Business Coaching
A business that works for you, not just because of you.
Three ways to work with us, depending on how fast you're moving and how much support you want. Each comes with your numbers, a clear plan and someone to keep you to it.
Emerging Advisory Firm of the Year, AIM26 · Chartered Accountants ANZ · Xero Platinum Champion Partner
Working on the business, not just in it.
Most owners spend their days working in the business. The work that changes things, like pricing, people, cash and the next big call, gets saved for "when things settle down". Things rarely settle down.
Coaching sets aside regular time for that work, with someone who knows your business and your numbers, and who'll ask what happened to the thing you said you'd do.
Three ways to work with us.
Group Business Coaching
$295 +GST a month
For owners who want a plan, a crew of other owners and regular accountability.
- Four half-day workshops a year with 6–8 non-competing owners
- A 90-day plan from every workshop, and people who'll hold you to it
- Groups in Whakatāne and Pukekohe
- 12-month commitment; first session free
1:1 Business Coaching
From $295 +GST a month
$295 +GST a month for quarterly sessions, or $700 +GST a month for monthly sessions
For owners who want a sounding board who knows their business, at a steady pace.
- Monthly or quarterly sessions with a senior adviser, online or in person
- Pre-work, a review of your numbers and an updated action plan after every session
- Quick questions answered between sessions
Intensive Business Coaching
$2,500 +GST a month
weekly, or $1,250 +GST a month fortnightly
For owners who want intensive support on growth and big decisions.
- Weekly or fortnightly sessions with a director
- A monthly management report against your budget
- Your business plan kept current, with a quarterly review
- Message us between sessions when a decision can't wait
Intensive Business Coaching
For the big moves.
Some seasons in business need more than a monthly catch-up. A second site, a first manager, buying out a partner, a push to double sales. The decisions come weekly and each one matters. Intensive coaching puts a director in your corner every week or fortnight until the big move is done.
It's for you if:
- you're in a growth push, or facing a decision that could change the business
- you want someone across your numbers every month, not once a year
- you'll put the work in between sessions
- Kick-offWe review your business plan and numbers, agree your priorities for the next 90 days and set the measures we'll track.
- Weekly or fortnightly sessionsSixty minutes, online or in person. We work through what's in front of you, make the call and agree the next actions. Notes follow within two working days.
- Monthly reportA management report against your budget, so every session starts from real numbers.
- Quarterly reviewWhere you've got to, what's next, and whether to keep the pace or step down to monthly.
We keep Intensive to 10 owners at a time, so every session gets proper preparation. If it's full, we'll tell you when the next place opens.
Running a $2M+ organisation with a board? Our Virtual CFO service is built for that, with monthly reporting, forecasts and Board papers.
Not sure which fits?
Or try the free Business Health Check. It takes under 10 minutes and points you to the right option.
What clients say.
One of Douwe's best qualities is his ability to keep you accountable for the decisions you make… Through business coaching with Douwe, I've been able to clearly identify the direction I want to take in the future.
Shane Sloan-Mataira, Executive Director, Unlimited Steel Reinforcing Construction
The changes I've made off the back of what we cover in the group have led to real, noticeable growth in my business. It's not just theory, it actually works in the real world.
Brad Harris, Managing Director, Tekit Limited
Emerging Advisory Firm of the Year, AIM26 Awards, The Gap in partnership with Xero, September 2026.
Why coaching works.
A fresh perspective
Someone outside the day-to-day who sees what you can't from inside it.
A clear plan
A short list of priorities that move the business, not a binder of good intentions.
Real accountability
Actions agreed every session, and someone who asks how they went.
Let's talk about what you're working on.
Book a 10-minute kōrero, a no-obligation chat. Tell us where the business is and where you want it to go, and we'll point you to the right option, even if it isn't coaching.
Questions owners ask.
When should I start coaching?
Ideally once you have a business plan, so every session works towards it. No plan yet? Start with Business Planning. Coaching also works well to see you through a big change, or to put a strategic or succession plan into action.
What's the difference between 1:1 and Intensive?
Pace and depth. 1:1 is a monthly or quarterly sounding board. Intensive is weekly or fortnightly, with a monthly management report and a director across your business.
Can I move between options?
Yes. Intensive often suits a few months of big change, then you can step down to monthly.
Is there a minimum commitment?
Group coaching is 12 months. 1:1 and Intensive start with three months, then run month to month.
Do I need to be an Ake client?
No. We'll ask for read-only access to your Xero, or your latest reports.
Online or in person?
Either. We meet at our Whakatāne office, in Pukekohe, or online anywhere in Aotearoa.