Marc Eccles: Building a £1M+ Coaching Business

How Marc Eccles built a successful ActionCOACH UK business, created greater freedom for his family and set his sights on a lasting legacy.

After 30 years as a business owner, Marc Eccles knows first-hand the challenges and rewards of running a business. Today, he is enjoying the benefits of the business he has built while continuing to grow an enterprise designed to create opportunities for his family and change lives for the better.

Marc's journey into business coaching began when he was running the electrical business he owns with his wife, Lisa. A chance meeting with ActionCOACH coach Kent Rhodes at a BNI networking meeting in 2009 would prove to be the catalyst for a new direction.

“The electrical business that my wife Lisa and I own was a bit of a roller-coaster ride at the time. In 2009, I was invited to a networking meeting and met Kent. I liked him, and I liked the sound of having someone help me work on the business. In particular, the thought of having someone as a sounding board really appealed to me.

“I began to take control of the business with Kent's help. A couple of years later, I went to see ActionCOACH Global Founder Brad Sugars speak at an event. He completely inspired me to become a business coach myself! After 20 years as a business owner, I knew I could use ActionCOACH's systems to help other business owners, just as Kent had helped me.”

With Kent's guidance, Marc began building a business that could operate without his constant involvement. Recruiting an Operations Manager in 2015 helped him step back from the day-to-day running of the electrical company, creating the opportunity to launch his ActionCOACH UK business in Essex in January 2016.

Embarking on a New Adventure

Marc approached his new venture with a clear purpose. After completing his training at ActionCOACH UK's head office, where he learnt from experienced coaches, he was ready to help other business owners achieve their ambitions.

“When I graduated from ActionCOACH Uni, I decided to put my clients first. I wanted to help them achieve their goals and change lives, rather than put the growth of my business first. Their success would ultimately make my business a success.”

Marc understood that establishing a new business would take time, particularly while he was still working part-time in his electrical company. He set himself an initial target of £6,000 a month in client income and used his BNI network to find his first clients.

“Finding your feet during the first 12 months of the business is important. I had aimed to grow to £6,000 a month in client income while I was still working part-time in my electrical business. I got my first clients through networking with BNI. I hit my goal by month six and maintained that level of coaching income until the end of the year, while my other business had time to settle down without me.”

Family soon became an integral part of the business. In October 2016, Marc's daughter Georgia joined him, focusing on client relationships and support in a role they called Client Success Manager.

“In October 2016, my daughter Georgia came on board to support me and focus on the client relationship aspect of the business. We referred to her role as Client Success Manager. That role is really important because it supports our clients and holds me accountable, making sure I continue to do a great job. It added a special dynamic to our dad-and-daughter relationship.”

Within two years, Marc had established a BookCLUB, built a portfolio of 12 group coaching clients and 11 one-to-one coaching clients, and achieved monthly bankings of just over £20,000.

The business was growing, and Marc could see the potential to build something much bigger.

Taking Things to the Next Level

In October 2018, ActionCOACH introduced an exclusive territory Firm Builder licence, giving franchise partners the opportunity to develop a firm of employed coaches within a territory containing 10,000 business owners.

For Marc, it was an opportunity to increase the firm's reach, expand the team and create a business with a future beyond his own involvement.

“We invested in the new licence because we wanted to take things to the next level and create a business with longevity, one that wouldn't always need both Georgia and me. It was about putting the foundations in place for the future and giving my family an asset.

“At the time, my youngest daughter, Abbie, joined to assist Georgia and support us when running our events. It was a great experience for her because she developed her business acumen. One of the big benefits of ActionCOACH has been being able to give my daughters access to unrivalled business expertise from an early age.”

For Marc, building a successful firm was never just about increasing revenue. It was about creating an organisation with strong foundations, a capable team and the potential to benefit his family for generations.

Building a Million-Pound Business

The pandemic presented Marc and Georgia with an opportunity to strengthen the business further. Alongside supporting their clients through a challenging period, they focused on consolidating their success and putting the systems and structures in place to support continued growth.

By 2022, the firm was working with 43 clients across one-to-one and group coaching. Its performance had also earned recognition within the wider ActionCOACH network. In August 2019, the firm was ranked 49th out of more than 1,000 ActionCOACH businesses worldwide, and Marc reported that it had remained in the global top 100 since then.

At the time of the original interview, the firm was ranked 17th in the global ActionCOACH community and fourth in the UK.

Marc had reached a significant milestone, but his ambitions extended well beyond a seven-figure business.

“This year, we're going to have a turnover of one million pounds, which equates to a monthly client income of £85,000. However, we're putting the strategies and structures in place to go even further.

“We're planning on adding five new coaches to the firm by the end of the year so we can begin to build a five-million-pound coaching business. With all this in place, we're confident we can raise our monthly income to £200,000 by the end of the year.”

These figures reflect Marc's ambitions and projections at the time of the original interview.

Marc is also passionate about sharing what he has learnt with others in the ActionCOACH UK network. He believes that mentoring and collaboration are essential parts of the franchise's culture.

“I want to share my success, and I am passionate about supporting new franchise partners wherever I can. I believe mentoring is one of the strong points of our network, and our culture of abundance means being open to sharing our wealth of experience with clients and colleagues alike.

“I'm very happy to support new franchise partners as they start their journey with ActionCOACH. I was fortunate to receive fantastic support when I started, and I want to do the same thing for new members of the ActionCOACH community.”

Achieving Business Freedom

For many business owners, success means more than growing revenue. It means building a business that gives them greater control over their time and freedom to pursue other ambitions.

For Marc, that goal is becoming a reality. By developing the right systems and building a capable team, he has been able to step back from the firm's day-to-day operations and focus on coaching clients.

“My plan of freeing myself from the business by building a team that can run it without me is now a reality. As a result, I've taken a step back from the day-to-day operations of the firm. My main contact with clients is now as their business coach, where I can continue to support their business growth.

“I now only work two and a half days a week in total, and this has all been achieved through the systems and support from ActionCOACH. The operations of the business are now being run by Georgia, and she is training to become a coach so I can eventually step away completely.

“We now have a great General Manager, Kelly, who was also an ActionCOACH client before joining our team. She supports Georgia, challenges her and helps push both her and the business in the right direction.”

The profitability Marc has achieved has also enabled him to pursue new opportunities outside the coaching firm, including building a property portfolio.

“With the massive profitability we've seen with ActionCOACH, I've also started to build a property portfolio. It's the best pension possible, and it's setting me and my family up for generations.”

Creating a Family Legacy

With Georgia, then aged 28, positioning herself to lead ActionCOACH Orsett and Dagenham, Marc is also helping his younger daughter Abbie build a business of her own.

“Abbie, aged 24, is using what she has learnt from the ActionCOACH model to start her own beauty business. Both of the girls have been involved with ActionCOACH since the age of 16, so it was the best apprenticeship they could ask for as they build their businesses.

“I can't recommend it enough for anyone who is looking to build a lucrative and lasting business for themselves and their family.”

Marc's story demonstrates how business coaching can create opportunities that extend far beyond the original business. From gaining greater control of his electrical company to building a successful coaching firm, developing a team and helping his daughters pursue their own ambitions, he has created a business designed around both commercial success and family legacy.

His next chapter is about continuing to grow, sharing his experience with fellow franchise partners and building a future that he and his family can be proud of.

Could You Build a Business to Be Proud Of?

If you're an experienced business owner looking for a new challenge, or you want to build a business that creates greater freedom and a lasting legacy, discover how ActionCOACH UK could help you take the next step.

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