Angela Dakin : Angela Dakin Coaching and Consultancy

Angela Dakin Coaching and Consultancy is the brainchild of Angela Dakin. Find out how effectively she used all available help with setting up her business...

When starting up, I was fortunate to win a part-time contract managing an ongoing project for my ex-employers, which allows me to spend some time each week developing my business network and formalising my coaching education with a CIPD qualification.


About Angela Dakin Coaching and Consultancy

Management consultancy and interim/project management - Short to medium term input to plug a skills or resource gap in the management structure. Provide consultancy input to organisations during periods of major change, development or re-structuring, and project management support to new developments/business processes etc.

Coaching services - One to one work with managers and executives to support the development of leadership skills, identification of goals and strategies for managing change and aiding transition. Also provide support to the development of key posts (e.g. recently promoted managers) through the enhancement of skills in strategic planning, people management and self-management, which enables these posts to reach desired performance levels more rapidly.

There were a few barriers in the beginning such as, identifying all the things that I needed to do and to check out (i.e. legislation, who needs to know that my employment status has changed etc.) which I found quiet challenging. I was pretty thorough in this area - but still found areas that I had missed!


Finding help to start the business

I was conscious that a new business should make use of all the help that is available - I particularly wanted support regarding professional insurance and networking opportunities. I first heard about WBDA through a networking group of which I'm a member and after visiting the website I contacted them to make an appointment with a business advisor.

I received sound advice and positive support from my business advisor, Joy Hunter - having someone with the right background to talk to is invaluable. Joy gave me some very useful tips and information, and the discipline of formalising my business plan has been very helpful.

The service brings together all the practical things that new businesses should be doing and provides support and guidance in doing them. For me WBDA plugged the gaps in terms of people I should notify (e.g. the Information Commissioner) and also provided some useful contacts in terms of expanding my business.

I am still receiving support and haven't yet put everything into action - but I am now more disciplined in my approach to planning and I feel that my business now has a more solid base from which to grow thanks to WBDA.

Now I am more confident that my energies in growing my business are directed in the right places to allow my business to develop which is such a great feeling!

Please feel free to contact me on 01789 765 562 or you can email me on angela@dakinhome.wanadoo.co.uk if you have any question or would like some more information.