We interviewed Ildiko Haraszi, founder and managing director of BusinessMakeover, for this month’s “Business in the Spotlight”.

Here’s what we discovered about the business, the woman behind the business and her journey as a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy.

Tell me about your business?

BusinessMakeover is a business mentoring company, working with Personal Trainers and small businesses of the Fitness and Beauty industry on increasing their market share, client base and revenue.
We have different layers of programmes, starting with the “First 100 days in your role” through to launching a business and growing it to a mid-size company.

When did you set up your original business?

I started the business last summer, June 2011. For about 12 years before that I worked as an independent consultant and executive coach with major corporate organisations on similar topics but on a global scale.

How did you come up with your big business idea then?

It was a fusion of various things. I wanted to make a real difference in the world with all the tools I have acquired as a consultant. Dismissing various charity initiatives, I have decided to stick to developing businesses and their owners, who may not have had access to all the business education that I was lucky to get.

Health and Fitness is a sector I care about a lot and saw a lot of growth potential in. Being a customer of PTs and beauticians, I have seen the need for business mentoring on multiple occasions. And I find their discipline and focus admirable.

What’s your USP?

There is an endless library of information, opinions, tips available online. Anybody can read up on the secrets of running a successful business. There are online mentoring packs, self help tools, virtual mentors and coaches.
But the passion for finding the right combination of ingredients for each business owner, the care for the success of each individual is something that is at the heart of our company.

Our personalized service creates the perfect combination of consultancy, mentoring, training and coaching, including elements such as time management, provision of funding opportunities and the creation of marketing programmes, amongst other tools.

What has been your biggest challenge to date?

Keeping a cool head and wrapping my vision of opportunities into messages that are credible, phased and digestible for people I work with. Sometimes even I get overwhelmed by the many doors opening up with options to choose from. I want to be a role model in prioritizing and focusing.

What element of the business do you enjoy the most?

I love networking. Getting in front of new people, new businesses, sharing my vision and seeing others get inspired by their own unrecognized talents is like magic.

What is your favourite motivational quote?

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

My mission in life is to keep an open mind, be ready for change and constantly challenge the possible. I encourage my clients to imagine the impossible, visualize to get a feel, taste smell of it. Then magic can happen and suddenly they find ways to achieving the impossible.

What personal attributes do you think contribute to success in business?

Apart from the obvious technical skills like planning and managing finances, I believe that having trust in the power of training the mind, of endless repetitions and perfecting the correct attitude are key. Getting the right attitude can be achieved by surrounding yourself with supportive people, inspiring role models and developing a hunger to learn. None of these are a matter of luck or circumstance. It is a choice to nurture such attitude.

Having a personal trainer, a mentor for your business mind can accelerate the learning process.

How important is social media to your business?

It is an essential tool to reach a wide audience and to get an immediate feed from the fitness community about any changes in requirements.

It is also a very cheap way for our clients to follow industry news and learn about funding opportunities. Real time access to such information can make or break the success of a small business.

As having a very personal relationship with our clients is one of the cornerstones of our business, building a social and supportive network is fundamental to building long lasting partnerships. It also provides a great forum to share experiences and launch joint ventures.

What one piece of advice would you give someone thinking of starting a business for the first time?

Don’t wait for the perfect business idea. Sit down, write a list of all the things you are passionate about and love or have done for a long time. For each element of your list, write down how many hours/days/months of experience you have. Then choose something that is highest on your experience and passion list. That is your baby. Now look for people who need exactly that. Your passion will always become the right business for you.

Where did you hear about EBA?

At The Coaching Academy. I was one of the very ambitious coaches, for whom coaching was not just a hobby but a lifestyle that I envisioned to grow into a seven digit business.

Why did you join the EBA?

The prospect of working with the country’s finest entrepreneurs was the only way forward. I am extremely ambitious and wanted to surround myself with the right kind of energy and role models.

What have been the core benefits so far?

I have created a strategic network of very experienced, successful and influential business owners. Through them I can keep training my own mind to think creatively, positively and embrace every success and failure as stepping stones towards a dream I never thought possible: running my own business!

What would be the main reason for you to recommend The EBA to others?

You get a straightforward toolkit, get access to a wealth of experience that you will not get from books. Entering the room, you can smell the right attitude, you just know that you are in the right kind of supportive environment, where you get pushed but can act on your own terms and at your own pace.

Ildiko Haraszi
Managing Director
BusinessMakeover

Telephone: +44 (0)20 8144 3174
Website: www.businessmakeover.net
Twitter:@ildikoharaszi
 
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/ildikoharaszi
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Business-Makeover/216858488384442
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ildikoharaszi/featured
Google+ Business Page: https://plus.google.com/b/117756898788735455984/

In Summary:

Bev James says: “I love working with Ildi, she has drive and passion and gets things done. I believe that anyone lucky enough to work with Ildi will be able to take their business to the next level in a short period of time.”

James Caan says: “This a great example of where attitude + aptitude = altitude. Ildi imbues this formula for success and I look forward to seeing her realise her business goals.”