Group Business
Coaching
Because going it alone is overrated.
Running a business can feel isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. Once a quarter, step out of the day-to-day with 6–8 owners who don’t compete with you. Work on your business instead of in it, and leave with a 90-day plan — and people who’ll hold you to it.
Try your first session free
Meet the group, see how it works, then decide. After that it’s $295 + GST a month, on a 12-month commitment.
Sound familiar?
Busy every day. Not always moving forward.
Everyone brings their problems to me. Who do I take mine to?
The plan’s in my head, and it changes every Monday.
I get the reports. I’m not sure what they’re telling me.
I know what needs doing. It’s just never this week.
None of that means you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re doing it alone. Group coaching gives you a set time each quarter to step back, think clearly and decide what’s next — with other owners who’ve been there.
How the year works
A simple rhythm you can actually keep.
Twelve months, built around a half-day workshop each quarter. Here’s what it looks like from your first call.
A quick kōrero
A short chat to understand your business, check the fit and find the right group. We keep every group non-competing.
Pre-work and your plan
A few questions on where you are and where you’re heading, plus your current business plan. It sets the goals the group holds you to. No plan yet? Start with a Business Planning session.
Your first session, on us
Meet the group and see how it works. Then decide whether to commit for 12 months.
Half a day, each quarter
Four in-person workshops a year, about four hours each. Short pre-work beforehand helps us pick the topics the whole group gets most from.
Between sessions
Your notes and commitments arrive within a few working days of each workshop. Your accountability partner, a group chat and shared resources keep you moving until the next one.
What happens in a session
Same format every quarter. No surprises.
Half a day, seven parts. You’ll know what to expect from the first time you walk in. Some groups add breakfast before or drinks after — each group decides.
Welcome and ground rules
Confidentiality, respectful challenge, and a rule we like: your numbers are yours. Share what helps you get better answers.
Wins and accountability
Everyone shares their biggest win and what happened with last quarter’s commitments. Progress gets celebrated. Misses get talked through, without judgement.
Shared challenges
Each owner gives a 90-second version of their biggest issue. The group picks the two to four most useful to work on.
Hot seats
One member’s real issue, worked through by the group. Peers ask questions and share experience first, then the facilitator gives a view. It ends with a decision and a next step.
A focused teaching topic
Ten to fifteen minutes on what the group needs most — knowing your numbers, cash flow or pricing, for example.
90-day commitments
One to three commitments each, with a measure and a date. You read them aloud and name your first action for the next seven days.
Accountability partners
You pair up with another owner to keep each other honest. Everyone shares the most valuable thing they’re taking away.
Why it works
Accountability is the difference.
Most owners already know what needs doing. What’s usually missing is someone who notices when it doesn’t happen.
- You say it out loud. Your commitments come from your business plan, each with a measure and a date, and you read them to the group.
- Someone checks. Your accountability partner keeps you honest between workshops, and every quarter starts with what you actually did.
- It’s your peers. Other owners know the excuses because they’ve used them. They’ll back you, and they’ll tell you straight.
Being in business can be lonely. A group of owners brings a collective wisdom that moves you forward faster than going it alone. But the real strength is accountability: people who know your goals and keep you moving towards them, while you do the same for them.
Real results
What members have done with 90 days.
A studio owner set a target of 50 weekly members for the quarter. They reached 67 — then set the next target at 85.
A member set a goal of adding $4,000 a month in revenue — and hit it within the quarter.
Building a client base in a new town, one member spent $100 on a flyer drop and won a $4,000 job from it.
Member results, shared anonymously. Yours will depend on you and your business.
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.
Ask members what’s most valuable and the most common answer isn’t the tools. It’s connecting with other business owners.
Who’s in the room
Facilitated by people who’ve run businesses too.
Matt Davis
Director & Chartered Accountant · AIoD
Facilitates the Whakatāne group and co-facilitates Tāmaki. A Chartered Accountant since 2010 and a business owner himself. His teaching draws on the 7 Ways to Grow framework and a hierarchy of planning — practical tools you can use the week after.
Leah Donaldson
Consultant · Pukekohe
Co-facilitates the Tāmaki group in Pukekohe. Leah brings more than three decades in business — banking, small business, retail, trades and whānau-led enterprises — and a calm way of making the complex simple.
And the owners around the table.
Sole traders, tradies, manufacturers and service businesses — from not-yet-trading to well established. One current group has a business that hasn’t started trading alongside one that’s been going for two and a half years.
What they share: they want to get better, and they’ll tell you straight.
Find your group
Groups running now.
Each group meets four times a year. Dates move around, so we’ll confirm the next one when we talk.
Business coaching in Whakatāne
- Group
- Mixed small businesses
- Facilitator
- Matt Davis
- Meets
- Half a day, each quarter
- Where
- Ake’s office, 88 The Strand
Business coaching in Pukekohe
- Group
- Tāmaki — started October 2026
- Facilitators
- Leah Donaldson & Matt Davis
- Meets
- Half a day, each quarter
- Where
- Pukekohe — venue confirmed for each session
Somewhere else?
We’ve run groups for tradies and for manufacturers, and we start new groups where there’s demand. Tell us where you are and we’ll let you know when one’s forming.
Register your interest →What’s included
Everything you need to keep moving.
- Four half-day workshops a year, in person
- A 90-day action plan built from your business plan, reset each quarter
- A small group of non-competing owners who’ll hold you to what you said
- Practical financial skills — reading your reports, budgeting, forecasting and cash flow
- Access to Ake’s advisers, without paying for one-to-one time
- Workshop workbooks and a progress tracker
- Session notes and your commitments after every workshop
- An accountability partner, a group chat and shared resources between sessions
$295 + GST a month
12-month commitment ($3,540 + GST a year)
First session free. Try it before you commit.
Try your first session freeWant one-to-one support instead? Compare group and one-to-one coaching.
Independent recognition
Emerging Advisory Firm of the Year.
The Gap’s AIM26 Awards, 2026 — named from a field of five finalists. Ake was also a finalist for the AIM26 Innovation Award.
Read about the award →“Culturally competent. Advisory first. Organisationally scalable. Strategically focused.”
Try it first
Your first session is on us.
Come along, meet the group and see how it works. If it’s not for you, no hard feelings.
What happens next
- We call you within one working day to check the fit and the right group.
- You complete a short welcome pre-work and share your business plan.
- You join your first session, free — then decide.
Rather talk now?
Whakatāne (07) 307 0099 · Pukekohe 0800 650 017
kiaora@akeaccounting.co.nz
Questions
Group business coaching FAQs.
What is group business coaching?
A small group of business owners who meet regularly with a facilitator to work on their businesses. At Ake that’s 6–8 owners, none competing with each other. You bring your real issues, get input from people who’ve faced similar ones, and leave with commitments the group checks on next time.
How much does it cost?
$295 + GST a month on a 12-month commitment ($3,540 + GST a year). Your first session is free, so you can try it before deciding. One-to-one coaching is available separately.
Will my competitors be in the group?
No. We keep each group non-competing — that’s why we ask what your business does when you get in touch.
Do I have to share my financials?
Your numbers are yours. Share what helps you get better answers and keep the rest to yourself. What’s said in the room stays in the room.
How often do you meet?
Four times a year, in person — a half-day workshop of about four hours each quarter. Between workshops you have your accountability partner, a group chat and shared resources.
Do I need a business plan before joining?
Yes. Your business plan sets out what you’re working towards, so you know what to focus on and what the group will hold you accountable for. Your 90-day commitments come straight from it. No current plan? Start with one of our Business Planning sessions.
Is it suitable for a new business?
Yes. Groups include owners from start-up to well established. One current group has a business that isn’t trading yet alongside one that’s been going for two and a half years.
Group or one-to-one coaching — which suits me?
Group coaching suits owners who want structure, accountability and other owners’ perspective at a lower cost. One-to-one suits a major transition, a pivot or more intensive support. Compare both options.
Where are the groups held?
Our Whakatāne group meets at the Ake office on The Strand. Our Tāmaki group meets in Pukekohe, and the venue can change, so we’ll confirm it with each session’s date. If you’re elsewhere, register your interest — we start new groups where there’s demand.
Half a day a quarter. Ninety days of momentum.
Join a small group of owners who’ll help you think clearly — and hold you to it.
Try your first session freeNot ready yet? Check where your business stands with our free Business Health Check →