An interview with Sharon GaskinSharon Gaskin is the Founder of The Trainers Training Company. She works with freelance trainers to help them create successful training businesses. I first met Sharon last year via Ecademy and since then we have stayed in touch and shared ideas and information in our shared passion – learning and development.
About The Trainers Training Company
Carolyn (The Complete Trainer Ltd): Tell me about your company and why you started this venture.
Sharon Gaskin (The Trainers Training Company Ltd): I started the Trainers Training Company in 2008. It was an idea that I had had for a while, but had never done anything about. It was only when I had a spate of questions from different people – all wanting to be freelance trainers – and all within the space of a week – that I realised there were people out there who really needed my help.
We help trainers develop their businesses. Our clients include trainers who have been made redundant and decide to go freelance. It can be a bit overwhelming coming from the secure environment of being employed to going freelance. We help them get started and approach their future in a positive and purposeful way.
Sometimes trainers make the decision to break out of corporate life voluntarily – they have tremendous experience but may find taking that first independent step daunting. Our company offers support and guidance – helping people turn what was just the dream of being self-employed into a reality.
Not all our clients are brand new start ups. Many people we are working with start out with lots of ideas and enthusiasm but are now becoming disillusioned because the market is challenging and they haven’t got enough work. We help them with practical strategies that they can start applying to the business to bring in more clients fast.
Carolyn: What about trainers who have been in the business a long time? Do they come to you for help too?
Sharon: As, they say, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” In these times, even the most established of trainers and training providers need to look at their practices and re-energise their business methods to really get their business moving forward.
Carolyn: What is your business vision?
Sharon: We aim to be a 1 Stop Shop for freelance trainers providing a range of services to suit all needs and budgets including Workshops, Teleseminars and 1 to 1 Business Coaching.
I am passionate about helping freelance trainers to develop and grow profitable businesses. I know what it feels like – I am a freelance trainer myself. I have been there and done it and know how hard it can be, particularly when you first start out. The reason I can offer such good advice is that I am not shy to admit my mistakes and to share them. In the first year as a freelance trainer I learned a lot – not about training but about how to operate as a successful business.
Carolyn: Where are you based and where do you tend to work mostly?
Sharon: I live in the West Midlands, about half an hour from Birmingham. The beauty of my job is that most of it is done from home, I give people coaching sessions and run Teleseminars over the phone.My workshops are run in Birmingham but I have plans to widen the net next year.
Carolyn: What is the weirdest experience you have had as a trainer?
In the course of 20 years as a trainer I’ve seen a lot of things and dealt with all types of people and situations. But I have to admit that the weirdest thing I have ever experienced is having my husband as a delegate on a management training course - and having to put up with everyone else's jokes!
Carolyn: Sharon, any last words to say about training in today’s economic climate?
Sharon: I’m seeing a mixture of people who are undoubtedly finding it more challenging than usual but there are also others who have never been busier. In my experience the most successful freelance trainers are the ones who continuously market themselves regardless of whether they have plenty of work or not and who make it a priority to work ON as well as IN their businesses. And I think in the majority of cases these are the trainers who are reaping the benefits at the moment.
Products/Links:
- Downloadable E Book: How To Launch A Training Business in 30 Days
- Teleseminars: Live Teleseminars and Downloadable Recordings on topics such as How To Build Relationships That Win Corporate Business and How To Overcome Your Fear of Selling Yourself
- 1 to 1 Business Coaching
- 1 Day Workshop: September 29 in Birmingham - Workshop: How To Create A Successful and Profitable Training Business - The Easy Way
- Get your FREE Enterprising Trainer Pack at http://www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/
“Having recently taken redundancy after 31 years of working for a major retailer, I’d decided to start up my own freelance training business. I’d attended several workshops on self-employment, networking etc, and my brain was buzzing! I was unfocussed and beginning to worry about where to start, and then!I discovered How to launch a training business in 30 days!
This book is fantastic! It helped me order my thoughts, gave me focus, and produce a clear plan of action. The language is easy to understand, the exercises are practical, and the overall product gave me the motivation to continue – and I’m now feeling much more confident. One of the major plus points for me, was that it is specifically about a training business – everything else I’d read or attended was quite general.
Thank you Sharon – a great tool for brand new freelance trainers!” Sue Parsons
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