Alice Davies, a careers, business and life coach at Alice Davies Coaching, explains why the business should win the home business category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition.
I own a co-working space but I am unable to use it for coaching clients because it’s an open-plan space with no private rooms. Coaching enables people to explore their deepest sense of self, their values, their passions, and what they truly want. The environment in which the coaching partnership takes place plays a crucial role in aiding a sense of trust and a feeling of support for individual growth. So I decided to turn my kitchen/living room into a homely and inviting coaching environment.
I have an open fire that is gorgeous in the chillier months, it helps people feel cosy and nurtured. I also have an arts cupboard so if the need for a client is to get more creative then out come the supplies, and because it’s my home it doesn’t matter how messy things get.
I want clients to feel energised when they come into my home, and the interiors really help with that, as do seasonal scented candles. I am a sucker for good design so it’s always nice when a client comments on my Eames furniture or statement artwork. I like to tell the stories of how I came about these pieces, it gives the client a sense of who I am and my interior style often inspires others.
I coach people to enable them to authentically grow and develop in the direction they want to go, and to do such exciting work in my home is truly a privilege.
All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the top three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
