Why coaching and collaboration are key ingredients for better business

John Acton, Co-Founder and CEO of peer2peer, tells Karen McLauchlan why collective connections, and finding your tribe, can empower growth

“It can be tough and lonely running a business,” said John Acton, CEO and Founder of peer2peer.

Which is why the fast-growing St Albans-based peer advisory group for business leaders and entrepreneurs firmly believes there is strength in numbers.

And by creating communities – or Boards as they are known at peer2peer - business leaders come together to connect, feel inspired and support each other, meaning the odds of future success are greatly increased.

“Everyone should have a business coach or a coaching solution,” said John, who has 30 years’ experience in senior leadership roles within global organisations.

“For some that’s often not possible due to cost or not meeting the joining criteria. We wanted to do things differently which is why we set up peer2peer in 2017.” peer2peer currently has around 250 members. Geographical reach stretches from Leeds and Sheffield in the North, via Northampton and Bedfordshire, and down through Hertfordshire and the South of England.

Around a dozen members sit on each Board, providing a platform to discuss ideas, share problems and challenge each other’s way of thinking. Groups are large enough to bring a depth of experience but small enough to give everyone a voice.

Within the last year peer2peer has also launched Surge, a two-year programme available for smaller firms with a turnover under £250,000 that brings groups of 20-40 people together.

And there are plans for growth. peer2peer wants to increase its number of Boards from 23 to 50 in 12 months through franchising.

“Our plan is to be within a 40-minute drive of 95 per cent of the population by the end of 2026,” said John, “and we are aiming for 50 per cent of our members to be women – we’re currently at 47 per cent.”

John’s impressive corporate CV puts him in a great position to help others create a stronger path ahead.

While working at board level with parcel delivery network DPD Group, he was responsible for driving growth in the international business, taking it from a £4 billion to a £9 billion group in seven years.

But searching for a better work-life balance, and eager to start his own business, he established peer2peer alongside Simon HC, Tim Bentall and Stuart Osborne – all business leaders in their own right.

One of the founding principles of peer2peer is business should “never be about the money”, said John.

“If you put profit first you make decisions that aren’t always in the best interest of the client. During Covid, for example, we had to move all our meetings online and we halved our monthly fee or reduced it to zero for those unable to pay. It took time but everyone came back. Last year, at some point, 20 per cent of our members took a payment holiday, we never leave a member behind.”

John says there are four reasons why people join peer2peer –support, upskilling, decision making and finding a better blend of work and home life.

“Support is so important,” he explained. “You need others to bounce ideas around with, glean insight from others’ battle scars and navigate difficult times with the help of others.

“People should also never stop learning. We offer more than 80 workshops in our Capability Compass library.

“It’s also tough running a business and we all hit turbulence and headwinds. So having a group to turn to is important, the wisdom of others is really powerful.” peer2peer has also been a Patron member of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce for the past two years, which John says brings many benefits.

“It gets me out there networking, meeting people who I’d love to be on our Boards, plus it gives our business additional exposure. But it’s also a chance to put something back into Hertfordshire.

“The Chamber provides opportunities for people to meet, grow and help each other, they’re a catalyst for local businesses to thrive. I’ve met some wonderful people, had great conversations and it has helped me raise my own game.”

John says in the wake of Brexit, Covid and the war in Ukraine, a major challenge for businesses today is economic instability.

“We now seem to live in a world of constant uncertainty. It’s never been so hard to be a thriving entrepreneur. Business is all about making the right decisions, and no one should be making those on their own.

“They should leverage a group to reduce the risk of making wrong choices.”

When it comes to his own leadership style, John is clearly a master of finding focus amidst the chaos of running a business.

“I’m very good at seeing through the noise and spotting what the issue is that needs resolving – and proposing a solution,” he said.

“It’s so important to take complex things and boil them down to the fundamental essence. Always be clear on what you are and what your business is about.

“It’s good to step back and think what is the problem my business’ product or service is solving? Why should someone buy my product or service, what is the pain we are fixing?” peer2peer’s tagline is ‘love your flight’ – something John firmly believes in.

“When you come to the end of your business exit, we want people to have absolutely loved it and have no regrets.

“We want to guide even more business leaders to build better companies while getting that work-life blend right. Learning from each other’s wins and mistakes accelerates our flight path to success.”