Action Int. Awards Recognise Business People

Action International Awards recognise business people that put it all on the line

Phil Richards mortgaged his father’s house and bought a business when he was 25-years-old. He did not expect staff to quit enmasse, the rapid weight loss and utter despair that would follow.

Today Phil and his wife Michelle are 30 year old multi-millionaires and owners of three Vision Specialists Optometrists in Wellington. Their company is also a finalist in the inaugural Action International New Zealand Business Awards – sponsored by Gilligan Rowe & Associates Limited – to be held at the Wairakei Resort Hotel on Saturday, November 20, 2004.

Since 1999 Action International Business Coaches have worked alongside many New Zealanders to turn their businesses into a ‘commercial profitable enterprise’ that works while the business owner pursues the kind of lifestyle they choose.

As the only global company that is focused on small to medium businesses, the Action International New Zealand Business Awards are to recognise and publicly acknowledge those who continue to follow their formula for success through the ACTION system.

The finalists are a special breed of tenacious business people. Phil and Michelle Richards are a good example. They had the option many professional Kiwis take of going to the United Kingdom and earning pounds, but they took a chance and gave New Zealand a go.

“After our first year in business we bought a second practice and a year of hardship began. Each day I would arrive at the back of the shop, take a deep breath of the stale air and slap the concrete pillar that held up the building and ask for the strength to get me through the day because it was very, very tough for me.

“I was in debt for hundreds of thousands of dollars secured on my father’s house. I worked so hard I couldn’t even have a toilet break or eat lunch.

“One of the saddest parts for me personally was that I felt very alone. It was my decision to do this and here I was getting beaten up really bad. I was embarrassed at my failure and incompetence and the hurt and pain was so strong I didn’t want to see any of my friends.”

Phil and Michelle began working with an Action International coach and took their $300,000 turnover per annum business to more than $2 million in just over four years.

New Zealand General Manager, Martin Jimmink, said the Action International New Zealand Business Awards are designed to recognise some of this country’s top small to medium business owners like Phil Richards.

The sponsors, awards and finalists are:

Radio Network Overall Business Award All finalists.

Spot On Publications Best Marketing Performance Award Coombe Smith (PN) Ltd, Palmerston North. Dateline Imports Ltd, Auckland. Effluent & Irrigation Services (NZ) Ltd, Hamilton. Happy Days Childcare Centre, Upper Hutt. NZ Welding School, Rotorua. Vision Specialists Optometrists, Lower Hutt.

MobileFone Solutions Best Team Development Award Plastic Box Wanganui. Pioneer Finance Ltd, Wellington. NBC Building Construction Ltd, Christchurch. Coombe Smith (PN) Ltd, Palmerston North. Dateline Imports Ltd, Auckland. Tickles Childcare Centre, Tauranga. Total Span Wanganui. Happy Days Childcare Centre, Upper Hutt. NZ Welding School, Rotorua. Vision Specialists Optometrists, Lower Hutt. Readylawn, Christchurch. Awapuni Nurseries, Palmerston North.

Continental Car Services Ltd Most Innovative Award Morrison Group Ltd, Temuka. Coombe Smith (PN) Ltd, Palmerston North. Armstrong Locksmiths, Christchurch. Happy Days Childcare Centre, Upper Hutt. Readylawn, Christchurch. Awapuni Nurseries, Palmerston North. Events By Design, Takapuna. NZ Welding School, Rotorua. Vision Specialists Optometrists, Lower Hutt. The Nappy Store & Egg Maternity, Khandallah.

Best Financial Performance Award Pioneer Finance Ltd, Wellington. Coombe Smith (PN) Ltd, Palmerston North. Dateline Imports Ltd, Auckland. Tickles Childcare Centre, Tauranga. Effluent & Irrigation Services (NZ) Ltd, Hamilton. Advantage Tyres, Palmerston North. Total Span Wanganui. Happy Days Childcare Centre, Upper Hutt. NZ Welding School, Rotorua. Vision Specialists Optometrists, Lower Hutt. The Nappy Store & Egg Maternity, Khandallah. Readylawn, Christchurch.

Entrepreneurs Success Centre Ltd Entrepreneur Award Coombe Smith (PN) Ltd, Palmerston North. Tickles Childcare Centre, Tauranga. NZ Welding School, Rotorua. Vision Specialists Optometrists, Lower Hutt. Awapuni Nurseries, Palmerston North. Events By Design, Takapuna.

PC People Incubator Award Vision Specialists Optometrists, Lower Hutt. The Nappy Store & Egg Maternity, Khandallah.

Supporting Sponsors Holloway Advertising and Crombie Lockwood & Davies Ltd.

Action International Business Coaching was recently awarded number one spot in the business services category by the well known international US based Entrepreneur magazine, and placed 69th overall on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.

“Kiwi coaches lead the organisation in performance ahead of the other regions, Australasia, the USA, Asia and Europe. The New Zealand team has won the top performer award in the organisation two years in a row, as well as the Action International Global Coach Award,” said Mr Jimmink.

Action International is also a multiple winner of the Excellence in Franchise Management Systems and the Master Franchisee of the Year awards run by Franchise New Zealand. “With these credentials we now have more than 60 coaches New Zealand wide, equipping them to ‘stretch’ their business clients to their full potential through goal setting, mentoring, focus, business tools and education.”

Based on sales, marketing and business management systems created by Brad Sugars, Action Business Coaches are trained to show business owners how to increase revenue and profits, but also to develop the business so the owner can work less and relax more. Action International is a business coaching and training company started in 1993 by entrepreneur and author Brad Sugars.

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