MBS Coaching · Board Group
Bring a problem. Take a seat at the table.
A free monthly online Board Group for established business owners who could use another perspective.
A small group of established business owners will listen to a real problem, ask good questions and offer a different perspective. A useful room full of business owners helping each other think — not a webinar, not networking for the sake of it, not a sales pitch.
Held monthly. See the booking calendar for the next available date.
Why the Board Group exists
Running a business can be surprisingly isolating.
You might have employees — but they're relatively junior. Family and friends who'll listen, but don't fully understand. Advisers who only ever see one part of the business. Other directors, with their own opinions. Plenty of people around you, but not always someone independent to properly think a problem through with.
The bigger the business gets, the bigger some of the decisions become. There's more to lose. Sometimes what you need isn't more information.
Sometimes what you need is another perspective.
Bring something real
What could you bring?
Business owners bring almost any genuine problem or decision. It could be something like:
- Should I hire someone now, or wait?
- I've got a team member who isn't working out. What am I avoiding?
- We're busy, but we're not making enough money. Where should I look?
- I've got three opportunities and don't know which one deserves my attention.
- One director wants to grow, another doesn't. How do we resolve it?
- Should we stop offering this service?
- I need to increase prices but I'm worried about losing customers.
- I'm working too much. What actually needs to change?
- I've been offered an opportunity — how do I decide if it's genuinely a good one?
Normal, real issues — the kind every established business owner runs into.
The format
How the 90 minutes works
We work around the table. When it's your turn, you briefly explain what's going on and what you'd value some help thinking through. The room asks questions first, before jumping straight to solutions. Other owners then share relevant experience, ideas and different perspectives. Ian and Georgia contribute too, often challenging an assumption or adding a financial or commercial perspective. Then we move around the table.
- Explain what's going on
- Questions first
- Different perspectives
- MBS perspective
- Move around the table
Questions before answers.
Jumping straight to advice often means solving the wrong problem. The group looks for what's actually happening, why it matters, and what's being assumed — before anyone offers a view.
No presentation. No pitch. Just useful conversation.
There's no 45-minute presentation before the "real" session starts, and no sales pitch for MBS Coaching. Nobody's expected to buy anything afterwards — the Board Group is designed to be useful whether or not you ever become an MBS Coaching client.
- Turn up
- Participate
- Respect confidentiality
- Listen properly
- Contribute where you can
Trust
What's discussed in the room stays in the room.
Business owners need to feel comfortable talking about real problems. Everyone attending is expected to respect the confidentiality of what's shared, and not repeat other people's discussions outside the group.
Why it works
Why different perspectives matter
When you've been living with a problem for weeks or months, your thinking narrows. Someone looking at the same problem fresh will ask things like:
- "Why are you doing it that way?"
- "Why is that the only option?"
- "What happens if you don't do anything?"
The value isn't that someone else knows the answer. It's that they don't see the problem through the same lens you do.
Is it for you?
Who's in the room?
This is a working Board Group — people both receive and contribute.
Probably a good fit if you:
- Already have a genuine trading business
- Have employees, contractors, partners or other people affected by your decisions
- Regularly make decisions with real consequences
- Have problems you can't always discuss openly with your team
- Value hearing different perspectives
- Are willing to contribute to other people's discussions too
Probably not the right fit if you:
- Only have a business idea, not yet a trading business
- Are mainly looking to sell your services to the room
- Want leads or referrals rather than discussion
- Aren't willing to openly discuss a genuine challenge
- Want everyone else to simply tell you what to do
Not sure? The best way to find out is to come along.
Who's hosting
About Ian and Georgia
The Board Group is about the room, not the facilitators — but it helps to know who's in it.
Ian has spent many years working alongside business owners while building MBS itself through hiring, systemising, delegating, acquisitions and becoming increasingly removed from day-to-day delivery. He combines practical business ownership with a strong financial background.
Works closely with business owners around direction, accountability and the decisions that can keep an owner or leadership team stuck — combining a strong understanding of business and financial information with a practical coaching style.
Why we do this
Why is it free?
MBS Coaching exists because we believe business owners make better decisions when they have good people around them. The Board Group is a simple way to create more of those conversations.
Some people come once with a particular problem. Others come back when something else crops up and there's space. And some decide they'd value this kind of challenge and accountability around them more regularly — that's where MBS Coaching can help.
Got something you'd value another perspective on?
Bring it to the next MBS Board Group.
A free monthly online roundtable for established business owners — no presentation, no pitch, just useful conversation.
Held monthly. See the booking calendar for the next available date.