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Jon Baker

I help professionals grow their firms from 5 to 50 employees, profitably, sustainably and without losing their souls (OK, I think it’s important to enjoy your work).

Since moving from the corporate sector I’ve trained and coached nearly a thousand professionals and business owners, from a wide range of small business types, as well as working in professional practices and larger firms.

I spend most of my time working on a one to one basis with professionals that run their own firms and also training staff to improve their sales, marketing and leadership skills. I have a simple view in life; training (or coaching) is a waste of time unless it’s to an end – which is about improving the firm. The positive feedback says that I achieve this.

I’m known for often having a quirky point of view and am told it comes across in my blogs, as well as when I’m giving keynote presentations.

I love public speaking and regularly give lively, interactive presentations on subjects such as increasing your sales, finding more time in your working week, building a tactical marketing plan and better teamwork. These often involve taking different angles on things, using stories and/ or props. One group was more than a little intrigued when I took my shoes off whilst on stage and threw them away (I promise there was a good reason, you’ll have to ask me about it though). I regularly get great feedback, after a Chamber of Commerce presentation a delegate said “that was the best presentation I’ve heard in 17 years of running my business”.

I’m writing a book ‘The Next Step: Taking your Business from 5 to 50 employees’ (published by Kogan Page in 2013), the many obstacles en-route may become the subject for my second book!

As well as having an MBA and coaching diplomas, I am also an NLP Master Practitioner. I love learning, when it’s for a practical reason, and then love sharing that learning.

Contact me, if you want somebody that can help you:

  • Develop your leadership, sales and marketing skills so that you grow your firm.
  • Develop the skills and more importantly the results you get from your leadership team.
  • Build your client portfolio, focusing especially on referrals from networking and social media.

To connect with me:

When I’m not working….(which is as often as possible)

Jelly fish

As I said earlier I believe in fun and a balanced approach to life and work (that means life, not work, whenever possible). I enjoy spending my time underwater, or up mountains.

I’m Scuba Diving most weekends, playing with jellyfish somewhere between the Arctic Circle and New Zealand (normally in the UK), and I’m also a qualified diving instructor.

Machu Picchu
I also enjoy hiking, recently completed the Inca Trail and now planning a trip to Everest base camp.

I’m now reacquainting my self with my camera, having not really touched it for several years (so excuse me for not showing you all the results…just yet).

The lessons and laughter I’ve had whilst spending time on my hobbies often gets linked to my business development experience in presentations, as I strongly believe in analogy and metaphor when trying to get a point across – although not as strongly as I believe that interaction and laughter is key to any learning experience.