The Accounting Translator by Miles Better.

teaching Scuba diving =

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM……. I started Miles Better back in 2014 whilst vacationing on a dive boat in the Red Sea. The best ideas are often born when you least expect it. Recently we have added to our product suite with the launch of Miles Better USA , Miles Better Digital, Miles Better Mastermind, Miles Better Business Mentoring and also being a founder member of On Point Mentors. Over the years I have developed a concept that I refer to as the “Miles Better 4 Pillars for Success”. Plain Speaking Numbers
Helping to translate, “Accounting is the language of Business” in a way that entrepreneurs’ clients could understand. Real time Numbers
Ensuring we solved our client problems when they needed them i.e. Now
Hassle Free Numbers
Allowing us to take over the hassles and frustration of working with the tax authorities
Meaningful Numbers
Beginning in your corner as you mentor and business guru – the Yoda of numbers. The concept was simply to remove the day to day hassle for small businesspeople and entrepreneurs when it comes to your accounting functions and recently business mentor support. This simply approach of working allows you to focus on your passions – growing your business and being the entrepreneur, you always dreamed of. Because however good your idea is – if you don’t manage your finances’ and truly understand your business in real time – your idea will never grow past being just be a hobby. This concept has been adapted to also meet our pivoting into the Digital Marketing world and other product areas. Now I hear you say – But Collin – if only you could share “how do we know you can deliver these four pillars and help me.”

Well you won’t be disappointed because I have my story to tell you…. Being my favourite subject and something that ranks as my proudest achievement

I am not your typical accountant/business advisor in any shape or form. I trained as an accountant/economist at Southampton University, where I met my wife but quickly realised that old fashion accounting style and approach was not for me. So, as she went down the rabbit hole of working for one of the Big 4 accounting firm -I went off into Business management. I looked at what made me excited each day and found my personality and outlook suited – Sales and Operations – rising to become European Retail Director, and then European Managing Director of several European arms of large US companies. In fact, I worked with Fay Chapple (founder of On Point Mentors) for several years back in the late 90’s – so just shows how small the world really is. It was only later in life that I realised that I understood the application of the numbers but not the background. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a place at the prestigious BRC Oxford Summer School retail academy early in my career and can truly say this was a turning point – the positive effect of having real coaching and mentorship in my life was mind blowing. I soon came to understand that this was an even greater passion of mine and was excited to return as a trainer/mentor/board member to the retail managers of the future – a position I held for 22 years before stepping down in 2018. The old saying “Work and No Play” started to become a reality and the final nail in the virtual coffin in 2003 was when my wife said – “Collin I love you, but I don’t like who you are becoming”. That was like a dagger through my very soul, So I made what at the time seemed the craziest decision – I quit my six-figure income role……. There is a what is now a funny side story

– I went out to the USA for the board meeting and quit but had not told Kate I was doing this –

so when I came back early than expected the front door to my own home was locked form the inside and I had to sit on the door step contemplating life whilst I wait for her to come home

– really put things into perspective. Not ashamed to say I shed a few tears of relief

After some down time to recharge and find my mojo again I looked at what I truly enjoyed in life and that realised that was teaching, mentoring and developing people to be the best of themselves was uplifting. My passion for the underwater was in its early stages but becoming a PADI Instructor seemed a great way to start the next phrase of my life journey. My personality meant that this was never going to be just a small adventure and I ended up owning/supporting and running 8 dive centres in the UK, Egypt and Seychelles. To support this journey, I qualified as a PADI Instructor in 2003, finally became a PADI Course Director (Instructor Trainer) and in 2009 was awarded Platinum Status Course Director one of only 50 in the world that year. Running so many small businesses at the same time honed my skills of plain speak and real time as I need to ensure all my team knew what they needed to achieve and when. We started to build systems that allowed us to generate meaningful numbers that allowed us to focus on the right indicators, as there are so many that can steer you wrong. What simply number told us if we could take on more staff, what happened if we launched a new product. We started to refer to these as the 3 secret documents of success

A statement that in is our DNA as is so key for all entrepreneurs /businesspeople

Sales are Vanity, Profit is Vanity, but Cash is King. During 2011– we tried out hand at another venture which I have to say did not work – but as a serial entrepreneur this happens but the 3 key documents above quickly told us we need to change

So, I decide that the time was right to take pivot to different avenues of success and so positioned the Dive business for sale and this sale closed in 2012

This allowed me to return to fulfil a promise I made in 1987 to work with a University/college friend in establishing a new multimillion $ venture in the European Market. After a couple of extremely successfully years where we experienced exponential growth a change in direction was presented to me – you never ever know what is around the corner. Whilst I had been busy running my various business opportunities – Kate had risen in her career and found herself as CFO for a $billon company that she and the management team sold to a competitor and she decided Semi retirement at 46 sounded like fun. So I decided to join her and review our options – we moved to France and I physically built a pool and Italian terrace. However, in the back of my mind those 4 pillars of what we stand for were growing and Never one to sit still – the idea of Miles Better was born in August 2014 whilst sitting on a dive boat in the Red Sea. I was looking to start a new business that allowed me to travel, coach, mentor and give back some of the skills and knowledge I had gather on my 25-year business journey. The interesting think is that I returned full circle to my initial passion of accounting and found that with the wealth of knowledge, real life experience – the four Miles Better pillars and the power of the internet I could offer services that allowed me to achieve my personal work life balance, owning homes in USA, France and the UK, whilst providing clients with the support they need to focus on their passions. So over the last 6 years I have refined the pillars and So I am proud to present again the “Miles Better 4 Pillars for Business Success”

Plain Speaking Business
Helping to translate, “Accounting is the language of Business” and Digital Marketing in a way that entrepreneurs’ clients could understand. Real time Business mentoring
Ensuring we solved our client problems when they needed them i.e. Now
Hassle Free Business Support
Allowing us to take over the hassles and frustration of working in isolation
Meaningful Business Support
Beginning in your corner as you mentor and business guru – the Yoda of all things business and numbers. I would love to work with you in the coming weeks and months

Thank You