IMPROVING YOUR BUSINESS with YOU as the key Steven Spielberg famously said, “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” That requires not only an understanding of business, and of specific industries, but also a certain humility and a willingness to listen as well as talk. This is a role that Kevin Bennett readily assumes, bringing decades of experience in a range of high-flying jobs to those around him. Launching his own business, KB Business Solutions, was the natural progression to that role. “Our services are based around key strategies of customers, people, processes, improvement and coaching - how these are delivered are developed directly with the organisation and relates directly to the goals and outcomes they want to achieve,” he told Business Matters. “Our foundation is ‘Improving Your Business with You’, Linked to a core belief that successful businesses have a passion for customer service and developing the capability of their people, the foundation of ‘Improving Your Business with You’ was created.” Kevin certainly has the credentials to be a mentor, gathered from many different sectors in different countries around the world. Starting in the electronics sector as an apprentice working on smart telephones and telex machines, he quickly progressed through quality and project management roles to offshore for oil rigs and platforms, the automotive sector, and then the design, testing and manufacturing of door and window systems. Clearly a man who follows his heart as well as his head, Kevin accepted a temporary move of six months from London to South Wales, where he met his wife, Monique, and six months became nearly 20 years, and four ‘fantastic kids’ arrived. The move marked a transition into the education industry, as a senior manager for South West TAFE, providing internal strategy and improvement support for the executive team across four campuses; teaching management subjects from Cert III to Advanced Diploma, and becoming an Adjunct Lecturer for Charles Sturt University.
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Since launching KB Business Solutions in 2012, Kevin has worked with many organisations across many sectors, including Bulla Dairy Foods, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Boxhill and Sunraysia TAFE (Vic) and Southern Grampians Shire Council. The proven methodologies, tool and techniques offered by KB Solutions are unique. They provide support to business through coaching and mentoring, facilitated programs and workshops and key note speaking. Kevin says. “Prospective clients need to have a passion for customer service, they need to be willing to be challenged, while at the same time staying true to the core values of why they started their business. They need to be open to being helped, but must also help themselves.” Married for 21 years this month, Kevin lives at Pelican Waters, and enjoys sport, fishing and ‘a good cold beer’! But he also enjoys ‘making a difference’ in other ways, too, and initiated the first 32 hour community challenge for businesses and individuals to promote awareness of the effects of drinking and driving. He is now focused on the war against ice addiction. www.improvingyourbusiness.com.au
