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Derby

Business coaching in Derby

98% positive rating from our members*

Business coaching that means you're not alone

One-to-one business coaching in Derby

Keep focused, accountable, and on track to achieve your business and personal goals.

Our members get a monthly one-to-one session with their TAB facilitator and coach.

Max Crosby-Browne is our dedicated business coach in Derby.

Book an introductory call
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Business owner smiling with arms crossed after business coaching meeting in Derby
Derby

Your business coaches in Derby

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Max Crosby-Browne

07771 547703
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Make an enquiry here Read more about Max

Max is the owner of The Alternative Board in Derby and East Midlands Central. He is an experienced executive having spent 25 years running a variety of different companies ranging in size from £8m to £50m and from 40 people to 400. With a background in Marketing and Sales with Brands such as Pretty Polly and Hush Puppies, he then moved into General Management with Mattel Toys in Amsterdam, with responsibility for Eastern Europe, The Middle East and Africa.

Deciding it was time to move back to the UK in time for the important schooling years for his boys, and to leave the big Corporate world behind, Max took over as CEO of Maclaren pushchairs in Northamptonshire before spending time as MD/CEO of manufacturing companies in Housewares, Decorating Products and latterly Furniture, for a number of Private Equity owners.

In 15 years of running SMEs Max has experienced nearly everything that the business world can throw at you including acquisitions and disposals; people challenges; factory relocations and closures; more people challenges; cash flow dramas; opening new channels of distribution; yet more people challenges; managing rapid growth, and finally, more people challenges! He learned the hard way that running SMEs can be a very lonely experience and being able to “swap notes” with fellow business owners was a massive benefit. He formed his own unofficial Peer Board with a number of contemporaries in non-competing businesses within the DIY products sector and that experience is ultimately what attracted him to The Alternative Board.

Now firmly established as a business coach and advisor, Max has a passion for helping business owners get to the heart of the challenges that they face and to calmly put in place solutions to help them achieve their objectives. If all of this can be achieved whilst walking his dogs or hitting a golf ball, then even better!

Max provides business coaching in the East Midlands but mainly covers the Derby area.

Discover the benefits of our Derby-based coaching

Start with you

Focus on what you want in life and how your business can help get you there.

Increase profitability

Be held accountable to meet your business targets.

Improve decisions

Take control of your decisions through peer support and proven planning tools

Make better time choices

Spend your time well by utilising the experience of others.

Become a better leader

Motivate your people with the guidance of peers and an expert coach.

Plan a successful exit

Get the best result for you with tailored, hands-on support.

Hear from some Derby members

The investment in myself by being on the TAB board has given the business more confidence. We're taking decisions quicker and smarter, which is enabling us to grow our business in the current market. 
Neil Foster, Force Engineering

At TAB like-minded people resolve everyday business issues. It’s good to go outside of your bubble and get outside guidance…There’s more than one way to skin a cat and these guys will show you how to do it.

Rob Sear, Whitehouse Construction

It can be a bit lonely at the top. You’re sometimes getting it from all angles... So having people there that you can sound ideas off can be a real benefit. You get to voice your ideas to a party of people who you grow to trust, and they scrutinise your ideas and also offer beneficial insight from their past experience. 

Ben Naylor, Gold Crest Surveyor

My experience of being a TAB member is absolutely positive! The support I have been shown is of tremendous importance through very difficult and stressful times. TAB has been instrumental in helping me to overcome my business demons and develop my business knowledge and understanding.

Paul Hastings, Manor Electrical

I’ve been supported through some big transitions at work by the board and by Julian and they are things I probably would not have done without the board and they are some of the best things I have done of late within my own business. 

Helen Wathall, Wathall and Sons

TAB allows you to focus on what is the highest value and most challenging problem to solve… it gives you the ability to surface and focus on your business challenges… and it’s great that other people round the table have been on similar journeys.

David Hall, Orderly

I’ve been a member of TAB for a few months now and it’s gone really well. I’m enjoying the process; I’m already taking a better approach to the company finances and gradually building a really clear strategy for the business. I guess to sum it up, it's got me to hold a mirror up and really look at what I’m doing and how I spend my time. I can’t wait to see how my business grows as a result.  

Ian Morris, Three Rooms

Since joining TAB I have made some good friends who laugh and cry together, which is testament to how strong the bond of the Board is. The different skills and diverse range of businesses on our Board means you get such a variety of views to help you see things from a new perspective. I couldn’t be without it to help me through some of the challenges I face and the bit of time I need to invest each month in the Board meetings and 1-to-1 sessions has made me more efficient and focused.

Rob Watson, PH9

The Alternative Board has helped me to focus on the company’s key goals and objectives. You really don’t feel you are alone, there is a whole team of other business professionals to support you through any challenging issue you or your company is facing. It really is a great and positive motivating experience. Most importantly, the Board has made a fundamental difference to the performance and profitability of the business.

Bradley Walters, Hi Fi Racks Ltd
I want to wholeheartedly recommend my now good friend Jimi Ball and the TAB Derby team! I joined TAB in May 2020. I was feeling quite lost - the business was doing okay, but I wanted more. I wanted more of a direction. I wanted a different approach to the business. I wanted to be a real leader… Having the 1 to 1 support from Jimi has really given me a focused approach to the business - and I didn't want to let him down either!! 
Adam Holland, Progressive Sports

Julian is highly adept at seeing straight to the heart of an issue. He has the ability to create a level of trust and understanding very quickly when interacting with my team and they value his advice and suggestions as much as I do. He offers unflinching support and his ideas and solutions are incredibly valuable.

Kirsty Davies-Chinnock

I was first introduced to the TAB at an event at Derby arena, after a discussion with Max I decided to join. TAB takes coaching to the next level as not only do you have a great one to one session you are involved in a monthly board coaching session where other business owners share their day to day challenges. It brings to the table other people’s thought process and really does challenge your own mindset and thought process helping towards your own daily focus and running your business.

Neil Cockings, PNE Controls Ltd

Over 5x

TAB members’ sales growth is 5.5 times national SME average

95%+

95.7% of TAB members said their advisory boards added real value to their business

90%+

90.3% of members said their ability to address personnel and organisational issues has improved since joining TAB

Start your journey with TAB

Get in touch with Max.

He will contact you to arrange an introductory meeting.

During which, you’ll chat about whether TAB business coaching is right for you and your business.

Attend your first TAB board meeting and coaching session to discover the power of peer support.

There’s no obligation, only an opportunity to find out more.

Book an introductory call

What is business coaching?

A business coach is an expert who supports business leaders to align their business decisions with their personal goals or vision. Rather than simply giving you the answers, our business coaching services equip you with the necessary tools and knowledge to make better decisions and increase business growth.

In Derby, our business coaches offer coaching, mentoring, consulting and of course, facilitate our peer advisory boards. They also give you access to our exclusive strategic planning platform – The Business Builder’s Blueprint - to keep your strategic planning on track.

Why should Derby-based business owners consider coaching?

Derbyshire is home to over 27,000 businesses and many of their owners will have considered business coaching.

Here's 8 reasons why:

  1. Planning and strategy

A key difference between a business coach and consultant is that a consultant will often focus on one specific area such as succession planning, whereas a coach will guide owners to strategically plan their business in its entirety. 

2.       Developing your skills as a business owner

A business coach can help you improve on and develop skills that will help you succeed not only in this current business but in the future too.

3.       Accountability

A business coach will hold you accountable to ensure that you and your business are always moving forward. This is so valuable when you're often so busy and can get caught up with tasks that should be delegated.

4.       New ideas and approaches

Because a business coach doesn’t work in your company, they will be able to see things you can't. This means they can provide an outside perspective with new ideas, strategies and approaches.

5.       Learning from others’ experience

Often, business coaches, like Max and the Derby team, are previous business owners or have worked for big corporates and in business for a long time. This means that when you approach them with an issue, they’ll more than likely have an experience they can draw on to guide you through it. There is also lots that business owners can learn from each other too. 

6.       Your personal development

Business coaches can be available to listen to any emotional needs or concerns you have. Or they can enable you to ensure your business is working for your personal life.  Read more about how business coaching and mentoring is good for your personal development.

7.       Support – You’re not alone

Another great benefit of business coaching is they help you to combat the loneliness of entrepreneurship. They can be your sounding board, your go-to listener and your trusted advisor.

8.       Business growth

By providing business owners with all the benefits mentioned above, business coaches can sometimes be the ticket to streamlining processes and increasing profitability. This help you to achieve the business growth you're aiming for.

What business coaching is not

A business coach is not the following:

  • The solution

Getting a business coach does not mean that all your business challenges will be solved through those coaching sessions. The coach is there to guide you through and empower you with the right tools and knowledge to help you find those solutions. Inevitably, challenges will also come your way, but a coach is there to hold your hand through them.

  • Life coaching

A business coach is not there to get involved in your personal life and aspirations but will consider how your personal goals might line up to your business ambitions.

  • Counselling

Counsellors are specifically trained in dealing with specific personal problems such as mental health or family relationships. A business coach is not trained to deal with these issues and therefore should not be expected to address them.

  • Consultancy

A consultant focuses on a particular area of expertise and projects in those areas such as a marketing consultant or finance consultant. They seek to fix specific problems within a business, a business coach however, provides more generalised advice and insights. At TAB, we do sometimes provide consultancy services as each of our coaches have their own niche areas of expertise.

Why TAB business coaching in Derby?

Here are three reasons why Derby-based directors and owners should consider TAB’s business coaching and why 98.9% of our members said it adds real value to their business:

  • Our Derby business coaches have experience

Max and the Derby term collectively have over 100 years worth of business experience. They are well equipped to help you navigate any business challenge you may face.

  • Coaching tailored to you and your business

Whilst the Derby team will guide you through a structure in their coaching sessions, ultimately they are there to addresss your needs at any given time. This means your coaching is personal and bespoke.

  • Works alongside our advisory boards

Our business coaching is so powerful because of its combination with our business advisory boards. In Derby, we have 10 advisory boards that bring together business owners and leaders from non-competing sectors in a group setting – like a board of directors. Every month, Derby business owners help one another identify opportunities and solve the challenges they each face in their businesses. This means, in a way, you get several business coaches in a TAB membership.

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*Stats based on a recent survey of 93 active TAB members