Tanya Hill: From Upholstery Business Owner to Business Growth Coach

Trading places: From working in the business to building a business that works

Tanya Hill knows first-hand what it takes to transform a struggling business into a successful, profitable enterprise. After experiencing the pressures of running her own upholstery company, she discovered how business coaching could change not only her business, but her family’s future.

Today, as an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner, Tanya helps business owners in the trades grow their businesses, improve profitability and reclaim their time. Her journey is proof that the right support, systems and mindset can open the door to a new career and a more rewarding way of life.

Learning the true meaning of business ownership

After returning from two years of travelling around Australasia, Tanya and her husband, Scott, decided to launch their own business, Hill Upholstery and Design, near their home in East Anglia.

Tanya had trained and worked as a children’s wear designer for Tammy Girl, while Scott had spent 20 years working for one company before it ceased trading during their travels.

Like many aspiring entrepreneurs, they believed that owning a business would give them greater financial security, more holidays and more control over their lives. The reality, however, was very different.

Tanya found herself working 14-hour days, juggling everything from sewing and customer enquiries to bookkeeping, VAT returns, invoicing and quotations. Rather than enjoying the freedom they had hoped for, she and Scott had created jobs that left little time for anything else.

“I didn’t even know what break-even or profit and loss was,” Tanya recalls. “The worst thing about all of this was that my children were brought up in the corner of a cold workshop.”

After 12 years in business, Tanya knew something had to change.

Her turning point came when she attended an ActionCOACH UK 6-Steps Seminar. The practical ideas she took away began to make a difference, and within six months she had progressed from group coaching to one-to-one coaching with ActionCOACH UK coach Kent Rhodes.

Tanya and Scott made a significant investment in their future, using the savings they had put aside for a family holiday to Thailand to invest in business growth coaching instead.

The decision transformed the way they operated their business.

“We went on such a journey, from knowing literally nothing about running a business, to being systemised to within an inch of our lives.”

They introduced a marketing plan, default diaries, organisational charts, budgets, targets, weekly reports and regular meetings. They also began reviewing their Five Ways to Increase Profits regularly, giving them a clearer understanding of where their money came from, their average sale and the customers who contributed most to their success.

For the first time, they had the systems, information and structure needed to make informed business decisions.

Making the transition from business owner to coach

As the new systems took effect, Hill Upholstery and Design began operating without Tanya needing to oversee every detail. She could finally step back from the day-to-day workload and focus on the future.

Within three months, she had hired someone to replace her operational role in the business. She had achieved what many business owners only dream of: creating a business that no longer depended on her being there every day.

But the experience had also given Tanya a new purpose.

She had seen the difference that business coaching could make, and she wanted to help other entrepreneurs experience the same transformation.

In October 2015, Tanya became an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner.

“I wanted to help other business owners take control and see the spark come back in their eyes,” she explains.

“My job as a business growth coach is to make sure that my amazing clients stay on the right path so they can have the life they deserve. I want clients to achieve their dreams in the most time-efficient route possible, as time is our most precious gift.”

Tanya believes that business success and personal fulfilment go hand in hand. Her aim is to help business owners build profitable, well-run businesses that give them the freedom to enjoy life outside work.

“I understand how important it is to show business owners there’s another way and, with the right discipline, guidance and accountability, you can achieve great things. I’m not in this for the glory or awards; I’m in it so I can give other people the chance that we got.”

Finding her niche and building a successful coaching business

Like any new business owner, Tanya faced challenges as she established her ActionCOACH UK franchise.

Her initial approach was to try to fit the conventional image of a business coach. It took time for her to realise that her greatest strength lay in being herself.

“I must admit, I didn’t have the best start when I launched my ActionCOACH business. It took me a while to find my natural flow. I was trying to be a business coach called Tanya, which didn’t work for me.”

By January 2017, she had three clients generating £2,800 per month. Rather than giving up, she sought advice from other coaches in the ActionCOACH UK community.

She realised that people wanted to work with someone they liked, trusted and could relate to.

“Now I’m Tanya that coaches, a subtle difference. That’s when I began to get more clients.”

This breakthrough helped her identify her niche: business owners in the trades who valued her straightforward, practical and authentic coaching style.

Tanya began sharing insights and client success stories on LinkedIn and partnered with fellow local ActionCOACH coach Marc Eccles to deliver group seminars and 90-day planning sessions.

Her business began to grow rapidly.

By June 2018, Tanya’s coaching business had reached £23,000 in monthly revenue, working with clients including electricians, scaffolders, builders, plumbers and bookkeepers.

Her clients appreciated her down-to-earth approach and her understanding of the pressures that come with running a trade business.

“Coaching for me is a real win/win – my clients get great results and I am building my dream life.”

The power of the ActionCOACH UK community

Building a successful coaching business requires more than determination. Access to the right resources, training and support can make a significant difference, particularly during the early stages of a new venture.

For Tanya, one of the most valuable aspects of becoming an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner has been the strength of the wider coaching community.

“The ActionCOACH community is amazing. There is always someone at the end of the phone, and we get together regularly.”

She also benefits from ongoing training and an extensive library of resources to support her work with clients. When a client needs help with a challenge outside her immediate expertise, Tanya can draw on the knowledge and experience of coaches across the global network.

This collaborative approach allows her to continue developing her own skills while providing clients with access to a broad range of business knowledge.

Tanya’s achievements were recognised through her inclusion in the Top 100 Global ActionCOACH list, alongside a ranking of 23rd in the UK list of more than 190 business growth coaches at the time.

With the support of a full-time personal assistant, she was also able to structure her working day around school hours, maintaining the work-life balance that had originally inspired her to seek a different way of running a business.

Building a business that supports the life you want

For Tanya, financial success has always been about more than the numbers. It is about creating the freedom to spend time with her family and enjoy the rewards of her hard work.

“After just a year of being a coach, at Christmas 2016 we were able to afford a two-week family holiday to Thailand. But by Christmas 2017, we were in the fantastic position to be able to take a month’s break in Thailand and Indonesia.”

The difference was that both businesses could continue operating without Tanya and Scott needing to be involved in every aspect of their day-to-day running.

They had created the freedom they had originally hoped business ownership would bring.

“ActionCOACH has also created a job that I truly love. ActionCOACH UK offers so many development opportunities for me, and going to their events feels more like a fun hobby than work!”

Tanya believes it is important to bring your family along on the journey. She has enjoyed sharing the experience with Scott, their two daughters and her clients, including taking them to an ActionCOACH UK two-day Business Excellence Forum.

For Tanya, building a successful business and enjoying a fulfilling family life are not competing priorities. With the right systems, support and planning, they can work together.

Turning goals into reality

One of the most powerful lessons Tanya has learned through business coaching is the importance of setting clear goals and consistently working towards them.

In 2013, while receiving coaching for Hill Upholstery and Design, she attended a GrowthCLUB planning day with Kent Rhodes. During the session, she wrote down her five-year goals, including paying off the mortgage and moving to her dream location, Westley Heights.

At the time, these ambitions felt a long way out of reach.

Five years later, while preparing to move house, Tanya rediscovered the planning book. She was astonished to realise how closely her life now matched the goals she had written down.

“Within five years, more or less to the day, we were moving into a house in Westley Heights and two weeks later we paid off our mortgage.”

Reflecting on the experience, Tanya recognised how much the coaching journey had changed what she believed was possible.

“Hitting two huge milestones was a reminder for me of how powerful being on the coaching journey is.”

The couple’s ambitions have continued to grow. With the financial progress they have made through their businesses, they have begun building a property portfolio to help secure their future and are now exploring the possibility of buying a holiday home in Devon.

Their experience demonstrates how business coaching can help owners look beyond immediate challenges and work towards a bigger vision for their lives.

Helping others build their dream businesses

Tanya’s journey has come full circle. She once sought coaching because her own business was taking over her life. Today, she uses those lessons to help other business owners build profitable businesses that work without them.

As an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner, she has developed a rewarding career that combines her entrepreneurial experience with her passion for helping others succeed.

Her story illustrates what can be possible when you invest in yourself, embrace proven business systems and surround yourself with people who support your ambitions.

For those considering a new direction, an ActionCOACH UK franchise offers the opportunity to build a business around your strengths, develop your skills and make a meaningful difference to the lives of other business owners.

Could an ActionCOACH UK franchise be your next chapter?

If you enjoy helping others succeed, believe in lifelong learning and have achieved success in business, your career or sport, becoming an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner could be an opportunity worth exploring.

You don't need to have all the answers. With training, proven systems and support from an established coaching community, you can develop the skills and confidence to build your own business coaching firm.

Take the first step towards your next chapter.

Watch our six-minute overview video here to discover more about the ActionCOACH UK franchise opportunity.