Miles of Experience

Owning and managing a business comes with many pressures.

It’s not just the day job that we need to focus on. It’s also the never ending to-do-lists for tasks such as balancing the books, developing your marketing and PR strategies, not to mention managing staff and providing customer support.

Tina Booth, of Fotini Coaching & Consultancy knows a thing or two about setting up a business.

She moved almost 8,000 miles to set up hers.

When globetrotting Tina moved from South Africa’s biggest city, Johannesburg, to set up a family home, and her coaching and marketing mentoring business in Honley, she did so with a wealth of experience.

Tina has spent the last 20 years working in marketing and PR roles for major brands in the corporate, retail and banking sectors. She has worked for agencies in addition to her family luxury dry-cleaning business.

“My work in South Africa was an amazing experience. Often, I worked in very rural areas that had previously remained untouched,” said Tina.

“I have always loved working with people and being a part of their journey.”

Part of Tina’s career was spent working for a PR agency whose client was South Africa’s largest energy supplier, Eskom, helping to boost staff morale, energy and spirit. It also coincided with South Africa hosting the football world cup.

“There was a lot of ‘waka waka,’ which basically means ‘do it’,” she said.

Nuts and Bolts of Running a Successful Business

Before leaving South Africa, Tina spent several years in her family’s luxury dry-cleaning company, which recently celebrated its 40^th anniversary.

The business boasts celebrity clients, having cleaned costumes belonging to high profile singers.

“This is really when I got into the nuts and bolts of running a successful business,” said Tina. “Business can be tough but running your own is also exciting. Clients all have their own personal story to share and it is important that you engage with them.

“The lessons I learnt and having my family as inspiration is what brought me to business coaching.

“We really got to know all our customers, their stories and their lives.”

Focus On Business Goals

Tina and her family moved to Honley in 2019 to be closer to her husband’s side of the family and, after obtaining an International Coaching Federation certificate, the opportunity arose for Tina to establish Fotini Coaching & Consultancy.

“Fotini is my name, meaning ‘light’ and my business was my 40^th birthday present to myself,” she said.

“I realised my experience was so very vast and I knew I had the right business mindset to help other people develop theirs.”

From marketing and PR strategies to cash flow and customer experience, Tina has all the right skills for small business coaching and marketing mentoring.

“A coach can still be a business owner. A plumber can still be a business owner. They may be very good at their job, but they may not necessarily have all the right tools to run a successful business.

“They may need help with invoicing or maybe confidence to manage their staff,” she said.

“I look at your audience, see what you may be up against, help you to make the right adjustments and help you to meet your targets.

“I streamline your business with a focus always to ensure that while working on your business, you are still in your business.

“I also recognise that all businesses are unique, with different needs and at different stages. My aim is to add business value and return on investment.”