Pizza House was an ambitious project by young adults to create a chain of pizza outlets in local neighbourhoods. The concept was to offer quality Italian food at affordable prices, which would also fit the genre of healthy nourishment. After the opening of the first branch, Michael was asked to create a business plan, which would focus on future development and allow the owner to understand what level of loans he could justify. Michael forced the owner to comprehend that his sales never fully matched original forecasts, thus challenging the client to reconsider his concept, as well as the risk level of the loan sought. The business was eventually closed with no losses.
The K.S. Group is a team of marketing managers with considerable experience in running sophisticated operations in different environments. Coming together for the first time, they were looking to export Israeli products abroad, creating independent sales networks. Despite a clear vision, the team was hindered by a cash flow that did not match the demands of the work flow. Michael was required to help the project directors realise where and when and why to concentrate the efforts. As the months progressed, K.S. was able to prepare itself for launch overseas.
Jason was a new immigrant to Israel. Although unfamiliar with local business culture, he wanted to “copy” his distribution business from North America. However, sales remained weak, despite the considerable long hours invested. Michael encouraged the owner to consider a new approach to his use of time and to review where his marketing was most effective. By the end of the coaching contract, the CEO was employing a team of three sales staff and a personal assistant. In parallel, he released a new website and had partnered up with an investor for his business.
Programmers Ltd offers a unique software for the medical industry. Dedicated to the European market, Programmers Ltd had steady sales, supported by a solid website, an experienced team and good promotional material. Unfortunately, new clientele dried up, impacting on staff levels and cash flow at the bank. Michael’s analysis and understanding of the corporation’s operations identified key weaknesses in the way customer relations were handled. Specifically, there were problems in the way potential clients were approached. By the end of the coaching over a period lasting nearly a year, a string of new clients had come on board and renewals of licenses were picking up strongly.
Burgers Rule is a restaurant, operated in partnership. The client, one of the owners, was looking for a career change. He wanted to utilise his skills and experience in finance and strategy, which his employment did not offer. Michael’s first task was to establish what the client truly wanted to do and why. He then encouraged the client to realise that his current position was close to what he wanted to be doing. In fact, he needed to realise that it was his partners who wanted to leave more than himself. Within two months, the client was able to offer his colleagues a buyout solution that would leave him in charge.
Medico Ltd is a large health centre in Israel, which raises significant funds through donations. One particular and large annual source began to dry up, as the centre struggled to coax its various departments to handle the vagaries and changing procedures of the overseas donors. Michael encouraged the centre to introduce monthly coordination meetings, involving all associated parties. In turn, this resulted in a single person being designated as spokesperson to the donors. The effect has been that contributions are now flowing, raising revenue by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Books Are Us is a national distributor of religious books in Israel. Despite having an extensive knowledge of the market and with a large customer base, the owner had accumulated substantial debts. A review of the business revealed how there was no structure to each day’s work, because the owner did not operate a daily diary. Thus, he was trying to accomplish too much and achieving very little. In parallel, he had allowed too many customers not to pay on time, with a resulting negative impact on his cash flow. And finally, despite pleadings to the contrary, it was evident that the business was holding large amounts of dead stock. Michael’s coaching was centred around creating a weekly routine, ensuring that each of these subjects were challenged and repaired over time. The owner recently was able to afford large-scale renovations of his home.
Buy Me operates a series of stores in different sectors. A family business, the company has been leaking cash for the past two years. Although two new shops had opened up during this period, the reason for the problem was not apparent as overall sales were strong. Michael introduced a new purchasing system which led to improvements of approximately $25,000 within two months. He also promoted a search for more appropriate premises.
BeGood is a non-profit organisation that specializes in neighbourhood initiatives. Mainly supported by overseas donations, their funding began to dry up following the 2008 credit crisis. Initially, they managed to maintain their level of service by accumulating debt, which in turn caused their own credit crisis. Through meetings with Michael, the charity was able to reset its priorities to match the level of finance available, and to ensure that a new agenda was confirmed by the board of directors.
Levy Ltd is a building contractor who took over his father’s business ten years ago. Because customers had failed to pay on time, the company hit cash flow problems. The bank refused to issue credit. Michael’s mentoring focused on achieving a better cash flow model, whilst developing a broader customer base and finding an alternative bank for new financing. Today, Levy Ltd takes on large projects which generate higher profits and follow a more reliable payment schedule.
Playgroup is an independent Israeli theatre group, specializing in educational plays for children. Despite an excellent history and solid experience, bookings were dwindling and the bank manager was calling. Michael coached the CEO to help him to understand and to fulfil his commercial potential. New and realistic sales targets were set, and a marketing expert was hired to boost the company’s publicity. Just twelve months later, the company’s success attracted a key figure in the sector, whose involvement ensured a further doubling of revenue.
Nefesh Ltd is an established manufacturing business in Israel’s food industry. Their initial issue involved human resources: blurred command structures and poor production results. After a series of challenging one-on-one meetings between Michael and relevant staff members, the production manager was offered a new position, but opted to leave. Although he was not replaced, output increased by 10%. They then asked Michael to meet with their bank manager, who was demanding extra securities. After two meetings, the bank dropped their request and instead offered extra credit facilities, on beneficial terms, to facilitate the company’s expansion programme.