1-to-1 Business Coaching

Coaching built around
your real challenges

Focused, personalised sessions built around the specific challenges holding your business back.

The Service

What is 1-to-1 business coaching?

Business coaching is structured, focused work between you and an experienced coach — built entirely around your business, your decisions, and your goals. It is not a group programme, a course, or a set of generic frameworks handed to every client in the same order. Every session is shaped by what is actually happening in your business right now.

Where advice tells you what to do, coaching helps you think more clearly, decide more confidently, and act with greater purpose. That said, this is not a passive process. If you need a direct steer, a challenge, or a commercial perspective from someone who has been in the room where those decisions get made, you will get that too. The sessions are practical, not philosophical.

The focus is always on your real challenges — the ones keeping you up at night, the ones you cannot quite articulate to anyone around you, and the ones that have quietly been limiting your growth. We work through them properly, with time, structure, and follow-through built in.

Is This Right For You?

For SME owners who are
serious about what comes next

This coaching is for SME owners running six-figure businesses who are serious about what comes next. If you are running a real business, dealing with real pressure, and want someone who has operated at senior level to work through it with you — read on.

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You are working hard but feel stuck — the effort is not translating into progress

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You are making most major decisions alone, with no trusted sounding board

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You know broadly what you want but cannot see a clear, credible path to get there

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Your growth has plateaued and you're not sure whether it's a strategy problem, a capacity problem, or something else

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You have outgrown the approach that got you here and need more structure — in how you think, decide, and lead

What We Cover

Sessions shaped by
your priorities

Sessions are shaped by your priorities, not a fixed curriculum. That said, the work tends to fall into a few recurring areas.

Business Strategy & Direction

Where is the business actually going, and is that a considered choice or just the direction of least resistance? We work on clarity of vision, realistic goals, and the strategic decisions that will define the next stage of growth.

Decision-Making & Prioritisation

Most business owners have too many ideas and not enough time to pursue all of them. We work on how you make decisions — which to commit to, which to let go, and how to stop the urgent from crowding out the important.

Revenue Growth & Commercial Clarity

We look at your revenue model, your pricing, your sales approach, and where the real commercial opportunities are — including the ones you might be underestimating or ignoring.

Leadership & Team Challenges

We work through people challenges, team dynamics, and the shift from doing everything yourself to building something that does not depend entirely on you.

Accountability & Follow-Through

Knowing what to do and actually doing it are different things. Between sessions, you will have clear actions with real accountability. The work does not stop when the session ends.

The Process

How it works

There is no hard sell here and no obligation at the start. The process is straightforward.

Free 30-Minute Consultation

We talk through your situation, what you are trying to solve, and whether this kind of coaching is the right fit. No pitch, no pressure.

Scoping Session

If we decide to work together, we take proper time to define what success looks like for you and set the foundation for the work ahead.

Regular 1-to-1 Sessions

Structured sessions focused on your priorities. Typically fortnightly, but adjusted to what works for you.

Between-Session Support

Clear actions from every session, and access to me between sessions when something comes up that cannot wait.

Review & Adapt

The business changes, priorities shift. We check in regularly on whether the focus is still right and adjust accordingly.

Your Coach

Why Richard Shaw

I am not a career coach or a life coach who pivoted to business. I have spent 25 years working at senior and executive level across UK Government, the NHS, and the corporate sector. I have led teams, managed large programmes, navigated complex organisations, and made the kind of decisions that have real commercial and operational consequences.

I hold an ILM Level 7 qualification in Executive Coaching and Mentoring — the highest recognised level in the UK — and I am an approved mentor on the government-backed Help to Grow Management programme. I am also qualified as an AI for Business Mentor, which means I can help you think through how AI applies practically to your business, not just in theory.

I am based in Brighton, East Sussex, and work with SME owners across the UK. Sessions are typically held online, which means location is no barrier.

What I bring is real commercial experience, a direct working style, and the ability to ask the questions that cut through. I am not here to make you feel good about inaction — I am here to help you move.

Learn about business mentoring

Qualified

ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching & Mentoring

Experience

25+ years in UK Government, NHS & corporate

Approved

Help to Grow: Management Approved Mentor

Also

AI for Business Mentors Qualified

Sessions

Typically fortnightly, online or in-person near Sussex

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

How often do coaching sessions happen?

Most clients work with me fortnightly. Some prefer weekly when they are in a period of significant change or decision-making. We agree the cadence at the start and adjust as needed.

How long is a coaching engagement?

There is no minimum commitment forced on you, but meaningful coaching work rarely produces lasting change in a single session. Most clients engage for three to six months, and many continue beyond that as the focus evolves. We review regularly so you are always choosing to continue, not just defaulted into it.

Is this different from mentoring?

Yes, though in practice the two often overlap. Coaching focuses on drawing out your own thinking, challenging assumptions, and building your capacity to solve problems. Mentoring is more directive — sharing experience, offering guidance, and helping you navigate situations I have been through myself. I do both, and most engagements involve elements of each.

Do you work with businesses outside Brighton?

Yes. I am based in Brighton but work with clients across the UK. Most sessions are held online via video call, which works well. If you prefer to meet in person and are in or near Sussex, that can be arranged.

Ready to Start?

Ready to
get unstuck?

If any of this has landed, the next step is a free 30-minute conversation. No obligation, no sales process — just an honest discussion about your situation and whether working together makes sense.

Book a Free Consultation See The Blueprint Session →

Coaching built aroundyour real challenges

What is 1-to-1 business coaching?

For SME owners who areserious about what comes next

Sessions shaped byyour priorities