Business coaching in Oxford
98% positive rating from our members
Business coaching that means you're not alone
One-to-one business coaching in Oxford
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.
James Ross is our dedicated business coach in Oxford.
Let us know how to get in touch
James will contact you to arrange an introductory chat.
Your business coach in Oxford
Start your TAB journey by contacting James
James Ross is The Alternative Board Managing Director and business coach for the North Chilterns. He has a wide range of experience having spent 20 years working in tier 1 Investment Banks, both as a qualified accountant running large Finance teams and as Prince 2 certified program manager running large projects for the front office.
Having left the City, James has set up his own business, investing in property and renovating old houses into high yielding quality shared living accommodation for professionals, both in Oxford and Greater Manchester.
James has a passion for coaching and mentoring business owners and has a unique set of experiences to help business owners allied to exceptional problem-solving abilities.
Discover the benefits of our Oxford-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 our members
"TAB is an independent thought process, away from the influences and pressures of work. In the day-to-day job, you can get drawn into distractions, you often don’t have time to think, and you’re just firefighting problems. However, with TAB, getting out of the office and speaking with the board for the 3-4 hours we have together allows me to think more independently."
"I have a debt of gratitude to TAB after a 400% turnover boost. I can’t speak highly enough of The Alternative Board. It has made a huge difference to our agency. It’s something I would encourage business owners to think about. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve the growth we have without TAB."
"Before TAB, I didn’t really have anyone I could talk to about business issues. Getting reassurance from my board on things I’m thinking of doing gives me more confidence to get on with it. I really value the openness of my board and facilitator, which allows me to say what I’m feeling and thinking. I’m now making longer-term plans and decisions about the business. As a result, I enjoy running the business more because I know we’re heading in the direction, rather than focusing on short-term fixes."
"I always feel uplifted and more confident following a board meeting. The challenges we face as business owners are invariably those shared by the other board members. Bringing them to the table puts them in perspective and usually provides several options on how to tackle them. Support, being non-judgemental and really trying to understand each other's businesses help make the meetings fun, enjoyable and, most of all, invaluable to the growth and well-being of my own business. The regular one-to-ones help build on this with tough constructive advice. I would be lost without the support of TAB."
"TAB has given me coaching sessions, focusing on the positive elements of my business and helping to grow and develop during what is probably the most difficult trading period we have encountered. TAB has also invited me to a monthly board meeting where I joined six existing members, all of whom have extensive business experience and have provided me with some invaluable advice, guidance and accountability."
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 James.
They 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.
Tell us more about you
James will be in touch to book an introductory chat.
What is business coaching?
A business coach is an expert, like James Ross in Oxford, 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.
James Ross offers coaching, mentoring, consulting and of course, our peer advisory boards. Not only that, but he will also provide you with access to our exclusive strategic planning platform – The Business Builder’s Blueprint.
Why should Oxford-based business owners consider coaching?
There are over 4,500 businesses in Oxford and many of their leaders will have considered business coaching. Here's why:
- Planning and strategy
A business coach will help you to focus on your strategic plan in a way you haven't before. A key difference between a business coach and consultant is that a consultant will often focus on one specific area such as finance or recruitment, whereas a coach will guide owners to strategically plan their business in its entirety.
2. Develop your skills as a leader
Could you be a better communicator? A better negotiator? More empathetic? More straight? A business coach can help to develop the skills you need to not only succeed in this current business but in whatever venture you take on in the future.
3. Be held accountable
With everything on your plate as a business leader, its hard to stay focused on the important things. A business coach will hold you accountable to ensure that you and your business are always moving forward.
4. New ideas and approaches
Because a business coach doesn’t work in your company, they will be distanced from most of your opportunities and challenges. This means they can provide an outside perspective with new ideas, strategies and approaches.
5. Learning from others’ experience
Business owners can learn a lot from each other and often, business coaches, like James Ross, are previous business owners or have worked for big corporates and in business for a long time. Over the years, they will have experienced many common and unique business issues. 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.
6. Your personal development
Business coaches also often take on a business mentoring role. This is where they focus on you, the business owner, on a person. In coaching sessions, they 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. In fact, there are a few ways that business coaching and mentoring is good for your personal development.
7. Support – You’re not alone
Another great benefit of business coaching is the support they it gives. A business coach can help you combat the loneliness of entrepreneurship. They can be your sounding board, your go-to listener and your trusted advisor.
8. Business growth
And ultimately, a benefit of a business coach is that they can help you achieve 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.
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 Oxford?
Here are three reasons why you should consider TAB’s business coaching in Oxford:
- James Ross has experience
All our facilitators are seasoned business professionals, including James Ross. James has had over 20 years experience in investment banking and has also ran his own business. He loves to help local business owners lead better lives and run stronger businesses.
- Coaching tailored to you and your business
James's coaching sessions are tailored to your needs and what you need at any given time.
- Works alongside our advisory boards
Our business coaching is so powerful because of its combination with our business advisory boards. These bring together business owners and leaders from around the Oxford area. The board members are from non-competing sectors and come together once a month. During that session, each member helps one another identify opportunities and solve the challenges they each face in their businesses. This means, in a way, you get several business coaches, not just one!
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