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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)

Investment

$30,975 + GST
Incl. Food & Accom.

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

"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

Liz Wotherspoon_1920x1080px

Liz Wotherspoon

Programme Director
Deb_Shepherd_600x400px

Deb Shepherd

Programme Director
Darl Kolb_003

Darl Kolb

Programme Director
Derek Young

Derek Young

Programme Director
Chris_Woods_600x400

Chris Woods

Programme Director

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!

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.

 

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.  

 

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!

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.

 

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.  

 

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.