t really sure on how to grow their business and take things to the next level. But he reiterates that being part of the program is more than just the content that you learn and the quality of the speakers, which is also great. “It’s about the people you meet. Blueprint’s community is pretty strong and one of its best assets.”
The Captain Cabinets Director feels that the ‘Business Blueprint’ name almost does itself an injustice. “Because it’s more of a life blueprint really, because it has affected so many other things,” he explained. “It’s life-changing.”
