Quotes

Service: coachingclub

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Matt, Rob, Dean, and the entire Nixon Advantage team for the help and support over the last 12 months. We are ecstatic with the results we have achieved, especially those since February 2010 after returning from the coachingclub Conference in Hawaii. We have achieved an increase in our gross revenue of over 18 per cent and that obviously has a big impact on our bottom line and the team also.

The team at Nixon Advantage have given us the tools, strategies, and most importantly, the self belief we were looking for, which has made achieving our results so much easier.

This time 12 months ago, the stuff Matt and Rob were suggesting we thought was 'pie in the sky' stuff - how wrong we were. Thankfully, we just did it and held our breath as 12 months later, it all makes sense.

Extremely looking forward to the coming 12 months as we have now cleaned up our WIP (work-in-progress) from 12 months ago and cannot wait to see the true results shine through.

Thanks again and looking forward to learning more strategies and tools at the Conference on the Gold Coast in a couple of weeks."

Peter Locandro, Zeccola Jordan & Locandro, Noble Park, Victoria, Australia

"You have given my business a clear direction, whilst I have passion and determination for my business, my 'missing ingredient' was profit and cash flow. Knowing which projects to implement and being held acccountable by the coachingclub group has kept me, as the leader of my organisation, on track, as well as providing motivation and stimulation for my team. I am truly enjoying the coachingclub experience and the people I have met as a result are a big part of that enjoyment. Oh! And I am making more money with better cash flow."

Evan Bulmer, Sole Practitioner, Evan Bulmer & Associates, Hendon, South Australia

"I think if you are serious about operating your Accounting practice as a business, then you really need to be doing things that are able to allow you to focus on making that business more profitable and enjoyable. I think you should just make the decision [to join coachingclub] because it has been valuable for us, it has accelerated a lot of our thinking, and I know that we would not be in the position that we are - even in this short period of time - had we not beome involved formally with Nixon Advantage.

I think realistically, if firms really want to change methodology in terms of really changing the way they think about their business, the way they operate their business, and the way they invest their time in their business, then the Nixon Advantage coachingclub model is very powerful.

The face-to-face meetings were an unexpected benefit, from our perspective. Yes, it does require a bit of time to get out of the office, but what it does is it forces you then to focus on your business, share ideas, gain information, and more importantly, go and implement. I think a lot of challenges for a lot of businesses is that they are not held accountable to implement actions within their business, whereas this framework allows you and forces you in a very good way, to implement and if you are not implementing, you will not change.

So, I would encourage a lot of practices to seriously consider joining coachingclub because the benefits are there."

Chris Mandzufas, Director, Brentnalls WA, Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia

"Prior to joining Nixon Advantage we were already a successful firm. Rob and coachingclub were instrumental in helping us improve our net profit by 61 per cent in two years. Our first focus in coachingclub was on increasing our efficiency or getting our 'back yard' in order. We achieved immediate results by implementing a number of simple strategies. However, our big gains were achieved through value pricing. Rob constantly reminded us of the Intellectual Property that we had developed over a number of years and the need to put an appropriate value on it. The discipline and accountability involved in coachingclub, along with the interaction with our peers helped us to take our business to a much higher level."

"Since joining the coachingclub 10 months ago we have eliminated write-offs completely - they dropped from 10 per cent two years ago to 2 per cent in the last financial year (zero since coachingclub started but a hangover from the first six months of that year). In the first three months of this financial year we have write-ups of over 10 per cent. So coachingclub has added nearly $300,000 to my bottom line already! I guess that is a 10 times return on investment."

Mark Jenkins, Director, Quay Accountants Limited, Whakatane, New Zealand

Prior to joining Nixon Advantage we were already a successful firm. Rob and coachingclub were instrumental in helping us to improve our net profit by 61 per cent in two year. Our first focus in coachingclub was on increasing our efficiency or getting our 'back yard' in order. We achieved immediate results by implementing a number of simple strategies. However, our big gains were achieved through value pricing. Rob constantly reminded us of the Intellectual Property that we had developed over a number of years and theneed to put an appropriate value on it. The discipline and accountability involved in coachingclub, along with the interaction with our peers, helped us to take our business to a much higher level.

Greg Brennan, Partner, Brennan Sloan Leahy, Mount Lawley, Western Australia

"coachingclub has changed us from Accountants into businessmen and turned our firm from a 'practice' into a 'business'. The short-term financial benefits of joining coachingclub have been enormous. The long-term benefits will be lifechanging."

Eddie Taylor, Partner, Shearer + Elliss, Unley, South Australia

"Being a member of the coachingclub has helped us grow our business through being more pro-active, improved marketing by establishing a menu of services and reassessing our billing process through value adding. It has provided the team with the ability to monitor their own KPIs, have a better sense of ownership and cohesiveness. Our profitability as well as all our other KPIs have continued to improve since joining."

Colin Wilson (Managing Director), Simone Davis (Accountant), David Cochrane (Accountant), Wilson Porter Services, Sydney, NSW, Australia

"The benefits of coachingclub is regular accountability to results, by Partners and business. I have got to know more Accountants. The open forum for discussing our business and others businesses in a confidential and meaningful way."

Matt Schlyder, Partner, Elliotts, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

"Just one idea implemented from our involvement in the Nixon Advantage coachingclub has returned our investment in full; and will continue to do so year after year. Rob Nixon keeps our business at the cutting edge of the profession whilst other firms continue to 'practice'. It has even bought our team closer together as we strive towards a common goal."

Troy Wink, VBD Chartered Accountants, Charlestown, NSW, Australia

Service: Accounting Practices Don't Add Up Workshop

"A quick note to say thank-you and to congratulate you on yet another insightful and motivating workshop and for helping us to move Kidmans Partners to the next level in our internal operations and client service offerings.

Our Leadership group of nine attended yesterday's "Accounting Practices Don't Add Up" workshop in Melbourne, and the feedback to date has been very positive.

We have today had a post-mortem meeting with the Leadership team and implemented immediately the "Change/Future Book" concept.

We are also analyzing how many projects our Top 20% of clients are purchasing from Kidmans Partners, and are developing a "roll-out" plan to enhance the number of projects being services to these Top 20% of clients.

We are confident that working with the ideas and strategies that we learnt at your workshop yesterday, we will be able to enhance the profitability at Kidmans Partners, and move towards the benchmark of the high-performing firms within your network."

Manish Sundarjee, Director, Kidmans Partners, Balwyn, VIC, Australia

Service: Supercharge Your Accounting Firm Workshop

"We recently [August 2009] had Rob Nixon run a 'Supercharge Your Accounting Firm' workshop for our team of 20. Rob's understanding of the business of Accounting is excellent. The combination of this and his unbelievable energy, passion, and presentation skills resulted in a day our team will never forget and will almost certainly result in a considerable improvement in the performance of our business."

Peter Crothers, Partner, Business Accountants + Financial Advisers, Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia

"Wow!....Definitely Supercharged.

Our team was sceptical about the day. We were not sure about what was in store - was it going to be another waste of time - are we going to get anything out of it... At the end of the session, we went away feeling charged and inspired about the business we are working in and how we can play a part in it.

The afternoon brought it all together for the Partners of the business and gave real direction and emphasised the fact of not getting 'bogged down' in the little things - to keep working on the 'big picture'."

Peter Lines, Director, XPAL+, Walkerville, South Australia.

"Just a note of thanks for your time in Sydney. Both Stephen [Bowles] and I enjoyed the session and felt that we got a great deal out of it. Overwhelmingly, it was a positive reinforcement of the different path we have trodden in establishing and growing the business though with a healthy dose of encouragement to keep up the fight to grow our difference.

Thanks for the contribution you are making to clients and our industry"

Brett Kelly, Senior Client Director, Kelly + Partners, Sydney, NSW, Australia

"Thanks for a really stimulating and invigorating event that you ran for us. I am certain that it has had the desired effect of getting everyone on the same train and moving out of the station together. It seems to have had the desired effect of obtaining team buy-in from the whole group and I anticipate that things will move quite quickly."

Cath Bowden, Business Manager, Impact Consulting & Accounting Ltd, Dunedin, New Zealand

"We were able to talk with other Accountants about various practice issues."

Rob Moore, Partner, Active Business Consultants, Milton, Queensland, Australia

"It keeps the energy going for our team development. The ideas generated from this day have given us a good platform for our firm development."

Tony Madden, Accountant, Northern Business Consultants Aspley, Queensland, Australia

"It has reignited my interest in my business and given me practical ideas that can be implemented immediately and others to strive towards."

Karen D'Orio, Managing Partner, KD Accounting & Financial Services, Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia

"The best seminar I have been to in 36 years of the Accounting experience to develop a buisness lifestyle approach."

Eric Townsend, Principal, Eric Townsend & Co, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

"It has given me a greater understanding of what is required in running and managing an Accounting firm."

Anthony Davis, Partner, Outlook Financial Services, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia

Service: Supercharge Your Sales Workshop

"Rob and Michael really know their stuff. They taught skills and techniques that work in the real world. Nothing lectured was foreign or impossible to implement straight away. Looking forward to achieving great results in the next twelve months."

Rob Caldwell, Principal, Caldwell Business Partners, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia

"Given us new tools to work with in designing an effective selling process."

Matt Carberry, Partner, Hern Financial Services, Walkerville, South Australia

"Provided some much needed focus on how to add value and how to obtain and influence potential clients. Would definitely recommend this to other advisers."

Tracey Besters, Proview Accounting & Financial Solutions, Moss Vale, NSW, Australia

"It has given us a lot to take away and share with the team in terms of valuing what we do and understanding what clients value."

Renee Rathgeber, Pitcher Parters, Sydney, NSW, Australia

"It provided a practical info that will be easily implemented and will be useful to the whole team. Excellent value."

Gavin McCann, Partner, McCann Clarke & Co, Port Lincoln, South Australia

Service: Supercharge Your Business Workshop

"The 'Supercharge Your Business' seminar you delivered to our clients and guests last night [27 July 2009] was excellent. The feedback from all the attendees was beyond positive and the event itself has created a load of strong propects from the non-client guests and plenty of work from the clients who attended. Your common sense and practical approach had most of the attendees scratching their heads and saying 'Why didn't I think of that?' They left the venue with a spring in their step and a determination to change the way they do business. Thanks for making that happen. We are looking forward to being a part of that process with them. As Andrew [Frith] and I keep telling people, clients and non-clients, this stuff really works!"

Chris Laffey, Partner, Leenane Templeton, Director, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

"Dean's 'Supercharge Your Business' seminar provided our firm and our guests with a professional, knowledgeable, and meaningful insight into the key drivers to business success. The seminar also acted as an effective business development foundation from which our firm will no doubt benefit."

Grant Titman, Snelleman Tom Pty Ltd, Toowong, Queensland, Australia

Service: Client Advisory Board

Following the results of a generic client survey, we decided it was important to garner some deeper insights from our clients abou the way in which we were delivering our services.

We engaged Dean Marinac from Nixon Advantage, to facilitate a Client Advisory Board. Initially we had some fears about the Client Advisory Board, however with assistance from Nixon Advantage and Dean in particular, we were able to overcome these perceived barriers.

The support package/documentation process made the whole Client Advisory Board exercise realtively straight forward and helped to minimise the administration time needed to organise the two-hour client meeting.

Following the Client Advisory Board, we spent an hour or so on a debrief with Dean and we were then able to review the meeting discussion which had been recorded by Dean.

In the end, we were able to gather some very useful information and suggestions from the discussion which has provided a terrific opportunity to focus on areas which we believe will help to deliver a better level of service to our clients.

We were also very pleased to recieve a consistent level of positive feedback as to where we are at in the eyes of our clients and we anticipate running a similar Client Advisory Borard in 12 months.

Thanks again to Dean and the team at Nixon Advantage.

Mark Hann (Partner), Daniel Breheny (Senior Accountant), Tactica Partners, Wembley, Western Australia

"For many years now, I have listened intently to the arguments for and against holding a Client Advisory Board with our key clients to find out what they really think of us.

While the idea of knowing how to help someone better really excited me, dealing with the negativity of really knowing what they thought, scared me. So, it was very easy to procrastinate and just never get around to putting it together.

Then recently, when the torment of missing out on something great finally got to me, we took the plunge and enlisted the help of Nixon Advantage to host our first official Skinner Hamilton Client Advisory Board and all I can say is WOW!

What an experience! The clients were from varied industries, but the feedback was consistent, constructive, and relevant. The clients themselves were amazed that people so different and unrelated in both industry and life could all be experiencing such similar things in their businesses and also within our business...so much so they have asked us to hold the event every six months.

The results gave us confidence to know where we are going right and where we have to go in the future and with the systems we now have in place, we will be now able to hold these events on a regular basis."

Jason Skinner, Director, Skinner Hamilton, Nerang, Queensland, Australia