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Local coach helps smallâ€"business owners take company to next level Businesses have two compoâ€" nents: the roots and the fruits. The roots are a company‘s idenâ€" tity, values and passions, while the fruits reflect their implementation. "You can‘t grow when you don‘t have strong roots â€" a good founâ€" dation," said Lois Raats, the owner of Ready2Grow Associates, a comâ€" pany that offers coaching sessions to smallâ€"business entrepreneurs. Helping businesses grow "So Ready2Grow involves getâ€" ting companies ready to grow to their next phase." _ _ â€" Her idea to launch this Waterâ€" looâ€"based business two years ago stems from her longtime interest in people and their work. "I‘ve always wanted workplaces to be better places than many are," she said. "So that‘s really been the theme throughout my entire career." Born and raised in Kitchenerâ€" Waterloo, Raats has a master‘s degree in adult education and counselling. She has worked as a marriage and family counsellor, as well as a career counsellor. In the last 10 years, she‘s moved into coaching. "My career has been more about looking backwards and figâ€" uring out what it was about after the fact," she said. "When you‘re in a creative path, you can‘t often anticipate exactly where things are going to go. "You, more or less, follow your life a step at a time. You prepare yourself for opportunities. And then you take advantage of opporâ€" tunities when they come along." With Ready2Grow, Raats offers individual And group coaching for smallâ€"business entrepreneurs, along with workshops. Down the road, she plans to provide online coaching, among other initiatives. Her individual counselling begins by focusing on the business owner. "Everything revolves around the business owner because if the business owner is focused and goal oriented and managing their team well ... then the business is going to flourish," she said. "So we focus on the business owner and their vision for the business. We try to understand the passions and values that fuel By Jennirer ORMSTON _Chronicle Staff "And we make sure that those are clearly communicated, not only to customers, but also to supâ€" pliers and the team." the business Lois Raats, the owner of Ready2Grow Associates, helps smallâ€"business entrepreneurs grow their companies. For more information on her company, go to www.ready2grow.com. From the individual coaching, BUSINESS Now at market â€" a huge, exciting selection of + hanging baskets + bedding plants « limitless perennials * guidance from growers to help make best decisions for beds * patio ideas + garden decor + birdhouses and supplies If only making all beds was this exhilarating! * Thursday & Saturday: 7 am â€"3:30 pm all yearl 845 AND 878 Weber St. at Farmers Market Rd. (north edge Waterloo) Raats determines what an individâ€" ual‘s needs are, and that might include team coaching within the organization. _"We don‘t ever know ahead of time what a person‘s going to need e E1 â€" they may need a whole range of things. e 8 "And I think that‘s one of the things that sets Ready2Grow apart because I have quite a broad backâ€" ground in many different fields. JENNIFER ORMSTON PHOTO WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, May 14, 2008 * 15 "I‘m able to look at a situation from a whole variety of perspecâ€" tives." A large number of smallâ€"busiâ€" ness ventures fail â€" and that‘s one of the reasons Raats does what she "I don‘t think those businesses should be failing. I think they should be thriving," she said. _ She‘s found the factors that keep a business from growing are often simple. For instance, the owner may have a great idea, but she doesn‘t get along well with people. And some entrepreneurs are highly creative, but they aren‘t organized, which affects the implementation of their plans. "Helping a business owner get clear on what their vision is, and what their priorities are, and then helping them organize their time around their priorities, and then helping them to build their team so that it reflects everything they‘re trying to achieve in the world, that‘s what makes a company grow and succeed," she said. Roy Weber, an advisor at the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre, located on the first floor of Waterloo City Hall, sends some of the startup entrepreneurs he meets to Raats for help. Challenges often pop up after a person has launched their idea, put their team together and started to sell their product, he said. "We‘ve just found that Lois‘s business is a good fit for stage two of development and growth of the business," Weber said. "There‘s definitely a need for that kind of support for the entreâ€" preneur as they‘re developing their business." Raats is coâ€"hosting a daylong marketingâ€"plan workshop on May 30 at the small business centre in Kitohener City Hall. Preâ€"registraâ€" tion is required. For information, contact her at lois@ready2grow.com or call 519â€" "You can‘t grow when you don‘t have strong roots ..." Owner of Ready2Grow Associates â€"Lois Raats