How Robert Gilmour Architects Increased Profits and Reclaimed Their Weekends

After 15 years in business, Robert Gilmour was working harder than ever, but not necessarily seeing the rewards. Here's how working with Peter Magee of ActionCOACH Bangor helped change that.

Great at What You Do. But Who Teaches You to Run the Business?

Being brilliant at your profession doesn't automatically mean you know how to run a successful business.

It's something Robert Gilmour, of Robert Gilmour Architects, knows all too well.

After years of studying and training to become an architect, Robert had developed the skills and expertise to design beautiful homes. But there was one important part of running his own practice that his education hadn't prepared him for: the business itself.

As Robert explains:

"We know how to be architects, but we don't know how to be business people."

Like so many business owners, Robert had spent years learning as he went, figuring things out through trial and error and doing whatever was necessary to keep the business moving forward.

And while the practice was busy, something wasn't quite right.

Working Harder, But Not Seeing the Rewards

Before working with Peter, Robert and his team were putting in long hours, regularly sacrificing evenings and weekends to keep on top of everything.

Despite the amount of work coming through the door, cash flow remained a constant concern.

Some months were better than others, but there was always pressure to make sure enough money was coming in to cover the bills.

The business was surviving, but Robert knew there had to be a better way.

"We were working very hard and never really seeming to reap any rewards for that."

The challenge wasn't a lack of skill, commitment or demand for their services. It was understanding how to turn all that hard work into a business that was consistently profitable and financially secure.

That's when Robert connected with Peter Magee of ActionCOACH Bangor.

A Different Way of Running the Business

When Robert first heard about ActionCOACH, the challenges being discussed sounded remarkably familiar.

The long hours, the financial pressure, the feeling of constantly working without getting ahead. It was exactly what they were experiencing.

Working with Peter introduced something the business had been missing: an outside perspective, greater accountability and a clearer understanding of the numbers that really mattered.

Through fortnightly coaching sessions, Robert and the team began looking more closely at how the practice operated, where their time was being spent and, importantly, how their work was being priced.

For Robert, having someone to challenge their thinking and hold them accountable made a real difference.

As a creative professional, he'd naturally rather spend his time designing homes than chasing invoices or analysing profit margins. But as he discovered, those less exciting parts of running a business are just as important as the work itself.

The Turning Point: Understanding Their True Value

One of the biggest changes came when Robert and Peter reviewed the practice's pricing strategy.

They realised that, despite the quality of their work and the expertise behind it, they had been undervaluing their services.

The answer wasn't simply to increase prices across the board. It was about understanding the value they delivered, pricing appropriately and making better decisions about the projects they took on.

"We were undervaluing ourselves, telling people we're great but actually not charging appropriately."

With a more effective pricing strategy in place, the practice could become more selective about the work it accepted, focusing on projects that were both enjoyable and financially worthwhile.

And the results speak for themselves.

The Results: Higher Profits, Fewer Hours and Less Stress

Over approximately two years of working with Peter and ActionCOACH Bangor, Robert estimates that turnover and profit have increased by over 50%.

But perhaps the most meaningful change is that the team is achieving those results while working fewer hours.

The evenings and weekends that were once regularly sacrificed to keep the business going are no longer the norm.

Cash flow is more manageable, there's greater financial security, and the pressure that used to build towards the end of every month has eased.

Robert now has more time for holidays, rarely works weekends and feels far more in control of the business.

"I rarely work weekends. I have a weekend. It feels great."

It's a significant shift from where the business was before coaching.

And beyond the financial improvements, Robert has gained something equally valuable: confidence in the way the business is being run.

Looking Ahead With Confidence

Today, Robert and his team have a much clearer understanding of their profit margins, financial targets and what it takes to build a sustainable business.

Rather than simply working hard and hoping everything comes together, they're setting ambitious goals and making deliberate decisions to achieve them.

For Robert, the biggest difference is no longer feeling like they're muddling through the business side of things.

They're running the practice with purpose, understanding and direction.

And when asked whether he'd recommend working with ActionCOACH, his answer was immediate:

"Absolutely. I wish we'd done it from the beginning."

Could Your Business Be Working Better for You?

Robert's story highlights a challenge that many business owners face, particularly those who have built a business around a specialist skill or profession.

Being good at what you do is what gets the business started. But building a profitable, sustainable business requires a different set of skills.

At ActionCOACH Bangor, Peter Magee works with business owners to strengthen the foundations of their business, improve profitability, introduce greater accountability and create more freedom outside of work.

Because business success shouldn't mean sacrificing every evening, weekend or holiday just to keep things moving.

If Robert's experience sounds familiar, get in touch with Peter to explore what could be possible for your business.