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    Owner Manager Programme

    Real skills. Development. New opportunities. A challenge. Refreshed perspective. Significant changes. Support Network. Better results.

    Rewa Quote (2)

    Criteria

    NZ business owners
    $3M+ turnover

    Time

    15 days over 5 months
    Next Start: Feb 2025

    Format

    Group sessions
    In-person (residential)

    Programme overview

    The Owner Manager Programme will give you the confidence to put progressive plans in place for you and your business. You’ll refine and develop your skills through sessions with The Icehouse facilitators, external experts and fellow Owner Managers.

    We’ve honed a growth formula that’s propelled hundreds of Kiwi-owned small and medium businesses to new heights.

    Throughout this programme, you will discover a new perspective on your business, a better understanding of yourself as an individual and a business owner and a clearer sense of where you are going and how you will get there while maintaining a better work-life balance.

    Outcomes

    Skills

    • New skills, techniques and frameworks to apply to your business
    • Improved work/life balance and a new approach to your mental and physical health
    • Confidence, motivation and enhanced leadership

    Clarity

    • A new business growth plan critiqued by leading business experts
    • Better awareness of what drives business growth and how to analyse and fine-tune your business to solve problems
    • Clarity on the future and a better understanding of yourself as the leader of the business

    Support

    • A room full of owners going through the same stuff you are, and who keep you accountable to delivering on what you say you will.
    • A safe space to unload, share war stories, ask for help, and talk about the challenges of being a business owner without fear of criticism.

    Structure & Format

    The Owner Manager Programme is a 16-day programme that takes you out of your business to focus on your learning. It is held over five months, in blocks of three off-site (residential) days per month where you will stay together with your fellow programme attendees. This is followed by a single-day implementation workshop approximately three months later.

     

    The teaching format of the Owner Manager Programme includes small and large group sessions, as well as one-on-one discussions. Case Studies and real-world examples are used to complement academic theory.

     

    We use “The Four Circles” to understand the context of the Owner Manager and their business. This unique approach sets our programmes apart because we get that for owners, business is personal.

    • You
    • You in the business
    • the business
    • community & macro environment

    Facilitators & Speakers

    On each Owner Manager Programme, two facilitators guide the learning experience and provide a good mix of academic and practical expertise. Their common sense and business acumen is supported by specialist professionals, experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders who share their real-life experiences in a flexible learning environment.

     

    Each block features an owner-manager guest speaker. This creates an opportunity to share in another owner-manager’s business experience and gain insights and learnings to apply to your business.

    Your Coursemates

    You'll be joined by up to 25 fellow business owners at a similar stage in their journey as you. Throughout the programme, you'll grow close, learn from each other, be accountable to each other, and value the external perspective that other owners can offer you.

     

    We'll make sure there's no direct competitors in  the room, meaning everyone is comfortable speaking freely. This also ensures the room is full of people from different industries, as often the ideas that create the greatest positive change come from places you wouldn't normally look or have access to.

    What will you get from joining this programme?

    Ownership Methodology

    Review the key fundamentals of running and growing a business

    Enhanced Effectiveness

    Explore leverage points for productivity and efficiency

    Seize the Moment

    Identify growth opportunities and ways to handle changes

    Manage Growth

    Learn how to manage growth transitions, capacity and resources

    Reach The Next Level

    Understand and implement strategies for 'Significant Growth'

    Grow Yourself

    Harness the tools for confidence, motivation and enhanced leadership

    Upcoming Programmes

    OMP68: Auckland, Feb 2025

    Block 1: 27 Feb - 1 Mar 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 2: 27 - 29 Mar 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 3: 1 - 3 May 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 4: 5 - 7 Jun 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 5: 17 - 20 Jul 2025, Auckland

     

    Implementation: TBC

    OMP69: Auckland, May 2025

    Block 1: 8 - 10 May 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 2: 12 - 14 Jun 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 3: 24 - 26 Jul 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 4: 21 - 23 Aug 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 5: 18 - 21 Sep 2025, Auckland

     

    Implementation: TBC

    OMP70: Travelling, Jul 2025

    Block 1: 30 Jul - 1 Aug 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 2: 3 - 5 Sep 2025, Christchurch

     

    Block 3: 8 - 10 Oct 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 4: 5 - 7 Nov 2025, Queenstown

     

    Block 5: 3 - 6 Dec 2025, Auckland

     

    Implementation: TBC

    OMP71: Auckland, Sep 2025

    Block 1: 10 - 12 Sep 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 2: 15 - 17 Oct 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 3: 26 - 28 Nov 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 4: 21 - 23 Jan 2025, Auckland

     

    Block 5: 25 - 28 February, Auckland

     

    Implementation: TBC

    "The Owner Manager Programme helps you focus on your goal-setting and visualising where you want to be. It taught me that I need to work ON the business and not IN the business and that’s a great discipline. If you follow the process of the Owner Manager Programme, it’s phenomenal."


    Carmen Vicelich
    Data Insight & Valocity
    Owner Manager Programme Alumni

    Meet the Directing Team

    Don't just take our word for it...

    The Owner Manager Programme has allowed me to get out of my own way. After the second session we hired three new people.

    We decided we’re going to go hard or go home!

    Sam Colthurst

    Colthurst Flooring

    Succession planning, recruitment, staffing, were always major issues for everybody that sat around the table. So you realise quickly that despite being from different backgrounds and businesses, we're all facing similar problems.

     

    Rewa Willis

    Sherson Willis

    It was an investment in myself but now when I look back at the amount of business understanding and connections I gained it makes that cost look insignificant and it’s helped me shape the business to where I need it to go.  

     

    Jade Fonotoe

    Absolute Traffic

    The Owner Manager Programme has allowed me to get out of my own way. After the second session we hired three new people.

    We decided we’re going to go hard or go home!

    Sam Colthurst

    Colthurst Flooring

    Succession planning, recruitment, staffing, were always major issues for everybody that sat around the table. So you realise quickly that despite being from different backgrounds and businesses, we're all facing similar problems.

     

    Rewa Willis

    Sherson Willis

    It was an investment in myself but now when I look back at the amount of business understanding and connections I gained it makes that cost look insignificant and it’s helped me shape the business to where I need it to go.  

     

    Jade Fonotoe

    Absolute Traffic

    Scholarships

    Scholarships are regularly offered by our partners, friends and alumni. Ask us what might be available!

    Payment Plans

    We may be able to offer flexible payment plans to make it easier for your business to access our programmes and invest in your growth.

    Regional Business Partner Funding

    Management Capability Development funding may be available through your Regional Business Partner. To explore if your business is eligible for support, please contact your Regional Business Growth Advisor directly. Please email us for an introduction.